Brooke County is a county in West Virginia, United States, at the northern tip of the state’s narrow Northern Panhandle along the Ohio River. It had a population of 22,559 at the 2020 census and covers 89 square miles (231 km2) of land plus 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) of water, centred near 40\u00b016\u2032N 80\u00b035\u2032W.<\/p>\n
Wellsburg is the county seat; its postal code is 26070. The county has 3 incorporated cities, plus a scatter of unincorporated communities along the river and Short Creek valleys. Brooke County sits in the Eastern time zone and is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH metropolitan area.<\/p>\n
Brooke County has three incorporated cities — Wellsburg, Follansbee, and part of Weirton — and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities and river hamlets. Most of the smaller places line the Ohio River or the ridges above Short Creek. Population figures are shown only where verified against the 2020 census; unverified figures are marked with a dash.<\/p>\n
| Place<\/th>\n | Type<\/th>\n | Pop.<\/th>\n | ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellsburg<\/td>\n | City · seat<\/td>\n | 2,455<\/td>\n | 26070<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Follansbee<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | 2,853<\/td>\n | 26037<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Weirton<\/td>\n | City (partial)<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26062<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Beech Bottom<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26030<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bethany<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26032<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Colliers<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 26035<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| East Steubenville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Franklin<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Archer Heights<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Arnold<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Chapman Addition<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Coketown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Dutch Town<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Fowlerstown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Hooverson Heights<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lazearville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Longview Heights<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Louise<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Marshall Terrace<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| McKinleyville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Parkview<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Pettit Heights<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Power<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rabbit Hill<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rockdale<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Scott Run<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Shank Town<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Short Creek<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| The Orchard<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Virginville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Weirton Junction<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Windsor Heights<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Weirton itself is split between Brooke and Hancock counties — most of the city and its steel-mill core lie in Hancock County to the north, with only the southern edge, including Weirton Junction and Hooverson Heights, inside Brooke. Bethany is a small unincorporated village, not to be confused with the Bethany College campus that borders it.<\/p>\n ZIP Codes<\/h2>\nMost of the smaller river hamlets and ridge communities — East Steubenville, Rockdale, Windsor Heights, and the rest — use a Wellsburg, Follansbee, or Weirton postal address rather than having their own ZIP code.<\/p>\n Geography<\/h2>\nBrooke County occupies the top of West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle, a narrow strip of the state squeezed between Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Ohio River forms the county’s entire western boundary, and the land rises quickly from the river bottoms into steep, forested ridges cut by Short Creek and Buffalo Creek. The county’s highest point, near Franklin, tops out around 1,372 feet.<\/p>\n Brooke County borders Hancock County, West Virginia<\/a> to the north, Washington County, Pennsylvania<\/a> to the east, Ohio County, West Virginia<\/a> to the south, and Jefferson County, Ohio<\/a> across the river to the west.<\/p>\n Brooke County’s population was 22,559 at the 2020 census. Follansbee (2,853) and Wellsburg (2,455) are the county’s two largest incorporated places. Median household income in the county runs below the West Virginia median of $55,948, reflecting the decline of the steel and coal jobs that once anchored the local economy. Population density works out to roughly 253 people per square mile of land.<\/p>\n Brooke County’s economy grew up around Ohio River steelmaking; Follansbee is still home to a Mountain State Carbon coke plant tied to the region’s steel industry, and Weirton’s mills across the county line remain a major regional employer for Brooke County residents. Bethany College, founded in 1818 in the village of Bethany, is West Virginia’s oldest private college and a significant local employer and cultural anchor. Healthcare, retail along the WV 2 river corridor, and county government round out the job base.<\/p>\n Brooke County was formed on November 30, 1797, from part of Ohio County, when the area was still part of Virginia. It is named for Robert Brooke, who served as Governor of Virginia from 1794 to 1796. The county became part of newly formed West Virginia in 1863, when the western counties split from Virginia during the Civil War. Its Ohio River location made it an early corridor for river trade and, later, for the steel and coal industries that shaped the Northern Panhandle through the 20th century.<\/p>\n US 22 runs east–west through the county, connecting to Pittsburgh, and WV 2 follows the Ohio River north–south, linking Wellsburg, Follansbee, and Weirton.<\/p>\n The nearest commercial airport is Pittsburgh International Airport, about an hour’s drive northeast.<\/p>\n Where is Brooke County, West Virginia?<\/strong> What is the population of Brooke County?<\/strong> How big is Brooke County?<\/strong> What is the county seat of Brooke County?<\/strong> How many towns are in Brooke County?<\/strong> What ZIP codes are in Brooke County?<\/strong> |