Bolivar, West Virginia
Bolivar is a town of 1,215 people in Jefferson County, West Virginia, founded in 1825.
Why visit Bolivar
Townapedia lists 42 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 16 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Camp Hill, Loudoun Heights, Allstadt House and Ordinary and B & O Railroad Potomac River Crossing.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 21°F.
Weather in Bolivar
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Bolivar
Bolivar is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,072 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Bolivar, West Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Museums and landmarks42
Allstadt House and Ordinary
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
House in Jefferson County, West Virginia
B & O Railroad Potomac River Crossing
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic railroad crossing at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Beall-Air
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Human settlement in United States of America
Harpers Ferry Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic district in West Virginia, United States
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
2,500 acres at confluence of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland (US) managed by the National Park Service
Lee-Longsworth House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in West Virginia, United States
Rion Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Human settlement in West Virginia, United States of America
St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Church building in West Virginia, United States of America
Strider Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
Halltown Colored Free School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
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_just_south_of_Old_Furnace_Road_in_Bolivar,_Jefferson_County,_West_Virginia.jpg){kind=link}
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_at_Gilbert_Street_in_Bolivar,_Jefferson_County,_West_Virginia.jpg){kind=link}
John Brown Monument
Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi
Commemorated here is the original location of the "John Brown Fort", the Federal Armory's fire engine house, where abolitionist John...
30 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes16
Appalachian Snail
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.5 mi
970 Washington Street, Harpers Ferry
We,Th 08:00-18:00; Fr,Sa 08:00-20:00
Isabella's Pizza & Subs
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.1 mi
201 Potomac Street
Fr-Su 11:00-19:00; Mo-Th 11:00-17:00
Bolivar Bread Bakery
Bakery · 0.5 mi
914 Washington Street, Harpers Ferry
Sa-Su 08:00-17:00; We-Fr 08:00-16:00
4 more on the map.
History
The town is named for South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar. Located in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, it is part of the northwestern fringes of the Washington metropolitan area.
The Appalachian Trail passes directly through nearby Harpers Ferry, which some consider the psychological midpoint of the trail, although the physical midpoint is further north, in Pennsylvania. Uniquely, the towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar partnered with the ATC to be declared a united Appalachian Trail Community.
From the History section of Bolivar, West Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
The Jackson Rose Bed & Breakfast
Motel and hotel
1167 Washington Street, Harpers Ferry
Churches and places of worship4
Halltown Union Colored Sunday School
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Curtis Freewill Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.6 mi
Washington Street, Harpers Ferry
Bolivar United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist
1215 Washington Street, Bolivar
Shopping4
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Blue Ridge Elementary School
School · 5.9 mi
18866 Charles Town Rd, Harpers Ferry
C. W. Shipley Elementary School
School · 1.6 mi
652 Shipley School Rd, Harpers Ferry
Jefferson High School
School · 4.8 mi
4141 Flowing Springs Rd, Shenandoah Junction
T A Lowery Elementary School
School · 5.9 mi
103 Shenandoah Junction Rd, Shenandoah Junction
Wildwood Middle School
School · 4.9 mi
1209 Shenandoah Junction Rd, Shenandoah Junction
Healthcare1
Harpers Ferry Family Medicine
Clinic and pharmacy
31 Taylor Street, Harpers Ferry
Map of Bolivar
96 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41°F | 21°F | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 23°F | 2.4 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 29°F | 3.7 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 39°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 74°F | 49°F | 4.6 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 58°F | 4.2 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 62°F | 4.3 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 61°F | 3.3 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 54°F | 4.4 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 42°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 32°F | 3.1 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 25°F | 3.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sharpsburg 5 S (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Jefferson County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-07-12: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2012-07-23: Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport (Shepherd Field) (MRB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.
- Brunswick 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Lovettsville 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Jefferson 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Keedysville 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Point of Rocks 12 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Purcellville 13 mi south, about 21 min by car
- Boonsboro 14 mi north, about 22 min by car
- Middletown 14 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Martinsburg 15 mi northwest, about 24 min by car
- Braddock Heights 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Washington west of Gilbert, Bolivar, Nyttend, Public domain
- 2016-09-27 09 49 55 View north along U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Washington Street) at Madison Street in Bolivar, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2019-05-16 10 41 21 View north along U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Washington Street) just south of Old Furnace Road in Bolivar, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Washington Street eb at Old Furnace Road, Bolivar, WV, July 2025, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2016-09-27 09 50 05 View north along U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Washington Street) at Old Furnace Road in Bolivar, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2016-09-27 09 44 27 View south along U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Washington Street) at Gilbert Street in Bolivar, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2019-05-16 10 40 41 View south along U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Washington Street) just north of Gilbert Street in Bolivar, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bolivar Methodist Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- 2016-09-27 09 58 02 View south along U.S. Route 340 (William L. Wilson Freeway) between Union Street and U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Washington Street) in Bolivar, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2019-05-16 10 33 37 View north along U.S. Route 340 (William L. Wilson Freeway) at Union Street in Bolivar, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Washington Street eb at Columbia Street, Bolivar, WV, July 2025, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bolivar Heights WV1, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2016-09-27 09 48 03 View north along U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Washington Street) at U.S. Route 340 just south of Bolivar in Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Halltown Union Colored Sunday School, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rion Hall, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2010-09-02-Harpers-Ferry-From-Maryland-Heights-Panorama-Crop, Mark Fickett, CC BY 3.0
- Harpers Ferry High Street, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Strider Farm entrance, Nyttend, Public domain
- Allstadt House and Ordinary, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Beall-Air WV1, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Peters church -Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, USA-30Sept2011, John Picken from Chicago, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Halltown Colored Free School, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Harpers Ferry ~ John Brown Monument, PinkNailz61, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lee-Longsworth House, Bradenw1, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Harpers Ferry, WV post office and Town Hall, July 2025, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dicentra cucullaria 630698343, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Dicentra cucullaria 630698376, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- 2016-09-27 09 43 48 View "south" (actually west) along U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Washington Street) at Franklin Street and Union Street in Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pyrus calleryana 630698484, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Pyrus calleryana 630698500, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Pyrus calleryana 630698469, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Pyrus calleryana 630698488, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Juniperus virginiana 627301796, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Lycorma delicatula honeydew on leaves, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- 2019-05-16 10 23 25 View south along U.S. Route 340 (William L. Wilson Freeway) at U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Shenandoah Street) in Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2019-05-16 10 22 24 View north along U.S. Route 340 (William L. Wilson Freeway) at U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Shenandoah Street) in Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2016-09-27 09 38 18 View "south" (actually east) along U.S. Route 340 Alternate (Shenandoah Street) at U.S. Route 340 in Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- West Virginia - 6312981409, Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lindera benzoin 627301569, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Lindera benzoin 627301642, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
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_at_U.S._Route_340_just_south_of_Bolivar_in_Jefferson_County,_West_Virginia.jpg){kind=link}
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