When was Jefferson County founded?

Jefferson County was founded in 1801, formed from Berkeley County, and named after Thomas Jefferson.

What is the county seat of Jefferson County?

The county seat of Jefferson County is Charles Town.

Is there an online parcel map for Jefferson County?

Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 33,543 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Jefferson County's boundary or name changed?

Jefferson County was created in 1801 from Berkeley 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 Jefferson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 54037

Jefferson CountyWest Virginia

Jefferson County is in West Virginia with its county seat in Charles Town. The county was formed in 1801 as part of Virginia and named after Thomas Jefferson.

Founded1801
County seatCharles Town
Named forThomas Jefferson
Land area209 sq mi + 2.4 sq mi water
Population57,701 2020 Census
Parcels mapped33,543 checked 16 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Jefferson County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1801 from Berkeley County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Jefferson County was created by Virginia on October 26, 1801, from Berkeley County. On November 2, 1863, Jefferson County separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1801
Jefferson County created Jefferson created by Virginia from Berkeley.
from Berkeley
26 October 1801 · Shepherd, 2:271-272
1863
Became part of West Virginia Jefferson separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 2 November 1863 · U.S. Rpts., 78:39 [Wallace, vol. 11]; U.S. Stat., vol. 14, res. 12[1866]/p. 350; W. Va. Acts 1863, 1st sess., ch. 90, sec. 1/pp. 103-105
1998
Boundary clarified Boundary between Jefferson and Loudoun (Virginia) clarified (no change).
with Loudoun (Va.)no change
13 March 1998 · W. Va. Acts 1994, 71st leg., ch. 15/pp. 46-48; W. Va. Acts 1998, 73d leg., ch. 74/pp. 338-339; Va. Acts 1998, ch. 123/pp. 213-214

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Jefferson

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 33,543 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 Official

One point per address, 32,378 in all from WV GIS Technical Center (WVGISTC, West Virginia University — the state's GIS clearinghouse) serving WV Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (WVDHSEM) SAMS-II address points.
checked 13 October 2026
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
Historic districts Official

Published.
Plats Official

Published.

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

Jefferson by the Census

Population

57,701 2020 Census count

Housing units

23,762 2020 Census count

Land area

209 square miles

Water area

2.4 square miles

People per sq mi

276 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Jefferson County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

County government
The official website of Jefferson County.
jeffersoncountywv.org

See your own lot on these maps

Open Jefferson 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.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Jefferson County

When was Jefferson County founded?: Jefferson County was founded in 1801, formed from Berkeley County, and named after Thomas Jefferson.
What is the county seat of Jefferson County?: The county seat of Jefferson County is Charles Town.
Is there an online parcel map for Jefferson County?: Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 33,543 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Jefferson County's boundary or name changed?: Jefferson County was created in 1801 from Berkeley 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 Jefferson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby