When was Lewis County founded?

Lewis County was founded in 1816, formed from Harrison County, and named after Charles Lewis.

What is the county seat of Lewis County?

The county seat of Lewis County is Weston.

Is there an online parcel map for Lewis County?

Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 15,874 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Lewis County's boundary or name changed?

Lewis County was created in 1816 from Harrison County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 8 later changes, chiefly involving Barbour County, Braxton County and Doddridge County.

Who issues building permits in Lewis County?

The county's page on building permits: Apply for Concealed Weapon Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Lewis County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 54041

Lewis CountyWest Virginia

Lewis County is a county in West Virginia, formed in 1816 as part of Virginia with its seat in Weston.

Founded1816
County seatWeston
Named forCharles Lewis
Land area387 sq mi + 2.7 sq mi water
Population17,033 2020 Census
Parcels mapped15,874 checked 16 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1816 from Harrison County

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

Lewis County was created by Virginia on December 18, 1816, from Harrison County. The county was named after Charles Lewis. Lewis County gained land from Randolph County in 1818, but gradually lost territory as new counties were formed from its land: Braxton, Ritchie, Barbour, Gilmer, Doddridge, and Upshur. On June 20, 1863, Lewis County separated from Virginia and became part of the new state of West Virginia.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1816
Lewis County created Lewis created by Virginia from Harrison.
from Harrison
18 December 1816 · Va. Acts 1816-1817, ch. 85, sec. 1/pp. 152-153
1818
Gained territory Lewis gained from Randolph.
from Randolph
4 February 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 141, sec. 1/p. 184
1836
Lost territory Lewis lost to creation of Braxton.
to Braxton
15 January 1836 · Va. Acts 1835-1836, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 18-20
1843
Lost territory Lewis lost to creation of Ritchie.
to Ritchie
18 February 1843 · Va. Acts 1842-1843, ch. 52, sec. 1/pp. 35-37
1863
Became part of West Virginia Lewis separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363

Show all 9 changes (4 more)

1816
Lewis County created Lewis created by Virginia from Harrison.
from Harrison
18 December 1816 · Va. Acts 1816-1817, ch. 85, sec. 1/pp. 152-153
1818
Gained territory Lewis gained from Randolph.
from Randolph
4 February 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 141, sec. 1/p. 184
1836
Lost territory Lewis lost to creation of Braxton.
to Braxton
15 January 1836 · Va. Acts 1835-1836, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 18-20
1843
Lost territory Lewis lost to creation of Ritchie.
to Ritchie
18 February 1843 · Va. Acts 1842-1843, ch. 52, sec. 1/pp. 35-37
1843
Lost territory Lewis lost to creation of Barbour.
to Barbour
3 March 1843 · Va. Acts 1842-1843, ch. 53, sec. 1/pp. 37-40
1845
Lost territory Lewis lost to creation of Gilmer.
to Gilmer
3 February 1845 · Va. Acts 1844-1845, ch. 43, sec. 1/pp. 45-49
1845
Lost territory Lewis lost to creation of Doddridge.
to Doddridge
4 February 1845 · Va. Acts 1844-1845, ch. 42, sec. 1/pp. 42-45
1851
Lost territory Lewis lost to creation of Upshur.
to Upshur
26 March 1851 · Robinson, 88; Va. Acts 1850-1851, ch. 26, sec. 1/pp. 23-25
1863
Became part of West Virginia Lewis separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Lewis

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 15,874 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 Lewis 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

Lewis by the Census

Population

17,033 2020 Census count

Housing units

8,204 2020 Census count

Land area

387 square miles

Water area

2.7 square miles

People per sq mi

44 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

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.

Permits

Apply for Concealed Weapon Permitfrom lewiscountywv.org

County government

County government
The official website of Lewis County.
lewiscounty.wv.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Lewis 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 Lewis County

When was Lewis County founded?: Lewis County was founded in 1816, formed from Harrison County, and named after Charles Lewis.
What is the county seat of Lewis County?: The county seat of Lewis County is Weston.
Is there an online parcel map for Lewis County?: Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 15,874 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Lewis County's boundary or name changed?: Lewis County was created in 1816 from Harrison County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 8 later changes, chiefly involving Barbour County, Braxton County and Doddridge County.
Who issues building permits in Lewis County?: The county's page on building permits: Apply for Concealed Weapon Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Lewis County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby