Lincoln

Formed February 23, 1867 (53^rd county)

Lincoln County (20,459), Hamlin (1,039)

The tan brick and concrete Modern courthouse was built in 1964.  It is located at the intersection of Court Avenue and Market Street.  West Virginia State Highway 3 is three blocks east of the site.  Greife, Daley & Hoblitzell provided the designs.  Veteran memorials and a quilt board are on the grounds.  There was also a 1910 version in Hamlin, the only county seat.  The county was established on February 23, 1867 from parts of Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, and Putnam counties as the 53^rd county.  Lincoln County is named for United States President Abraham Lincoln.  The county seat was named for settler Leonidas L. Hamline. 

Lincoln County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Two Circuit Court Judges, Two Family Court Judges and Two Magistrate Court Judges serve Lincoln and Boone counties.  The county is in southwest West Virginia.  Charleston, West Virginia is northeast and Cincinnati, Ohio is northwest of the county.  The county center is 11.4 miles South-Southeast of Hamlin nearer Sias.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Cabell, Putnam, Kanawha, Boone, Logan, Mingo, and Wayne counties. 

The area of the county is 438 square miles.  It is 24 out of 55 in the state.  It ranks 31 out of 55 in population in the state.  It has a density of 46.7 persons per square mile making it 28 out of 55 in the state.  Lincoln County has 7.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 119 clips the northeast corner from Kanawha County, north, to Boone County, east.  The county looks like a mitten.  Hamlin is located in the northwest quarter of the county.  Hamlin is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 5.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area.