When was Randolph County founded?

Randolph County was founded in 1787, formed from Harrison County, and named after Edmund Randolph.

What is the county seat of Randolph County?

The county seat of Randolph County is Elkins.

Is there an online parcel map for Randolph County?

Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 23,940 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Randolph County's boundary or name changed?

Randolph County was created in 1787 from Harrison County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 15 later changes, chiefly involving Braxton County, Nicholas County and Preston County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 54083

Randolph CountyWest Virginia

Randolph County is a county in West Virginia, with its seat in Elkins, formed in 1787.

Founded1787
County seatElkins
Named forEdmund Randolph
Land area1,040 sq mi + 0.3 sq mi water
Population27,932 2020 Census
Parcels mapped23,940 checked 16 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1787 from Harrison County

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

Randolph County was created by Virginia from Harrison County in 1787 and named after Edmund Randolph. The county lost territory to the creation of Nicholas County in 1818, to Lewis County in 1818, and to the creation of Pocahontas County in 1821. Further boundary changes followed with the creation of Braxton County in 1836, transfers to Preston County in 1828 and 1838, and the creation of Barbour County in 1843. Randolph County separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia in 1863.

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

1787
Randolph County created Randolph created by Virginia from Harrison.
from Harrison
1 May 1787 · Hening, 12:393-395
1802
Lost territory Randolph lost to Harrison.
to Harrison
2 January 1802 · Shepherd, 2:345-346
1818
Lost territory Randolph lost to creation of Nicholas.
to Nicholas
30 January 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 33, sec. 1/pp. 34-35
1818
Lost territory Randolph lost to Lewis.
to Lewis
4 February 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 141, sec. 1/p. 184
1863
Became part of West Virginia Randolph separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363

Show all 16 changes (11 more)

1787
Randolph County created Randolph created by Virginia from Harrison.
from Harrison
1 May 1787 · Hening, 12:393-395
1802
Lost territory Randolph lost to Harrison.
to Harrison
2 January 1802 · Shepherd, 2:345-346
1818
Lost territory Randolph lost to creation of Nicholas.
to Nicholas
30 January 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 33, sec. 1/pp. 34-35
1818
Lost territory Randolph lost to Lewis.
to Lewis
4 February 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 141, sec. 1/p. 184
1820
Lost territory Randolph lost to Nicholas.
to Nicholas
29 January 1820 · Va. Acts 1819-1820, ch. 114, sec. 1/p. 91
1821
Lost territory Randolph lost to creation of Pocahontas.
to Pocahontas
21 December 1821 · Va. Acts 1821-1822, ch. 27, sec. 1/pp. 27-28
1828
Lost territory Randolph lost to Preston.
to Preston
29 February 1828 · Va. Acts 1827-1828, ch. 82, sec. 1/pp. 53-54
1836
Lost territory Randolph lost to creation of Braxton.
to Braxton
15 January 1836 · Va. Acts 1835-1836, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 18-20
1838
Lost territory Randolph lost to Preston.
to Preston
4 April 1838 · Va. Acts 1838, ch. 62, sec. 1/pp. 57-58
1843
Lost territory Randolph lost to creation of Barbour.
to Barbour
3 March 1843 · Va. Acts 1842-1843, ch. 53, sec. 1/pp. 37-40
1849
Lost territory Randolph lost to Braxton.
to Braxton
16 March 1849 · Va. Acts 1848-1849, ch. 64, sec. 1/p. 30
1851
Lost territory Randolph lost to creation of Upshur.
to Upshur
26 March 1851 · Robinson, 88; Va. Acts 1850-1851, ch. 26, sec. 1/pp. 23-25
1856
Lost territory Randolph lost to creation of Tucker.
to Tucker
7 March 1856 · Va. Acts 1855-1856, ch. 110, sec. 1/pp. 95-97
1860
Lost territory Randolph lost to creation of Webster.
to Webster
10 January 1860 · Va. Acts 1859-1860, ch. 47, sec. 1/pp. 151-157
1863
Became part of West Virginia Randolph separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363
1865
Exchanged territory Randolph exchanged with Upshur.
with Upshur
1 August 1865 · W. Va. Acts 1865, 3d sess., ch. 43, secs. 1, 4/p. 32

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Randolph

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 23,940 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, 17,499 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

Randolph by the Census

Population

27,932 2020 Census count

Housing units

13,035 2020 Census count

Land area

1,040 square miles

Water area

0.3 square miles

People per sq mi

27 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

Ordinancesfrom randolphctywv.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Randolph County.
randolphcountycommissionwv.org

See your own lot on these maps

Open Randolph 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 Randolph County

When was Randolph County founded?: Randolph County was founded in 1787, formed from Harrison County, and named after Edmund Randolph.
What is the county seat of Randolph County?: The county seat of Randolph County is Elkins.
Is there an online parcel map for Randolph County?: Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 23,940 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Randolph County's boundary or name changed?: Randolph County was created in 1787 from Harrison County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 15 later changes, chiefly involving Braxton County, Nicholas County and Preston County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Randolph County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby