Nicholas County, West Virginia
Nicholas County is a county located in the central region of U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,604. Its county seat is Summersville. The county was created in 1818 by the Virginia General Assembly and named for Virginia Governor Wilson Cary Nicholas. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.2%) is water. In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts. Nicholas County was divided into six districts: Grant, Jefferson, Kentucky, Mumble-the-peg, Summersville, and Wilderness. In 1873, Mumble-the-peg became Hamilton District. A seventh district, Beaver, was created in the 1880s. Major highways U.S. Highway 19 West Virginia Route 20 West Virginia Route 39 West Virginia Route 41 West Virginia Route 55 Battlefields Carnifex Ferry Battlefield, Keslers Cross Lanes Adjacent counties Braxton County (north) Webster County (northeast) Greenbrier County (southeast) Fayette County (southwest) Clay County (northwest) Kanawha County (west) National protected areas Gauley River National Recreation Area (part) Monongahela National Forest (part) Demographics 2000