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West Virginia · Mid-Ohio Valley · #481
Wood County, West Virginia
On the Ohio River where the Little Kanawha River joins from the east, Parkersburg was once one of West Virginia's wealthiest cities - an oil and gas boomtown whose Victorian architecture, chemical industry legacy, and quiet resilience tell the story of a mid-Ohio Valley city that has navigated more economic transitions than most.
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Office: Wood County Homeland Security/Emergency Management (WCHSEM) – Parkersburg, WV
Notes: Wood County 911 also serves Wirt County jointly, dispatching Police, Fire, and EMS for both counties; the Wood County 9-1-1 Advisory Board meets publicly at 4 PM on the second Monday of February, May, August, and November at the 911 center. Building/structure addressing coordinated through the Addressing/Mapping Coordinator, (304) 420-0911, [email protected].
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-77 and US-50 intersect near Parkersburg, at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Wood County Court House, Room 308, or County Administrator’s Office – Parkersburg, WV
Services: Building permit required before constructing or placing a structure/mobile home; if building off a private drive that already has an addressed structure, contact the Addressing/Mapping Coordinator, as the drive may need to be named/re-addressed
Notes: City of Parkersburg maintains its own separate permitting – Parkersburg Permits & Inspection, 1 Government Square, part of Parkersburg City Council; notably, Parkersburg allows detached garages up to 200 square feet WITHOUT a permit (an uncommon exception among WV municipalities) – confirm current thresholds directly.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance – veterans.wv.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest County Veteran Service Officer)
Notes: The Veterans Museum-Mid Ohio Valley in Parkersburg exhibits items honoring area military veterans’ legacy.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library – Parkersburg, WV
Branches: Emerson Branch, South Parkersburg Branch, Williamstown Branch
Notes: A member of the West Virginia Library Network.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Wood County, home to Parkersburg (the state’s 4th-most-populous city, situated at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers), is genuinely home to one of the most historically significant sites in early American political history – BLENNERHASSETT ISLAND, the Ohio River’s most famous island, four miles long and the river’s fifth-largest island, located two miles west/south of Parkersburg; wealthy Irish aristocrats Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett settled the island in 1798, building a lavish Palladian mansion celebrated as one of the finest homes in the entire American West of its era; in 1805-06, the Blennerhassetts allowed their estate to become the actual headquarters for Aaron Burr’s infamous scheme to establish an independent empire in the American Southwest – after rumors of treason reached President Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Militia were dispatched to arrest the conspirators, partially destroying the mansion and confiscating Blennerhassett’s property when the family had already fled; Burr was later tried for treason in Richmond (presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall) and acquitted, while Blennerhassett was held in custody but never brought to trial; the original mansion burned entirely in 1811, but a detailed, historically faithful replica was constructed on its original foundations in the 1980s and can be toured today, accessible via sternwheeler riverboat as part of Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park; the saga inspired a Nathaniel Hawthorne short story, a Walt Whitman poem, and two New York operas; other notable Wood County attractions include Fort Boreman Park (Civil War-era fort site with hilltop river views), the Oil & Gas Museum, and the historic Smoot Theatre; the 1899 Wood County Courthouse (Romanesque Revival, architect L.W. Thomas), where Theodore Roosevelt spoke during his 1912 presidential campaign, became the TALLEST courthouse in the entire state (164 feet) after a new steeple was added to its bell tower in July 2020, replacing one removed in 1952
Notes: Blennerhassett Island’s genuine, documented central role in the real 1805-06 Aaron Burr conspiracy – one of the most consequential treason cases in early American history – is an extraordinary, well-verified national historical fact centered in this county.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Wood County GIS – accessible via woodcountywv.com
Parcel Search: Wood County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Wood County 911
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Humane Society of Parkersburg (HSOP) – 530 29th Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101 (Mailing: PO Box 392) | (304) 422-5541 | Email: [email protected]
Services: A private, nonprofit, OPEN-ADMISSION animal shelter serving all of Wood County
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Wood County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Wood County holds a genuinely extraordinary piece of early American political history at Blennerhassett Island – the real headquarters of Aaron Burr’s treason conspiracy, one of the most consequential legal and political dramas of the young republic, still accessible and interpretable today via riverboat tour. The Wood County Courthouse’s recently restored steeple, added in 2020, now makes it the tallest courthouse in the entire state. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, park, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Wood County
Wood County’s Parkersburg carries an extraordinary amount of industrial history in a relatively compact city. The town was at the center of West Virginia’s first oil boom in the 1860s – before Spindletop, before Oklahoma, the oil fields of Wood County and adjacent counties were among the most productive in the world, and the fortunes built there funded the Victorian mansions that still stand along Juliana Street. The chemical industry that followed – most significantly E.I. du Pont de Nemours’ Washington Works plant, which has operated in Wood County since 1951 – brought prosperity and, eventually, one of the most significant environmental contamination cases in American history.
The PFAS contamination of the Wood County water supply from Washington Works’ Teflon manufacturing – the subject of Robert Bilott’s long litigation, the book “Exposure,” and the film “Dark Waters” – resulted in settlements that brought awareness of PFAS chemicals to national attention and fundamentally changed federal chemical regulation. The plant continues to operate under new ownership, and the county lives with the legacy. Parkersburg’s downtown, the Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park (site of Aaron Burr’s alleged conspiracy), and WVU Parkersburg’s educational mission give the county a layered identity beyond the chemical story.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
West Virginia assesses property at 60% of appraised value annually. The homestead exemption reduces assessed value by $20,000 for qualifying residents 65 or older. The Board of Equalization and Review hears assessment appeals. West Virginia has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Mid-Ohio Valley Senior Services (MOVSS)
P.O. Box 2087, Parkersburg, WV 26102
Phone: (304) 485-7204
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care counseling for Wood County residents.
Senior Services
Mid-Ohio Valley Senior Services (MOVSS)
P.O. Box 2087, Parkersburg, WV 26102
Phone: (304) 485-7204
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care counseling for Wood County residents.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1 Court Sq, Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 424-1850
CIRCUIT CLERK
1 Court Sq, Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 424-1740
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Wood County Clerk’s Office, Parkersburg (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Wood County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Wood County is along the Ohio River, home to Parkersburg, one of West Virginia’s most populous counties. West Virginia has NO separate probate court and has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Probate is handled administratively through the COUNTY COMMISSION, via the elected COUNTY CLERK (clerk of the county commission) and that office’s FIDUCIARY SUPERVISOR – not through the Circuit Court, which handles only contested or referred matters.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
West Virginia’s probate framework runs under Chapter 44 of the West Virginia Code, administered locally at the county commission level rather than in a court of record.
West Virginia Small Estate Act (W. Va. Code §44-1A) – available when the decedent’s ENTIRE personal probate estate does not exceed $50,000 in “small assets,” AND the decedent owned no interest in real property at all. As of a July 9, 2025 change in the law, real estate provisions were removed from the Small Estate Act entirely – any estate involving real property, of any value, can no longer use this affidavit process. If the affiant is the nominated personal representative under a will, the affidavit can be filed 30 days after death; otherwise, 60 days must pass. No personal representative may be pending or appointed in any jurisdiction.
Full/Standard Administration – required whenever real property is involved, or the estate exceeds $50,000 in personal property. West Virginia sets statutory executor commissions based on estate value: 5% on the first $100,000, 4% on the next $300,000, 3% on the next $400,000, and 2% on amounts above that. Appointment is generally handled by the County Clerk or a Fiduciary Supervisor; complex estates or those with disputes may be referred to a Fiduciary Commissioner for oversight. A corporate surety bond is typically required unless the will explicitly waives it or all beneficiaries agree to waive it (and there are no debts). Notice to creditors must be published in a local newspaper such as the Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
Only if a genuine dispute arises – a will contest, or disagreement over appointment – does the matter go before the County Commission for a hearing, or in some cases the Circuit Court.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to serve as executor or administrator brings the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate to the Wood County Clerk’s Office to qualify.
The Clerk issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration; a corporate surety bond is typically required unless waived by the will or by agreement of all beneficiaries (with no debts).
The personal representative files an appraisement of the estate’s assets, generally within 90 days of qualification.
Notice to creditors must be published in a local newspaper such as the Parkersburg News and Sentinel; once an appraisement is filed, the County Clerk must publish notice within 30 days (or within 120 days of qualification if no appraisement is filed).
The estate is settled through the Fiduciary Supervisor’s review, or referred to a Fiduciary Commissioner if complex or contested, culminating in a final settlement and accounting.
What it costs
Court filing fees to qualify as executor or administrator generally range from about $44 to $56, depending on whether there is a will.
West Virginia sets statutory executor commissions based on estate value: 5% on the first $100,000, 4% on the next $300,000, 3% on the next $400,000, and 2% on amounts above that.
Attorney fees for straightforward estates commonly range from $2,500-$5,000, and $5,000-$10,000+ for complex or contested cases; add bond premiums, newspaper publication fees, and appraisal/recording fees.
West Virginia does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to estates above the federal exemption (roughly $15 million for a 2026 death).
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1 Court Sq, Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 424-1900
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 424-1850
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Parkersburg-Wood County Health Department, 211 6th St, Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 485-7374
DHHR Office
Wood County DHHR Office, 1400 Plaza 5, Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 420-4200
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Wood County Health Department
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Confirm current hours directly.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Parkersburg
Population: 84,500
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Wood County facilities via Amazon.
