What is the county seat of Nicholas County?

The county seat of Nicholas County is Summersville.

Is there an online parcel map for Nicholas County?

Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 24,512 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Nicholas County's boundary or name changed?

Nicholas County was created in 1818 from Greenbrier County, Kanawha County and Randolph County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Webster County, Braxton County and Clay County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 54067

Nicholas CountyWest Virginia

Nicholas County is a county in West Virginia with its seat in Summersville, formed in 1818.

Founded1818
County seatSummersville
Named forWilson Cary Nicholas
Land area647 sq mi + 7.6 sq mi water
Population24,604 2020 Census
Parcels mapped24,512 checked 16 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1818 from Greenbrier County, Kanawha County and Randolph County

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

Nicholas County was created by Virginia on January 30, 1818, from parts of Greenbrier, Kanawha, and Randolph counties. The county was named after Wilson Cary Nicholas. Nicholas County separated from Virginia and became a county in 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.

1818
Nicholas County created Nicholas created by Virginia from Greenbrier, Kanawha, and Randolph.
from Greenbrier from Kanawha from Randolph
30 January 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 33, sec. 1/pp. 34-35
1820
Gained territory Nicholas gained from Randolph.
from Randolph
29 January 1820 · Va. Acts 1819-1820, ch. 114, sec. 1/p. 91
1824
Gained territory Nicholas gained from Kanawha.
from Kanawha
23 January 1824 · Va. Acts 1823-1824, ch. 74, sec. 1/p. 80
1831
Lost territory Nicholas lost to creation of Fayette.
to Fayette
28 February 1831 · Va. Acts 1830-1831, ch. 70, sec. 1/pp. 134-136
1863
Became part of West Virginia Nicholas separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363

Show all 10 changes (5 more)

1818
Nicholas County created Nicholas created by Virginia from Greenbrier, Kanawha, and Randolph.
from Greenbrier from Kanawha from Randolph
30 January 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 33, sec. 1/pp. 34-35
1820
Gained territory Nicholas gained from Randolph.
from Randolph
29 January 1820 · Va. Acts 1819-1820, ch. 114, sec. 1/p. 91
1824
Gained territory Nicholas gained from Kanawha.
from Kanawha
23 January 1824 · Va. Acts 1823-1824, ch. 74, sec. 1/p. 80
1831
Lost territory Nicholas lost to creation of Fayette.
to Fayette
28 February 1831 · Va. Acts 1830-1831, ch. 70, sec. 1/pp. 134-136
1836
Lost territory Nicholas lost to creation of Braxton.
to Braxton
15 January 1836 · Va. Acts 1835-1836, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 18-20
1858
Lost territory Nicholas lost to creation of Clay.
to Clay
29 March 1858 · Va. Acts 1857-1858, Dec. reg. sess., ch. 158, sec. 1/pp. 111-113; W. Va. Acts 1863, ch. 64, sec. 1/p. 61
1860
Lost territory Nicholas lost to creation of Webster.
to Webster
10 January 1860 · Va. Acts 1859-1860, ch. 47, sec. 1/pp. 151-157
1861
Lost territory Nicholas lost to Webster.
to Webster
14 February 1861 · Va. Acts 1861, Jan. reg. sess., ch. 24, sec. 1/p. 50
1863
Became part of West Virginia Nicholas separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363
1882
Lost territory Nicholas lost to Webster.
to Webster
19 April 1882 · W. Va. Acts 1882, January adj. sess., ch. 5, sec. 1/p. 6

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Nicholas

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 24,512 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, 16,221 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

Nicholas by the Census

Population

24,604 2020 Census count

Housing units

12,496 2020 Census count

Land area

647 square miles

Water area

7.6 square miles

People per sq mi

38 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.

Records

Assessor and property records 304-872-7800from nicholascountywv.org · checked 13 October 2026

Zoning and code

County Ordinancesfrom nicholascountywv.org

County government

County government
The official website of Nicholas County.
nicholascountywv.org

See your own lot on these maps

Open Nicholas 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 Nicholas County

When was Nicholas County founded?: Nicholas County was founded in 1818, formed from Greenbrier County, Kanawha County and Randolph County, and named after Wilson Cary Nicholas.
What is the county seat of Nicholas County?: The county seat of Nicholas County is Summersville.
Is there an online parcel map for Nicholas County?: Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 24,512 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Nicholas County's boundary or name changed?: Nicholas County was created in 1818 from Greenbrier County, Kanawha County and Randolph County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Webster County, Braxton County and Clay County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Nicholas County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby