Wayne County

Wayne County is at the the most western of all West Virginia counties and is lays along both The Big Sandy and Ohio rivers.

The availability of river transportation made the county an attractive location for settlement when people began moving into the area around 1795. The county was formed in 1842 form a portion of Cabell County and was named for General Anthony Wayne, a hero of the Revolutionary War.

A small coal industry, as well as agriculture has provide jobs for the region, as has its proximity to the metropolitan Huntington area. Many people that work in Huntington have chosen to live in the less urban Wayne County.

The town of Wayne is the county seat.

Source: The 55 West Virginias: A guide to the State's Counties, by E. Lee North, Published by The West Virginia University Press.

Population: 42,903
Land in square miles: 506
Number of people per square mile: 84.8
More facts from the 2000 Census