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The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia, USA. It comprises the following counties:
History
Population
According to the 2000 Census, the eight counties of the Eastern Panhandle had a combined population of 212,483 giving the region 11.75% of West Virginia's population. Berkeley County is the Panhandle's most populous county with 89,362 residents (2004). Berkeley also includes the Panhandle's largest city, Martinsburg, with a population of 15,635 (2004).
Population growth
| County | 2004 (estimate) | 2000 | 1990 | 1980 | 1970 | 1960 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | 89,362 | 75,905 | 59,253 | 46,846 | 36,356 | 33,791 |
| Grant | 11,537 | 11,299 | 10,428 | 10,218 | 8,607 | 8,304 |
| Hampshire | 21,542 | 20,203 | 16,498 | 14,867 | 11,710 | 11,705 |
| Hardy | 13,209 | 12,669 | 10,977 | 10,051 | 8,855 | 9,308 |
| Jefferson | 47,663 | 42,190 | 35,926 | 30,311 | 21,280 | 18,665 |
| Mineral | 27,145 | 27,078 | 26,697 | 27,159 | 23,109 | 22,354 |
| Morgan | 15,810 | 14,943 | 12,128 | 10,696 | 8,547 | 8,376 |
| Pendleton | 7,897 | 8,196 | 8,054 | 7,935 | 7,031 | 8,093 |
| TOTAL | 234,165 | 212,483 | 179,961 | 158,083 | 125,495 | 120,596 |
Housing growth
The Eastern Panhandle is West Virginia's fastest growing region in terms of population and housing growth. In July 2005, the United States Census Bureau released a list of the top 100 counties according to housing growth. Berkeley County grew 3.95 percent, from 36,365 housing units in 2003 to 37,802 units in 2004. That growth rate was 86th in the nation among the 3,141 United States counties. Jefferson County was not far behind at 88th in the nation. It grew 3.94 percent from 19,381 housing units in 2003 to 20,144 units in 2004.
Largest cities
The majority of the Eastern Panhandle's growing residential developments are located outside of city and town boundaries and therefore not included in the city or town's official population.
| City | 2004 (estimate) | 2000 | 1990 | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martinsburg | 15,635 | 14,972 | 14,073 | Berkeley |
| Keyser | 5,502 | 5,303 | 5,870 | Mineral |
| Ranson | 3,432 | 2,951 | 2,890 | Jefferson |
| Charles Town | 3,408 | 2,907 | 3,122 | Jefferson |
| Petersburg | 2,582 | 2,423 | 2,360 | Grant |
Statistical areas
Several counties in the Eastern Panhandle are part of metropolitan, micropolitan, and consolidated metropolitan statistical areas defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget.| MSA/CMSA | Population (2000) | WV Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Cumberland MD-WV MSA | 102,008 | Mineral |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg MD-WV MSA | 222,771 | Berkeley, Morgan |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA | 4,796,183 | Hampshire, Jefferson |
| Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV CMSA | 7,538,385 | Berkeley, Jefferson |
| Winchester, VA-WV MSA | 102,997 | Hampshire |
County information
| County | Named For | Founded | Seat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt | February 1772 | Martinsburg |
| Grant | Ulysses Simpson Grant | February 14, 1866 | Petersburg |
| Hampshire | Hampshire County, England | December 13, 1753 | Romney |
| Hardy | Samuel Hardy | December 10, 1785 | Moorefield |
| Jefferson | Thomas Jefferson | January 8, 1801 | Charles Town |
| Mineral | minerals located in the county | February 1, 1866 | Keyser |
| Morgan | General Daniel Morgan | February 9, 1820 | Berkeley Springs |
| Pendleton | Edmund Pendleton | December 4, 1787 | Franklin |
Panhandle trivia
- The Eastern Panhandle includes West Virginia's oldest chartered towns (1762) of Romney and Shepherdstown. The Panhandle also includes West Virginia's two oldest counties: Hampshire (1753) and Berkeley (1772).
- The Eastern Panhandle also includes both West Virginia's highest and lowest elevations above sea level: Spruce Knob, 4,863 feet (1,482 m), in Pendleton and Harpers Ferry, 240 feet (73 m), in Jefferson on the Potomac River.
- West Virginia's only natural lake, Trout Pond, is located in the Panhandle's Hardy County near Wardensville.
- Berkeley, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties were forced to reluctantly join the new Unionist state of West Virginia in 1863 so that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad along the Potomac River would remain safely in Union hands. Shortly after West Virginia gained statehood, Mineral and Grant counties were created from Hampshire and Hardy in 1866.
- As of September 2005, the Eastern Panhandle has 245 (27.07%) of West Virginia's 905 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Berkeley County has the most at 106 properties listed.
Potomac Highlands
Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, and Pendleton Counties also belong to another geographical region of West Virginia known as the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia.
Panhandle communities and sites
- List of communities in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
- List of Berkeley County Historic Sites
- List of Hampshire County Historic Sites
- List of Morgan County Historic Sites
Berkeley County, West Virginia | Grant County, West Virginia | Hampshire County, West Virginia | Hardy County, West Virginia | Jefferson County, West Virginia | Mineral County, West Virginia | Morgan County, West Virginia | Pendleton County, West Virginia | Regions of West Virginia | Panhandles
"Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia"