Petersburg is a city in

Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States * Grant County, Arkansas * Grant County, Indiana * Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky Grant County is a county located in the northern pa ...

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 2,251 at the 2020 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

History

Petersburg was founded circa 1745 by Jacob Peterson, who owned the area's first merchandising store. In the

1830 United States census The 1830 United States census, the fifth census undertaken in the United States, was conducted on June 1, 1830. The only loss of census records for 1830 involved some countywide losses in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Mississippi. It determined ...

, the population center of the United States was recorded as being about 9 miles southwest of the town. The settlement was incorporated in 1910.

Registered Historic Places

* The Manor (''ca.'' 1830) * Hermitage Motor Inn (''ca.'' 1840) * Grant County Courthouse (1878–79) * Rohrbaugh Cabin (''ca.'' 1880) Located near Petersburg (but in Pendleton County) is the Old Judy Church (1836), listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

since 1976.

Geography

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 city has a total area of , all of it land.

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Petersburg has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Transportation

Petersburg is served by several surface highways. The most prominent of these is

U.S. Route 220 U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a spur route of US 20. It runs in a north–south layout in the eastern United States, unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways, which run east-west. US 220 extends for ...

, which enters Petersburg from the direction of

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...

and exits eastward towards Moorefield.

West Virginia Route 28 West Virginia Route 28 is a north–south route through the Potomac Highlands of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 39 in Huntersville, West Virginia, Huntersville. The northern term ...

and

West Virginia Route 55 West Virginia Route 55 is an east–west state highway in West Virginia. The western terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 19 in Muddlety. The eastern terminus is at the Virginia state line six miles (10 km) east of Wardensville, w ...

run concurrently through Petersburg, entering from the direction of

Seneca Rocks Seneca Rocks is a large cliff, crag and local landmark in Pendleton County, West Virginia, Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. The south peak is the only peak inaccessible except by technical rock climbing ...

and joining U.S. Route 220 on its journey towards Moorefield. Finally,

West Virginia Route 42 West Virginia Route 42 is a north–south state highway connecting Grant County to Mineral County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 28 and West Virginia Route 55 in Pet ...

begins at Route 28 and Route 55 in Moorefield, heading northward towards Elk Garden. Grant County Airport is located 1.2 miles southwest of the city center.

Medical care

Grant Memorial Hospital serves three counties in the West Virginia Panhandle.

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 2,467 people, 1,113 households, and 614 families living in the city. 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 1,310 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.3%

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 ...

, 2.0%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.3% 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 3.4% of the population. There were 1,113 households, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% 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, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.8% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the city was 47.1 years. 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.5% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 25.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.2% male and 53.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,423 people, 1,086 households, and 620 families living in the city. The

was 1,482.6 people per square mile (573.9/km²). There were 1,222 housing units at an average density of 747.7 per square mile (289.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.44%

, 1.57%

, 0.12% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.78% of the population. There were 1,086 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were

living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.75. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,867, and the median income for a family was $32,941. Males had a median income of $23,654 versus $20,250 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 city was $19,642. About 11.9% of families and 17.5% 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 25.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Joan Banks Joan Banks (October 30, 1918 – January 18, 1998) was an American film, television, stage, and radio actress (described as "a soapbox queen"), who often appeared in dramas with her husband, Frank Lovejoy. Early life Banks attended a school of ...

(1918–1998), prolific radio actress *

Jason Kitzmiller Jason Andrew Kitzmiller (born July 25, 1973) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 97 Chevrolet SS for CR7 Motorsports and the No. 79 Chevrolet SS for ACR Motors ...

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

driver * M. Blane Michael (1943–2011), Circuit Judge,

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district cou ...

Codie Rohrbaugh Codie Benjamin William Rohrbaugh (born November 12, 1993) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 97 Chevrolet Silverado for his family team, C ...

driver

References

{{authority control Cities in West Virginia Cities in Grant County, West Virginia County seats in West Virginia 1745 establishments in the Colony of Virginia