County · code 54029
Hancock CountyWest Virginia
Hancock County is a county in West Virginia, with its county seat in New Cumberland. The county was established in 1848 and named after John Hancock.
- Founded1848
- County seatNew Cumberland
- Named forJohn Hancock
- Land area83 sq mi + 5.4 sq mi water
- Population29,095 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped20,828 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Hancock on the map of West Virginia
West Virginia has 55 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1848 from Brooke County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Hancock County was created by Virginia from Brooke County on January 15, 1848. On June 20, 1863, Hancock County separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia.
- 1848Hancock County created Hancock created by Virginia from Brooke. · Va. Acts 1847-1848, ch. 58, sec. 1/pp. 30-34
- 1863Became part of West Virginia Hancock separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. · Swindler, 10:363
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Hancock
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 20,828 parcels from West Virginia University GIS Technical Center. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Hancock County yet.
-
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Hancock by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Records
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Hancock County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Hancock County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Hancock County
- When was Hancock County founded?
- Hancock County was founded in 1848, formed from Brooke County, and named after John Hancock.
- What is the county seat of Hancock County?
- The county seat of Hancock County is New Cumberland.
- Is there an online parcel map for Hancock County?
- Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 20,828 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Hancock County's boundary or name changed?
- Hancock County was created in 1848 from Brooke County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Hancock County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby