Jackson

Formed March 1, 1831 (25^th county)

Jackson County (27,792), Ripley (3,080), Ravenswood (3,864)

The Neo-Classical masonry courthouse was built in 1920 and added on in 1961 and renovated in 2003.  The courthouse is on a square of Main, Court, N, and Maple streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 33 in the town.  Levi J. Dean provided the designs.  It features columns and a dome.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There was also an 1858 courthouse in Ripley, the only county seat.  Jackson County was established on March 1, 1831 from parts of Kanawha, Wood, and Mason counties as the 25^th county.  The county is named United States President Andrew Jackson.  The county seat was named for Minister Harry Ripley. 

Jackson County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Three Circuit Court Judges serve Jackson, Calhoun, Mason, and Roane counties and Two Family Court Judges and Two Magistrate Court Judges serve Jackson, Mason, and Wirt counties.  The county is located in western West Virginia on the border with Ohio.  Charleston, West Virginia is south and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is northeast of the county.  The county center is 2.5 miles Northeast of Ripley.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wood, Wirt, Roane, Kanawha, Putnam, and Mason counties and Ohio.  The county resembles a squatting animal facing northwest.  Ripley is located in the southern third of the county.  Ravenswood is on the northwest border of the county.  Ripley is the county seat and Ravenswood is the largest city.  Ripley is 11.1% of the county population while Ravenswood is 13.9% of the county population. 

The area of the county is 466 square miles.  It is 21 out of 55 in the state.  It ranks 21 out of 55 in population in the state.  It has a density of 59.6 persons per square mile making it 23 out of 55 in the state.  Jackson County has 25.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 77 enters the county from the north, Wood County, and exits to the south, Kanawha County.  United States Highway 33 comes from the east, Roane County, and goes to the west, Ohio.