Braxton County is a county in West Virginia, United States, in the central part of the state along the Elk and Little Kanawha river valleys. It had a population of 12,447 at the 2020 census and covers 516 square miles (1,337 km2) centred near 38\u00b042\u2032N 80\u00b044\u2032W.<\/p>\n
Sutton is the county seat and its postal code is 26601. The county has four incorporated towns, Burnsville, Flatwoods, Gassaway and Sutton, alongside dozens of unincorporated communities, all in the Eastern time zone.<\/p>\n
Braxton County lists more than 60 named places on the map, but only four carry town charters — Burnsville, Flatwoods, Gassaway and Sutton, the county seat. Everything else below is an unincorporated community: a crossroads, a former post office, or a cluster of houses along a creek. Population figures are shown only where a 2020 census count exists for the place; unincorporated hamlets without their own census designation are marked with an em dash.<\/p>\n
| Place<\/th>\n | Type<\/th>\n | Pop.<\/th>\n | ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton<\/td>\n | City · seat<\/td>\n | 876<\/td>\n | 26601<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Gassaway<\/td>\n | Town<\/td>\n | 739<\/td>\n | 26624<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Burnsville<\/td>\n | Town<\/td>\n | 467<\/td>\n | 26335<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Flatwoods<\/td>\n | Town<\/td>\n | 301<\/td>\n | 26621<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Frametown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26623<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Heaters<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26627<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Little Birch<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26629<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Napier<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26631<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Copen<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26615<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Exchange<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26619<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Arnett<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bakers Run<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Belfont<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bison<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bonnie<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bower<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Braxton<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bulltown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Canfield<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Caress<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Centralia<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Chapel<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Chapman<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Clem<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Corley<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Cutlips<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Dessie<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Dingy<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Dutch<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Elmira<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Fairbanks<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Falls Mill<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Flower<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Gem<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Gillespie<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Gip<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Glendon<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Gregory<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Herold<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Hettie<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Holly<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Home<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Hyers<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Joppa<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Knawl<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Laurel Fork<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Letch<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Little Otter<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lloydsville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Marpleton<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| McNutt<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Middle Run<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Milroy<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Newville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Orlando<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Palmer<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Pembroke<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rockton<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rollyson<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rosedale<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Servia<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Shadyside<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Strange Creek<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tague<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tate<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tesla<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Vernon<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Wilsie<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Bulltown, on the county’s northern edge, is the site of a reconstructed 19th-century settlement preserved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers near Burnsville Lake — not a functioning community today but still marked on county maps. Braxton, an unincorporated community, is unrelated in origin to the county’s own name; both were separately given in honor of Carter Braxton, so the coincidence is common in West Virginia place-naming.<\/p>\n ZIP Codes<\/h2>\nMost of the county’s smaller unincorporated communities have no post office of their own and are served by the nearest ZIP on this list, usually Sutton or Gassaway.<\/p>\n Geography<\/h2>\nBraxton County sits in the rugged, folded hill country of central West Virginia, drained by the Elk River through the middle of the county and the Little Kanawha River in the north. Burnsville Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood-control reservoir on the Little Kanawha, covers part of the northern county and draws boaters and anglers from across the region. Of the county’s 516 square miles, about 5.5 square miles is water. Braxton County borders Lewis County<\/a> to the northeast, Webster County<\/a> to the southeast, Nicholas County<\/a> to the south, Clay County<\/a> to the southwest, Calhoun County<\/a> to the west, and Gilmer County<\/a> to the northwest.<\/p>\n Braxton County had 12,447 residents at the 2020 census, spread across a mostly rural landscape at a density of about 24 people per square mile. Sutton, the county seat, and Gassaway, its largest incorporated town, are the two biggest communities, each under 900 residents. The county’s median household income runs well below the West Virginia median of $55,948, reflecting its rural, historically coal- and timber-dependent economy. In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau calculated that the geographic center of West Virginia’s entire population fell within northern Braxton County, a symbolic marker of the county’s central location in the state.<\/p>\n Timber, natural gas, and small-scale farming have long anchored Braxton County’s economy, alongside public-sector employment at the county seat and Braxton County Memorial Hospital in Sutton. The Elk River and Burnsville Lake support a modest seasonal tourism trade — camping, fishing, and boating draw visitors in summer months. The Flatwoods Monster, a locally famous 1952 sighting story tied to the town of Flatwoods, has become a small tourism and local-identity draw, with a dedicated museum in Sutton. Braxton County High School in Sutton serves the whole county under one consolidated district.<\/p>\n Braxton County was formed in 1836 from parts of Lewis, Kanawha, and Nicholas counties, then still part of Virginia. It was named for Carter Braxton, a Virginia statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence, who had no direct connection to the area himself — the honor was typical of the period’s practice of naming new counties after national founding figures. Bulltown, in the county’s north, was the site of an 1863 Civil War skirmish between Union home guards and Confederate cavalry, later commemorated with a reconstructed pioneer settlement now maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers alongside Burnsville Lake. Sutton, platted along the Elk River, became the county seat and grew as a river-trade and later railroad town through the late 19th century.<\/p>\n U.S. Route 19 and Interstate 79 cross the county north-south through Sutton and Flatwoods, with U.S. Route 15 (or WV Route 4 in places) running east toward the Elk River valley. Approximate distances from Sutton:<\/p>\n The nearest commercial airport is Yeager Airport (CRW) in Charleston, roughly an hour’s drive southwest via Interstate 79.<\/p>\n Where is Braxton County, West Virginia?<\/strong> What is the population of Braxton County?<\/strong> How big is Braxton County?<\/strong> What is the county seat of Braxton County?<\/strong> How many towns are in Braxton County?<\/strong> |