When was Wood County founded?

Wood County was founded in 1799, formed from Harrison County, and named after James Wood.

What is the county seat of Wood County?

The county seat of Wood County is Parkersburg.

Is there an online parcel map for Wood County?

Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 58,263 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Wood County's boundary or name changed?

Wood County was created in 1799 from Harrison County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 8 later changes, chiefly involving Wirt County, Jackson County and Kanawha County.

Who issues building permits in Wood County?

The county's page on building permits: Building Permits and Compliance Office - Wood County WV. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

Wood County, West Virginia: parcels, history and offices

Where it is

Wood 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 · Wood highlighted

History

Formed in 1799 from Harrison County

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

Wood County was created by Virginia from Harrison County in 1799 and gained additional territory from Kanawha County in 1800. Over the 19th century, Wood County lost land to the creation of Jackson County in 1831, Ritchie County in 1843, Wirt County in 1848, and Pleasants County in 1851. When Virginia split in 1863, Wood County separated and became part of the new state of West Virginia.

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

1799
Wood County created Wood created by Virginia from Harrison.
from Harrison
1 May 1799 · Shepherd, 2:170-171
1800
Gained territory Wood gained from Kanawha.
from Kanawha
30 December 1800 · Shepherd, 2:263
1831
Lost territory Wood lost to creation of Jackson.
to Jackson
1 March 1831 · Va. Acts 1830-1831, ch. 73, sec. 1/pp. 138-140
1843
Lost territory Wood lost to creation of Ritchie.
to Ritchie
18 February 1843 · Va. Acts 1842-1843, ch. 52, sec. 1/pp. 35-37
1863
Became part of West Virginia Wood separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363

Show all 9 changes (4 more)

1799
Wood County created Wood created by Virginia from Harrison.
from Harrison
1 May 1799 · Shepherd, 2:170-171
1800
Gained territory Wood gained from Kanawha.
from Kanawha
30 December 1800 · Shepherd, 2:263
1820
Changed Ohio River and its islands, previously unassigned to particular counties, were declared to be part of the adjacent Virginia counties, including Wood. 1 January 1820 · Va. Acts 1819-1820, ch. 74, sec. 1/p. 66
1831
Lost territory Wood lost to creation of Jackson.
to Jackson
1 March 1831 · Va. Acts 1830-1831, ch. 73, sec. 1/pp. 138-140
1843
Lost territory Wood lost to creation of Ritchie.
to Ritchie
18 February 1843 · Va. Acts 1842-1843, ch. 52, sec. 1/pp. 35-37
1848
Lost territory Wood lost to creation of Wirt.
to Wirt
19 January 1848 · Va. Acts 1847-1848, ch. 60, sec. 1/pp. 38-41
1851
Lost territory Wood lost to creation of Pleasants.
to Pleasants
29 March 1851 · Va. Acts 1850-1851, ch. 27, sec. 1/pp. 25-26
1863
Became part of West Virginia Wood separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363
1863
Lost territory Wood lost to Wirt.
to Wirt
7 October 1863 · W. Va. Acts 1863, 1st sess., ch. 59, sec. 1/pp. 58-59

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Wood

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 58,263 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, 44,432 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

Wood by the Census

Population

84,296 2020 Census count

Housing units

40,304 2020 Census count

Land area

367 square miles

Water area

10 square miles

People per sq mi

230 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 woodcountywv.com · checked 13 October 2026

Permits

Building Permits and Compliance Office - Wood County WVfrom woodcountywv.com

County government

County government
The official website of Wood County.
woodcountywv.com

See your own lot on these maps

Open Wood 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 Wood County

When was Wood County founded?: Wood County was founded in 1799, formed from Harrison County, and named after James Wood.
What is the county seat of Wood County?: The county seat of Wood County is Parkersburg.
Is there an online parcel map for Wood County?: Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 58,263 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Wood County's boundary or name changed?: Wood County was created in 1799 from Harrison County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 8 later changes, chiefly involving Wirt County, Jackson County and Kanawha County.
Who issues building permits in Wood County?: The county's page on building permits: Building Permits and Compliance Office - Wood County WV. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Wood County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Wood CountyWest Virginia