Despard West Virginia Map

About Despard, West Virginia

Despard is a locality in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. It is a small community with a population of 972. The population density is 273.5 people per km². Despard is located at 39.2887°N, 80.3059°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/New_York) timezone. ZIP code: 26301.

Despard is a place where the hills of Harrison County rise and fall like the quiet breaths of a sleeping giant, their slopes cloaked in the deep greens and ochres of mature hardwoods. It lies 30.1 miles south-west of Morgantown, WV (from Morgantown, WV: bearing 219°T), and is situated 2.1 miles east-north-east of Clarksburg. The air here, especially in the late afternoon, carries the damp, earthy scent of leaf litter and the faintest whisper of woodsmoke, a fragrance that clings to the skin and settles in the lungs. Small creeks, barely more than silver threads, wind their way through the hollows, their banks often softened by moss and ferns, their murmur a constant, low-pitched conversation with the surrounding silence. The land itself feels ancient, worn smooth by the passage of seasons and the slow, inexorable work of water, a landscape that invites contemplation rather than hurried passage. The history of Despard is etched not in grand monuments, but in the subtle contours of its past and the enduring quiet of its present. Once, this region pulsed with the industry of coal mining, the echoes of pickaxes and the rumble of trains a distant memory now, replaced by the gentle hum of agricultural life. Farms, many of them family-run for generations, dot the landscape, their fields of corn and hay a testament to the enduring connection between the people and the soil. The local economy, while no longer driven by the deep veins of coal, still finds its strength in the land, in small businesses that serve the surrounding communities, and in the quiet dignity of a life lived at a more deliberate pace. There's a certain resilience here, a deep-rooted understanding of what it takes to weather the storms, both literal and figurative, a characteristic that defines the very spirit of Despard.

About This Despard Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Despard, West Virginia — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 39.288701, -80.305922. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Despard and Harrison County.

Detailed location data for Despard includes the ZIP code (26301), telephone area code (304), county seat of Harrison County (Clarksburg), and school district assignment (Harrison County School District). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Despard is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.