Gauley Bridge is a town in Fayette County,

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, United States. The population was 553 at the 2020 census. The

Kanawha River The Kanawha River ( ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, its watershed has been a significant industrial region of th ...

is formed at Gauley Bridge by the confluence of the

New New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

and Gauley Rivers. Two miles to the southwest of Gauley Bridge, in Glen Ferris, is

Kanawha Falls Kanawha Falls is a waterfall on the Kanawha River in the U.S. state of West Virginia that has been a barrier to fish movement for more than 1 million years. The waterfall is formed by a diagonal sandstone ledge across the river about downstrea ...

, a popular stopping point on Midland Trail Scenic Highway. The community was named after a bridge over the Gauley River near the original town site. Gauley Bridge was close to the site of the

Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster The Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster was a large-scale incident of occupational silicosis, lung disease in the 1930s as the result of the construction of the Hawks Nest Tunnel near Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, as part of a hydroelectric project. Th ...

, in which hundreds of people died in the 1920s and 1930s.

Geography

Gauley Bridge is located at (38.167815, -81.197079). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 614 people, 279 households, and 159 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 361 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3% Native American, and 0.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population. There were 279 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the town was 43.5 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 30% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 738 people, 325 households, and 205 families living in the town. The

was 458.6 inhabitants per square mile (177.0/km²). There were 374 housing units at an average density of 232.4 per square mile (89.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.43%

, 0.68%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.68% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population. There were 325 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were

living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.80. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $22,500, and the median income for a family was $25,987. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $19,688 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $11,820. About 26.7% of families and 33.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 49.7% of those under age 18 and 24.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as General Booth Bouleva ...

, WV 16, and WV 39 all intersect in Downtown Gauley Bridge.

Notable person

* MacGillivray Milne, 27th

Governor of American Samoa This is a list of Governor (United States), governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government o ...

* Larry Clay Jr, 1st. Federal jury found him guilty of sex trafficking and obstruction of justice

References

{{authority control Towns in Fayette County, West Virginia Towns in West Virginia Populated places on the Kanawha River West Virginia populated places on the New River Populated places on the Gauley River