Mineral

Formed February 1, 1866 (51^st county)

Mineral County (26,938), Keyser (4,857)

The red brick and stone Romanesque Revival courthouse was built in 1868 and remodeled in 1894.  The facility is at Armstrong Street and East Street.  United States Highway 220 passes four blocks to the west of the location.  C. G. Sims provided the designs.  It has a tower and veteran memorials on the grounds.  The building was enlarged in 1938 and 1941 and is under renovation in 2024.  The county was organized on February 1, 1866 from Hampshire County as the 51^st county and Keyser has always been the county seat.  The county name comes from the abundant mineral resources.  Keyser was named for railroad officer William Keyser. 

Mineral County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Two Circuit Court Judges serve Mineral, Grant, and Tucker counties and Two Family Court Judges and Two Magistrate Court Judges serve Mineral, Hampshire, and Morgan counties.  The county is on the northeast border with Maryland.  Charleston, West Virginia is southwest and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is northwest of the county.  The county center is 6 miles Southeast of Keyser nearer Headsville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Maryland and Hampshire, Hardy, and Grant counties.  The county looks like a capital letter J reclining. 

The area of the county is 328 square miles.  It is 40 out of 55 in the state.  It ranks 22 out of 55 in population in the state.  It has a density of 82.1 persons per square mile making it 17 out of 55 in the state.  Mineral County has 26.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 crosses the county from east to west from Hampshire County to Grant County.  United States Highway 220 enters from Maryland, north, and joins United States Highway 50 into Hampshire County, east.  Keyser is located near the northwest border of the county.  Keyser is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 18.0% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced KIE-ZER.  This county is in the Cumberland Metropolitan Statistical Area.