When was Monroe County founded?

Monroe County was founded in 1799, formed from Greenbrier County, and named after James Monroe.

What is the county seat of Monroe County?

The county seat of Monroe County is Union.

Is there an online parcel map for Monroe County?

Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 13,666 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Monroe County's boundary or name changed?

Monroe County was created in 1799 from Greenbrier County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 11 later changes, chiefly involving Craig (Va.) County, Giles (Va.) County and Alleghany (Va.) County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

Monroe County, West Virginia: parcels, history and offices

Where it is

Monroe 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.

Counties of West Virginia · Monroe highlighted

History

Formed in 1799 from Greenbrier County

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

Monroe County was formed in 1799 from Greenbrier County, and named after James Monroe. Union is the county seat.

Deeds and plats from before 1799 for land now in Monroe County may have been recorded in Greenbrier County.

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

1799
Monroe County created Monroe created by Virginia from Greenbrier.
from Greenbrier
1 May 1799 · Shepherd, 2:168-169
1802
Gained territory Monroe gained from Botetourt (Virginia) and Montgomery (Virginia).
from Botetourt (Va.)from Montgomery (Va.)
2 January 1802 · Shepherd, 2:345-346
1806
Lost territory Monroe lost to creation of Giles (Virginia).
to Giles (Va.)
1 May 1806 · Shepherd, 3:244-245
1827
Lost territory Monroe lost to Giles (Virginia) and Greenbrier.
to Giles (Va.)to Greenbrier
29 January 1827 · Va. Acts 1826-1827, chs. 50-51/pp. 41-42
1863
Became part of West Virginia Monroe separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363

Show all 13 changes (8 more)

1799
Monroe County created Monroe created by Virginia from Greenbrier.
from Greenbrier
1 May 1799 · Shepherd, 2:168-169
1802
Gained territory Monroe gained from Botetourt (Virginia) and Montgomery (Virginia).
from Botetourt (Va.)from Montgomery (Va.)
2 January 1802 · Shepherd, 2:345-346
1806
Lost territory Monroe lost to creation of Giles (Virginia).
to Giles (Va.)
1 May 1806 · Shepherd, 3:244-245
1822
Gained territory Monroe gained small area from Botetourt (Virginia) and lost to creation of Alleghany (Virginia).
from Botetourt (Va.)from Alleghany (Va.)
5 January 1822 · Va. Acts 1821-1822, ch. 28, sec. 1/pp. 28-30
1827
Lost territory Monroe lost to Giles (Virginia) and Greenbrier.
to Giles (Va.)to Greenbrier
29 January 1827 · Va. Acts 1826-1827, chs. 50-51/pp. 41-42
1829
Lost territory Monroe lost to Giles (Virginia).
to Giles (Va.)
2 February 1829 · Va. Acts 1828-1829, ch. 121, sec. 1/pp. 119-120
1843
Lost territory Monroe lost to Alleghany (Virginia).
to Alleghany (Va.)
11 January 1843 · Va. Acts 1842-1843, ch. 56, sec. 1/pp. 40-41
1851
Lost territory Monroe lost to creation of Craig (Virginia).
to Craig (Va.)
21 March 1851 · Va. Acts 1850-1851, ch. 25, sec. 1/pp. 21-23
1853
Lost territory Monroe lost to Craig (Virginia).
to Craig (Va.)
16 February 1853 · Va. Acts 1852-1853, ch. 152, sec. 1/p. 130
1856
Lost territory Monroe lost to Craig (Virginia).
to Craig (Va.)
10 January 1856 · Va. Acts 1855-1856, ch. 112, sec. 1/pp. 97-98
1863
Became part of West Virginia Monroe separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363
1871
Lost territory Monroe lost to creation of Summers.
to Summers
27 February 1871 · W. Va. Acts 1871, 9th sess., ch. 134, sec. 1/pp. 178-180
1959
Boundary clarified Boundary between Monroe and Alleghany (Virginia) redefined (no change).
with Alleghany (Va.)no change
2 June 1959 · W. Va. Acts 1959, 54th sess., ch. 26, secs. 1, 5/pp. 135-137

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Monroe

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 13,666 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, 8,549 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

Monroe by the Census

Population

12,376 2020 Census count

Housing units

6,219 2020 Census count

Land area

473 square miles

Water area

0.9 square miles

People per sq mi

26 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

Monroe 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 Monroe County.
monroecountywv.net

See your own lot on these maps

Open Monroe 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 Monroe County

When was Monroe County founded?: Monroe County was founded in 1799, formed from Greenbrier County, and named after James Monroe.
What is the county seat of Monroe County?: The county seat of Monroe County is Union.
Is there an online parcel map for Monroe County?: Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 13,666 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Monroe County's boundary or name changed?: Monroe County was created in 1799 from Greenbrier County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 11 later changes, chiefly involving Craig (Va.) County, Giles (Va.) County and Alleghany (Va.) County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Monroe County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Monroe CountyWest Virginia