Formed December 21, 1798 (12th county)
Wood County (84,300), Parkersburg (29,746)
The stone Romanesque structure was completed in 1899. It is on a square where 3rd Street meets Market Street. United States Highway 50 is one block to the northeast of the location. L. W. Thomas is the architect. The courthouse’s tower stands out. A Judicial Building was added in 1983. Wood County was founded on December 21, 1798 from Harrison County as the 12th county with Parkersburg as the only county seat. The county is named for Virginia Governor James Wood. The county seat was named for American Revolutionary War hero Alexander Parker. Wood County is the birthplace of 1 West Virginia Governor, Jacob B. Jackson.
Wood County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners. Three Circuit Court Judges serve Wood and Wirt counties and Two Family Court Judges and Four Magistrate Court Judges serve Wood and Pleasants counties. Wood County is on the western border with Ohio. Charleston, West Virginia is south and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is northeast of the county. The county center is 4.2 miles Southeast of Parkersburg nearer Davisville. The county is surrounded clockwise by Ohio and Pleasants, Ritchie, Wirt, and Jackson counties.
The area of the county is 367 square miles. It is 31 out of 55 in the state. It ranks 5 out of 55 in population in the state. It has a density of 229.7 persons per square mile making it 8 out of 55 in the state. Wood County has 52.5% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 77 enters the county from the north, Ohio, and exits to the south, Jackson County. United States Highway 50 comes from Ritchie County, east, and go to the Ohio, west. The county looks like an open bag of marbles tipped to the northeast. Parkersburg is located on the northwest border of the county. Parkersburg is the county seat and the largest city. It is 35.3% of the county population. This county is in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna Metropolitan Statistical Area.
North Hills
Parkersburg
Vienna
Williamstown
