On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hurricane is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #41 of 61 in West Virginia. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hurricane’s overall grade.
West Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical West Virginia town has 29.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hurricane’s 1.5 sits near the middle of its state (36% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to C+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.2 points).
Founding year: the first census (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Hurricane’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Hurricane was named after Hurricane Creek, which was, in turn, named after a group of trees at the arm of the river bent in one direction. A party of surveyors commissioned by George Washington noted the site appeared to have been struck by a hurricane, giving rise to the name. Locals pronounce the town (HURR-i-KINN) not (HURR-i-CANE). Less than 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Hurricane is a post office named Tornado.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Hurricane post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1888.
How does Hurricane rank for history?
Hurricane is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #41 of 61 in West Virginia. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Hurricane?
One place: the Asbury House (listed 1997).
How old are the homes in Hurricane?
11% of Hurricane’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.2 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1979.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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