When was Monongalia County founded?

Monongalia County was founded in 1776, formed from Hampshire County, and named after Monongahela River, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

What is the county seat of Monongalia County?

The county seat of Monongalia County is Morgantown.

Is there an online parcel map for Monongalia County?

Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 55,287 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Monongalia County's boundary or name changed?

Monongalia County was created in 1776 from Hampshire County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Augusta (Va.) County, Harrison County and Preston County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 54061

Monongalia CountyWest Virginia

Monongalia County is a county in West Virginia, on the border with Pennsylvania, founded in 1776, with its seat at Morgantown.

Founded1776
County seatMorgantown
Named forMonongahela River, Pennsylvania and West Virginia
Land area360 sq mi + 5.8 sq mi water
Population105,822 2020 Census
Parcels mapped55,287 checked 16 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1776 from Hampshire County

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

Monongalia County was created by Virginia on November 8, 1776, from its West Augusta District, overlapping territory claimed by Pennsylvania's Westmoreland County. The county gained territory from Augusta County in Virginia between 1779 and 1780, but lost land to Pennsylvania when it regained effective control of the Pittsburgh region in October 1780. Monongalia lost territory to the creation of Harrison County in 1784 and to Preston County in 1818. The county separated from Virginia and became part of the new state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863.

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

1776
Monongalia County created Monongalia created by Virginia from West Augusta District and Hampshire; Monongalia overlapped territory claimed by Pennsylvania.
from Hampshire
8 November 1776 · Cappon, Petchenik, and Long, 93; Hening, 9:262-274
1784
Lost territory Monongalia lost to creation of Harrison.
to Harrison
20 July 1784 · Hening, 11:366-368
1800
Lost territory Monongalia lost to Harrison.
to Harrison
1 January 1800 · Shepherd, 2:203
1818
Lost territory Monongalia lost to creation of Preston.
to Preston
19 January 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 32, sec. 1/pp. 32-34
1863
Became part of West Virginia Monongalia separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363

Show all 11 changes (6 more, mostly small adjustments)

1776
Monongalia County created Monongalia created by Virginia from West Augusta District and Hampshire; Monongalia overlapped territory claimed by Pennsylvania.
from Hampshire
8 November 1776 · Cappon, Petchenik, and Long, 93; Hening, 9:262-274
c. 1779
Gained territory Monongalia gained from Augusta (Virginia).
from Augusta (Va.)
31 May 1779 · Hening, 10:114
1780
Changed Monongalia (West Virginia) overlap of Westmoreland ended when Pennsylvania regained effective control of area.
Westmoreland
1 October 1780 · Crumrine, "Boundary Controversy," 521-523; Van Zandt, 83
c. 1780
Gained territory Monongalia gained from Augusta (Virginia), lost to Westmoreland (Pennsylvania) when Pennsylvania regained effective jurisdiction of the Pittsburgh region from Virginia.
from Augusta (Va.)from Westmoreland (Pa.)
31 October 1780 · Hening, 10:351; Crumrine, Boundary Controversy, 521-523; Van Zandt, 83
1784
Lost territory Monongalia lost to creation of Harrison.
to Harrison
20 July 1784 · Hening, 11:366-368
1800
Lost territory Monongalia lost to Harrison.
to Harrison
1 January 1800 · Shepherd, 2:203
1818
Lost territory Monongalia lost to creation of Preston.
to Preston
19 January 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 32, sec. 1/pp. 32-34
1841
Lost territory Monongalia lost to Preston.
to Preston
15 March 1841 · Va. Acts 1840-1841, ch. 44, sec. 1/p. 61
1842
Lost territory Monongalia lost to creation of Marion.
to Marion
14 January 1842 · Va. Acts 1841-1842, ch. 59, sec. 1/pp. 34-36
1847
Boundary clarified Boundary between Monongalia and Marion clarified (no change).
with Marionno change
15 March 1847 · Va. Acts 1846-1847, ch. 58, sec. 1/p. 57
1863
Became part of West Virginia Monongalia 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 Monongalia

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 55,287 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, 56,744 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

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

Monongalia by the Census

Population

105,822 2020 Census count

Housing units

49,881 2020 Census count

Land area

360 square miles

Water area

5.8 square miles

People per sq mi

294 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.

Zoning and code

County Ordinancesfrom monongaliacounty.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Monongalia County.
co.monongalia.wv.us

See your own lot on these maps

Open Monongalia 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 Monongalia County

When was Monongalia County founded?: Monongalia County was founded in 1776, formed from Hampshire County, and named after Monongahela River, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
What is the county seat of Monongalia County?: The county seat of Monongalia County is Morgantown.
Is there an online parcel map for Monongalia County?: Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 55,287 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Monongalia County's boundary or name changed?: Monongalia County was created in 1776 from Hampshire County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Augusta (Va.) County, Harrison County and Preston County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Monongalia County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby