Summers County (2020 population—11,959) is located in the southeastern region of West Virginia, scenically placed between the beautiful Greenbrier and New River Valleys.  The City of Hinton (2020 population—2,245) serves as the county seat and is the sole municipality within Summers County.  The railroad boom of the early 20th century helped to build Hinton and Summers County. However, the county’s current economy is based primarily on tourism thanks to the Bluestone Dam and Lake along with the Bluestone, Greenbrier, and New Rivers which converge in Hinton. Further, the New River Gorge, designated as a National Park and Preserve in 2020, holds its headquarters in neighboring Fayette County.

Summers County is also home to Bluestone State Park, Pipestem Resort, John Henry Historical Park, Camp Summers, and a number of other facilities that provide lodging, camping, and a variety of recreational activities. The Hinton Railroad Museum, the Graham House, the Campbell Flanagan Murrell House, John Henry Museum, and other museums provide glimpses into the county’s history. The architecture of buildings in Hinton’s nationally-registered historic district is of interest to many. The Courthouse, originally constructed in 1875, was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1981. A solid core of retail stores and professional service providers meet the needs of residents and visitors alike.

Residents of Summers County enjoy a wonderful small town, laid back quality of life. Service clubs such as the Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, and Ruritans support a number of community initiatives, school programs, and special events. The Summers County Library supports the county school system and provides visitors with Internet access and other services. Several denominations of churches meet the Summers County community’s spiritual needs.

Summers County is served east-west by Interstate 64 and by north and south connections to Interstate 77. West Virginia Routes 3, 12, 19, 20, and 107 are the primary highways within the county.  Amtrak also provides an important transportation link to Summers County with its Cardinal line from New York to Washington DC to Chicago. Stops are made three times per week to pick up and disembark passengers at Hinton’s historic Rail Depot.

The Summers County Appalachian Regional Hospital provides a fully-staffed emergency room and a variety of medical services. Summers County Emergency Services provides ambulance service. Law enforcement is provided by the Summers County Sheriff’s Department, a detachment of the West Virginia State Police, the City of Hinton’s Police Department and park rangers with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, and the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. Similarly, the City of Hinton has a fully-manned and equipped fire station complemented by six other volunteer fire departments throughout the county.

Summers County’s elected officials and its employees are dedicated to making the county the best possible place to live, work, and visit that it can be. We are also committed to providing the best public services possible. We welcome any suggestions you may have for improving this website.

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