Gauley Bridge, West Virginia

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Gauley Bridge, West Virginia
Location of Gauley, West Virginia
Location of Gauley, West Virginia
Coordinates: 38°10′4″N 81°11′49″W / 38.16778, -81.19694
Country United States
State West Virginia
County Fayette
Area
 - Total 1.6 sq mi (4.3 km²)
 - Land 1.6 sq mi (4.2 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation 810 ft (247 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 738
 - Density 458.6/sq mi (177.1/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 25085
Area code(s) 304
FIPS code 54-30364[1]
GNIS feature ID 1554543[2]

Gauley Bridge is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 738 at the 2000 census. The Kanawha River is formed at Gauley Bridge by the confluence of the New and Gauley Rivers. Two miles to the southeast of Gauley Bridge, in Glen Ferris, West Virginia, is Kanawha Falls, a popular stopping point on Midland Trail Scenic Highway.

Gauley Bridge was close to the site of the Hawk's Nest incident, in which hundreds of lives were lost in the 1920s and 1930s.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Cliffs overlooking the New River near Gauley Bridge
Cliffs overlooking the New River near Gauley Bridge

Gauley Bridge is located at 38°10′4″N, 81°11′49″W (38.167815, -81.197079)[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.2 km² (1.6 mi²). 4.2 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (2.44%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 738 people, 325 households, and 205 families residing in the town. The population density was 177.0/km² (458.6/mi²). There were 374 housing units at an average density of 89.7/km² (232.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.43% White, 0.68% African American, 0.68% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 married couples 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 for the town was $11,820. About 26.7% of families and 33.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.7% of those under age 18 and 24.7% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Transportation

U.S. Route 60,WV 16,and WV 39 all intersect in Downtown Gauley Bridge.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

Gauley Bridge is well known as a speed trap.

[edit] External links