County outline
Where Harrison County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.9% of Harrison County’s measured area and water for 0.1%. Its combined area converts to 1,078.8 square kilometers or approximately 266,571 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 416.01 | 1,077.461 | 266,246.4 |
| Water | 0.507 | 1.313 | 324.5 |
| Total | 416.517 | 1,078.774 | 266,570.9 |
How Harrison County compares
By original Census land area, Harrison County ranks #29 of 55 in West Virginia and #2431 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.993 times the West Virginia county-equivalent median of 419 square miles. It accounts for 1.7% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete West Virginia ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Harrison County
The Census Bureau estimates that 64,221 people lived in Harrison County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #863 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #7 of 55 in West Virginia. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 65,919, the population has declined by 1,698 (−2.6%), compared with −1.5% for West Virginia as a whole.
With 416 square miles of land, that is 154 people per square mile (60 per km²), placing Harrison County #764 nationally for density and #12 in West Virginia. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the West Virginia median is 45. Put another way, there are about 4.1 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 65,846 | 65,439 | 64,706 | 64,550 | 64,426 | 64,221 |
| Change | — | −407 | −733 | −156 | −124 | −205 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Harrison County
10 incorporated places lie at least partly in Harrison County. Together they are home to 33,930 people (52.8%); the other 30,291 (47.2%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Clarksburg city, with 15,562 residents in the county. By land, Bridgeport city is the largest at 10.6 mi². Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Bridgeport city grew fastest since then (+2%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksburg cityCounty seat | 15,562 | −4.7% | 10.4 |
| Bridgeport city | 9,427 | +2% | 10.6 |
| Shinnston city | 2,241 | −3% | 1.665 |
| Stonewood city | 1,743 | −3.9% | 0.824 |
| Salem city | 1,570 | −3.8% | 2.032 |
| Nutter Fort town | 1,451 | −3.4% | 0.898 |
| Lumberport town | 648 | −4.1% | 0.502 |
| Anmoore town | 482 | −4% | 1.059 |
| West Milford town | 443 | −2.6% | 0.527 |
| Lost Creek town | 363 | −4% | 1.208 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Harrison County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Harrison County is a central county of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 88,142 residents on 908.5 square miles of land; Harrison County accounts for 45.8% of the land and 72.9% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #208 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #53 by population. It belongs to the Fairmont-Clarksburg, WV Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Harrison County | 64,221 | 416 |
| Taylor County | 16,287 | 172.8 |
| Doddridge County | 7,634 | 319.7 |
ZIP codes
22 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Harrison County; 17 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
26301263232633026361263662636926378263852638626404264082642226426264312643826448264512646326554265682658226591
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Harrison County
Harrison County shares a land border with 7 county equivalents. It has more land than every one of them. The largest neighbor is Lewis County (386.9 mi²) and the smallest is Taylor County (172.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Harrison County forms a block of 2,658 mi² of land, of which it holds 15.7%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Harrison | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County | 386.9 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Wetzel County | 358.1 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Upshur County | 354.6 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Barbour County | 341.1 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Doddridge County | 319.7 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Marion County | 308.8 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Taylor County | 172.8 | 2.4× smaller | Compare |
How big is Harrison County compared with U.S. states?
Harrison County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.5 times as much. West Virginia’s county land could hold about 58 areas the size of Harrison County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 20.4 miles (32.8 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Harrison County?
Harrison County has more land than 791 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Harrison County at #2,507 nationally by total area, 76 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Harrison County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2430 | Henry County, Ohio | 416 | Compare |
| #2431 | Harrison County, West Virginia | 416 | This county |
| #2432 | Union County, Mississippi | 415.6 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 39.279148, -80.385821. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,077,461,965 m²; AWATER: 1,313,215 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Harrison County?
Harrison County, West Virginia has 416 square miles (1,077.5 km²) of land and 0.507 square miles of water, for a total area of 416.5 square miles. It ranks #2431 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Harrison County the largest county in West Virginia?
No. Harrison County ranks #29 of 55 in West Virginia by land area. The largest is Randolph County, with 1,039.7 square miles of land.
What counties border Harrison County?
Harrison County shares a land border with Doddridge County, Marion County, Lewis County, Taylor County, Barbour County, Wetzel County, and Upshur County.
What is the population of Harrison County?
The Census Bureau estimates Harrison County had 64,221 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #863 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 154 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Harrison County?
The county seat of Harrison County is Clarksburg.
What cities and towns are in Harrison County?
Harrison County has 10 incorporated places. The most populous five are Clarksburg city, Bridgeport city, Shinnston city, Stonewood city, and Salem city; 30,291 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Harrison County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 88,142 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Harrison County?
22 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Harrison County, and 17 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Harrison County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.5 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Harrison County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 266,246 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 266,571 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.