Harpers Ferry (often written Harper's Ferry) is a very small town with a very large national park around it. This page collects the basic facts people search for most: where it is, which state and county, the ZIP code, the population and how the name works. Every fact has a source, and each section is written to stand on its own.
Harpers Ferry at a glance
| State | West Virginia (in Virginia until 1863) |
| County | Jefferson County |
| ZIP code | 25425 |
| Population | 269 (2020 Census) |
| Rivers | Potomac and Shenandoah, which meet at The Point |
| Distance from Washington, DC | About 66 miles to the park Visitor Center — NPS |
| Park | Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, 3,682 acres in 3 states |
Where is Harpers Ferry?
Harpers Ferry is in Jefferson County, West Virginia, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, where the Shenandoah flows into the Potomac at a spot called The Point. The town sits at the eastern tip of West Virginia. Across the Potomac is Maryland, and across the Shenandoah is Virginia. The Town of Harpers Ferry calls it the easternmost and lowest point in West Virginia.
By road, the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Visitor Center is about 66 miles from Washington, DC, about 82 miles from Baltimore and 20 miles from Frederick, Maryland, according to the NPS. Charles Town is 8 miles away on US 340.
Is Harpers Ferry in Virginia or West Virginia?
Harpers Ferry is in West Virginia. The confusion is understandable: the town was founded by the Virginia General Assembly in 1763 and was still in Virginia during John Brown's raid in October 1859. West Virginia became a state during the Civil War, and the West Virginia Legislature passed the act admitting Jefferson County, including Harpers Ferry, on November 2, 1863. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park does extend into Virginia and Maryland, which adds to the mix-up.
Harpers Ferry fact table
Each row lists its source. Time-sensitive figures say when they were published.
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State | West Virginia | Town of Harpers Ferry |
| Joined West Virginia | Act admitting Jefferson County passed November 2, 1863 | WV Archives and History |
| County | Jefferson County (created 1801, named for Thomas Jefferson) | USGS GNIS; Wikipedia |
| ZIP code | 25425 | Town of Harpers Ferry |
| Area code | 304 | Wikipedia |
| Coordinates | 39.32778° N, 77.74639° W | Wikipedia; USGS lists the town centroid at 39.3253° N, 77.7410° W (GNIS) |
| Lowest elevation | 247 ft (87.5 m) at the river confluence, the lowest point in West Virginia | Town of Harpers Ferry |
| Town elevation | Rises uphill from the rivers; Wikipedia lists 509 ft, citing USGS | Wikipedia |
| Population | 269 (2020 Census); about 286 (2010 Census) | Wikipedia, citing the U.S. Census Bureau; Town |
| Town area | 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²) | Town of Harpers Ferry |
| Census place code | 35284 | USGS GNIS |
| Rivers | Potomac and Shenandoah; the Shenandoah flows into the Potomac at The Point | NPS |
| States visible from The Point | Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia | NPS |
| Distance from Washington, DC | About 66 miles (to the park Visitor Center) | NPS |
| Distance from Baltimore | About 82 miles | NPS |
| Distance from Frederick, MD | 20 miles | NPS |
| Distance from Pittsburgh | No official driving figure found; by bike, Harpers Ferry is on the 334.5-mile Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal route between Pittsburgh and DC | NPS |
| Park size | 3,682 acres in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia (as of Oct 2022) | NPS |
| Park trails | 9 hiking trails, 23 miles | NPS |
| Park visitors | 427,317 in 2023 (NPS); more than 488,000 in 2024, a park record (WVPB) | NPS; WVPB |
| Park established | Harpers Ferry National Monument, 1944; national historical park, 1963 | NPS |
| Town established | 1763, by the Virginia General Assembly | NPS; Town |
| Incorporated | 1872 | Wikipedia, citing the West Virginia Blue Book |
| Appalachian Trail in West Virginia | 2.4 miles, the shortest of any A.T. state | ATC |
What county is Harpers Ferry in?
Harpers Ferry is in Jefferson County, West Virginia. The U.S. Geological Survey's place-name database lists the Town of Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County. Jefferson County was created in 1801 and named for Thomas Jefferson, who visited Harpers Ferry on October 25, 1783, and described the view from the rock now called Jefferson Rock.
What is the Harpers Ferry ZIP code?
The Harpers Ferry ZIP code is 25425. The Town Hall's mailing address is PO Box 217, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, and the national park's is PO Box 65, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425. ZIP 25425 also covers neighboring Bolivar and the surrounding part of Jefferson County, so ZIP-code population figures are far larger than the town's own population.
What is the population of Harpers Ferry?
Harpers Ferry had 269 residents at the 2020 Census, down from about 286 in 2010. With a town area of about 0.6 square miles, Harpers Ferry is tiny by any measure. It draws far more visitors than residents: the national historical park counted 427,317 visitors in 2023, according to the NPS.
How did Harpers Ferry get its name?
Harpers Ferry is named for Robert Harper, who bought the land at the confluence in 1747 and ran a ferry across the Potomac. A squatter, Peter Stephens, had settled there earlier. In 1763 the Virginia General Assembly established the town as "Shenandoah Falls at Mr. Harper's Ferry," according to the Town of Harpers Ferry. Harper died in 1782; his house, finished that year, is the oldest surviving structure in Lower Town, according to the NPS.
Why is there no apostrophe in Harpers Ferry?
The official name, Harpers Ferry, has no apostrophe because the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, founded in 1890, discourages possessive apostrophes in place names. The apostrophe was dropped in the 1890s; Wikipedia gives 1891. The Town, the National Park Service and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy all write "Harpers Ferry." The apostrophe is still correct inside historical quotations written before the change.
Is Harpers Ferry a town or a national park?
Both. Harpers Ferry is an incorporated town in West Virginia, and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, run by the National Park Service, surrounds and includes much of it, including Lower Town. The park covers 3,682 acres in three states and charges an entrance fee; see parking, fees and shuttle for current prices. The park itself has no food or lodging: the NPS says those are in the towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar.
More about Harpers Ferry
- Harpers Ferry history: the armory, John Brown and the Civil War
- John Brown's raid
- Plan your visit and getting there from DC
- Things to do in Harpers Ferry
- Where to stay
- About Harpers Ferry Guide
