Gilmer County, West Virginia
County in West Virginia, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Gilmer County, West Virginia?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Gilmer County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,408,[1] making it West Virginia's fifth-least populous county. Its county seat is Glenville.[2] The county was formed in 1845 from parts of Lewis and Kanawha Counties, and named for Thomas Walker Gilmer, Governor of Virginia from 1840 to 1841.[3][4] Gilmer was later a representative in the United States Congress and Secretary of the Navy in President John Tyler's cabinet.
Gilmer County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 38°55′N 80°51′W | |
Country | United States |
State | West Virginia |
Founded | February 3, 1845 |
Named for | Thomas Walker Gilmer |
Seat | Glenville |
Largest town | Glenville |
Area | |
• Total | 340 sq mi (900 km2) |
• Land | 339 sq mi (880 km2) |
• Water | 1.6 sq mi (4 km2) 0.5% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,408 |
• Estimate (2021) | 7,377 |
• Density | 22/sq mi (8.4/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 1st |
Website | www |
Cedar Creek State Park offers camping, fishing, swimming, and hiking. The West Virginia State Folk Festival is held each June. Glenville State University has a community activity center, a state-of-the-art library, and a complete collection of hand-carved, West Virginia–native birds on public display. The Gilmer County Recreation Center Complex includes a small golf course, a convention / reunion hall, and bunk houses.[citation needed] Gilmer County is home to ten nationally registered historic landmarks, the Cedar Creek Backway, and the annual West Virginia Folk Festival.[citation needed] Media outlets for the community include The Glenville Democrat and The Glenville Pathfinder, the county's two newspapers.[citation needed]
Gilmer County is also the site of Federal Correctional Institution, Gilmer, a federal medium security prison for men and the county's largest employer.[citation needed]
As of 2023, Gilmer County has one permanent traffic light. It is located in the town of Glenville.[5]