Hancock County, West Virginia
| Hancock County, West Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Location in the U.S. state of West Virginia |
|
 West Virginia's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | January 15, 1848 |
| Named for | John Hancock |
| Seat | New Cumberland |
| Largest city | Weirton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 88 sq mi (228 km2) |
| • Land | 83 sq mi (215 km2) |
| • Water | 5.4 sq mi (14 km2), 6.1% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 29,815 |
| • Density | 363/sq mi (140/km²) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www |
Hancock County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 30,676. Its county seat is New Cumberland. The county was created from Brooke County in 1848 and named for John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence. Hancock County is the farthest north in the state, being at the tip of the state's Northern Panhandle.
Hancock County is part of the Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-WV-OH Combined Statistical Area.
Hancock County was formed from Brooke County in 1848, some 15 years before West Virginia became a state. Both counties were once part of Ohio County, Virginia, which had been formed from West Augusta District in 1776. Hancock County has significant Revolutionary-period roots due to its location on the Ohio River south of Fort Pitt and north of Fort Henry in Wheeling. It was the site of the infamous massacre of Chief Logan's family in 1774 (at Baker's Tavern across the Ohio River from the mouth of Yellow Creek, the current site of Mountaineer Race Track and Casino), an event that sparked Lord Dunmore's War. Adam Poe had his famous fight with the Indian known as Big Foot at the mouth of Tomlinson Run in 1781. Historical markers commemorate both events. Significant Revolutionary War forts and blockhouses in Hancock County included Holliday's Cove Fort (now downtown Weirton) and Chapman's Blockhouse (New Cumberland). Source: "Every Home a Fort, Every Man a Warrior," Michael Edward Nogay, [Tri-State Publishing Co., 2009].
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 88 square miles (230 km2), of which 83 square miles (210 km2) is land and 5.4 square miles (14 km2) (6.1%) is water. It is the smallest county in West Virginia by area. The highest point of elevation in Hancock County is approximately 1363 ft. and located about 1800 ft. ESE of Emmanuel Mission Church. [1]
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