Editing Ohio County, West Virginia (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|109|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|106|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.2|sqmi}} (2.9%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_54.txt |access-date=July 30, 2015 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> It is the third-smallest county in West Virginia by area. The highest point of elevation in Ohio County is approximately {{convert|1420|ft|m|abbr=on}} and located about {{convert|1|mi|km|adj=on}} southwest of West Alexander, Pennsylvania.<ref>[http://cohp.org/wv/Ohio_1.html Ohio County High Point Trip Report]. Cohp.org (August 20, 2000). Retrieved on December 24, 2010.</ref>
The county is drained by [[Wheeling Creek (West Virginia)|Wheeling]] and other small creeks.<ref>{{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Ohio (county)|display=Ohio. I. A N. W. county of West Virginia}}</ref>

When Ohio County was formed in 1776, its area was much larger totaling {{convert|1432|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}} and included portions of what is now [[Washington County, Pennsylvania|Washington]] and [[Greene County, Pennsylvania|Greene]] counties in [[Pennsylvania]]. The formation of the [[Mason–Dixon line]] and resolution of border disputes between Pennsylvania and [[Virginia]] began the first in a long series of reductions in the county's size.<ref>[http://www.lindapages.com/wags-ohio/how-1.htm History of Wheeling City & Ohio County, West Virginia – Book]{{dead link|date=April 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. Lindapages.com. Retrieved on December 24, 2010.</ref>

In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into [[civil township]]s, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into [[minor civil division|magisterial districts]].<ref>Otis K. Rice & Stephen W. Brown, ''West Virginia: A History'', 2nd ed., University Press of Kentucky, Lexington (1993), p. 240.</ref> Ohio County was divided into five districts: Center,{{efn-lr|Spelled "Centre" before 1890.}} Clay, Liberty, Madison, Richland, Ritchie, Triadelphia, Union, Washington, and Webster. Centre, Clay, Madison, Union, and Webster Districts all lay within the city of Wheeling, as did part of Washington District.<ref name="Cenus Bureau MCD">[[United States Census Bureau]], [[United States Census|U.S. Decennial Census]], Tables of Minor Civil Divisions in West Virginia, 1870–2010.</ref>

By 1880, part of Ritchie District had also been subsumed by Wheeling. In the 1970s, the ten historic magisterial districts were consolidated into five new districts: Liberty Triadelphia; Madison, Union Clay, Washington District; Titchie Webster Center District, and Triadelphia. These were further consolidated in the 1980s to form District 1, District 2, and District 3.<ref name="Cenus Bureau MCD" />

===Major highways===
*{{jct|state=WV|I|70}}
*{{jct|state=WV|I|470}}
*{{jct|state=WV|US|40}}
*{{jct|state=WV|US|250}}
*{{jct|state=WV|WV|2}}
*{{jct|state=WV|WV|88}}

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Brooke County, West Virginia|Brooke County]] (north)
*[[Washington County, Pennsylvania]] (east)
*[[Marshall County, West Virginia|Marshall County]] (south)
*[[Belmont County, Ohio]] (west)
*[[Jefferson County, Ohio]] (northwest)

Ohio County is one of four counties in the United States to border a state with which it shares the same name (the other three counties are [[Nevada County, California]]; [[Texas County, Oklahoma]]; and [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania]]).

===National protected area===
*[[Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge]] (part)