When was Upshur County founded?

Upshur County was founded in 1851, formed from Barbour County, Lewis County and Randolph County, and named after Abel P. Upshur.

What is the county seat of Upshur County?

The county seat of Upshur County is Buckhannon.

Is there an online parcel map for Upshur County?

Yes. Upshur County publishes a parcel map of 20,910 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Upshur County's boundary or name changed?

Upshur County was created in 1851 from Barbour County, Lewis County and Randolph County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Randolph County.

Who issues building permits in Upshur County?

The county's page on building permits: Permitting. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 54097

Upshur CountyWest Virginia

Upshur County is a county in West Virginia with its county seat in Buckhannon. It was created in 1851 and named after Abel P. Upshur.

Founded1851
County seatBuckhannon
Named forAbel P. Upshur
Land area355 sq mi + 0.1 sq mi water
Population23,816 2020 Census
Parcels mapped20,910 checked 15 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1851 from Barbour County, Lewis County and Randolph County

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

Upshur County was created by Virginia on March 26, 1851, from parts of Barbour, Lewis, and Randolph counties. When West Virginia separated from Virginia on June 20, 1863, Upshur County became part of the new state.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1851
Upshur County created Upshur created by Virginia from Barbour, Lewis, and Randolph.
from Barbour from Lewis from Randolph
26 March 1851 · Robinson, 88; Va. Acts 1850-1851, ch. 26, sec. 1/pp. 23-25
1863
Became part of West Virginia Upshur separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363
1865
Exchanged territory Upshur exchanged with Randolph.
with Randolph
1 August 1865 · W. Va. Acts 1865, 3d sess., ch. 43, secs. 1, 4/p. 32

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Upshur

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 20,910 parcels from Upshur County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 11 October 2026 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 13,595 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

Upshur by the Census

Population

23,816 2020 Census count

Housing units

11,178 2020 Census count

Land area

355 square miles

Water area

0.1 square miles

People per sq mi

67 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 recordsfrom upshurcounty.org · checked 13 October 2026

Permits

Permittingfrom upshurcounty.org

Zoning and code

COUNTY ORDINANCESfrom upshurcounty.org

GIS and maps

County GIS and mapsfrom upshurcounty.org · checked 13 October 2026

County government

County government
The official website of Upshur County.
upshurcounty.org

See your own lot on these maps

Open Upshur 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 Upshur County

When was Upshur County founded?: Upshur County was founded in 1851, formed from Barbour County, Lewis County and Randolph County, and named after Abel P. Upshur.
What is the county seat of Upshur County?: The county seat of Upshur County is Buckhannon.
Is there an online parcel map for Upshur County?: Yes. Upshur County publishes a parcel map of 20,910 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Upshur County's boundary or name changed?: Upshur County was created in 1851 from Barbour County, Lewis County and Randolph County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Randolph County.
Who issues building permits in Upshur County?: The county's page on building permits: Permitting. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Upshur County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby