Summersville, West Virginia

Summersville, West Virginia
—  Town  —
Broad Street (West Virginia Routes 39 and 41) in downtown Summersville in 2007
Location of Summersville, West Virginia
Coordinates:
Country United States
State West Virginia
County Nicholas
Area
 • Total 4.3 sq mi (11.0 km2)
 • Land 4.2 sq mi (11.0 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 1,880 ft (573 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 3,294
 • Density 775.4/sq mi (299.4/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 26651
Area code(s) 304
FIPS code 54-77980[1]
GNIS feature ID 1547739[2]

Summersville is a town in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,194 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Nicholas County[3].

Contents

Geography

Summersville is located at (38.283342, -80.844207)[4]. It is located just north of the Gauley River which is famous for its challenging whitewater. The river is impounded by a large dam which creates Summersville Lake, creating flatwater recreation as well.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.0 km²). 4.2 square miles (11.0 km²) of it is land and 0.23% is water.

Summersville is home to the annual Potato Festival.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,294 people, 1,476 households, and 890 families residing in the town. The population density was 775.4 inhabitants per square mile (299.3/km²). There were 1,598 housing units at an average density of 376.2 per square mile (145.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.06% White, 0.06% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.52% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.

There were 1,476 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,783, and the median income for a family was $43,314. Males had a median income of $33,633 versus $22,348 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,217. About 6.9% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Speed limit enforcement

Summersville, especially along U.S. Route 19, is well-known as a speed trap. In 2001 the police department of Summersville issued 18,133 tickets. Because of this, the city has been seen on several network TV programs including CNN, CBS, CBC, and the BBC. As late as 2007, the National Motorists Association ranked Summersville as the worst speed trap in the state of West Virginia.[5] The city has been further seen in Money Magazine, USA Today, and dozens of local newspapers in the Midwest. Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park is near the town.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  5. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-11-20-worst-speed-traps_N.htm

External links