Editing Mercer County, West Virginia (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|421|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|419|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.7|sqmi}} (0.4%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_54.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 30, 2015 |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</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>  Mercer County was divided into five districts: Beaver Pond, East River, Jumping Branch, Plymouth, and Rock. In the 1970s, Mercer County's five historic districts were consolidated into three new magisterial districts: District 1, District 2, and District 3. The new districts were renamed "District I", "District II" and "District III" during the 1980s.<ref>[[United States Census Bureau]], [[United States Census|U.S. Decennial Census]], Tables of Minor Civil Divisions in West Virginia, 1870–2010.</ref>

===Major highways===
{|
|
*{{Jct|state=WV|I|73}} (future)
*{{Jct|state=WV|I|74}} (future)
*[[Image:I-77 (WV).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 77 in West Virginia|Interstate 77]]
*[[Image:US 19.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 19 in West Virginia|U.S. Highway 19]]
*[[Image:US 52.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 52 in West Virginia|U.S. Highway 52]]
*[[Image:US 460.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Highway 460]]
|
*[[Image:WV-10.svg|20px]] [[West Virginia Route 10]]
*[[Image:WV-20.svg|20px]] [[West Virginia Route 20]]
*[[Image:WV-44.svg|20px]] [[West Virginia Route 44]]
*[[Image:WV-71.svg|20px]] [[West Virginia Route 71]]
*[[Image:WV-112.svg|20px]] [[West Virginia Route 112]]
|
|}

The West Virginia Turnpike, now part of [[Interstate 77]], begins in [[Princeton, West Virginia|Princeton]].

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Raleigh County, West Virginia|Raleigh County]] (north)
*[[Summers County, West Virginia|Summers County]] (northeast)
*[[Giles County, Virginia]] (east)
*[[Bland County, Virginia]] (south)
*[[Tazewell County, Virginia]] (southwest)
*[[McDowell County, West Virginia|McDowell County]] (west)
*[[Wyoming County, West Virginia|Wyoming County]] (northwest)

===National protected area===
* [[Bluestone National Scenic River]] (part)