Summary for Switchback

About Switchback (Click for our profile page)

Located in: McDowell County (see below)

Time Zone: Switchback lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT)

Telephone Area Codes: 304 & 681<1>

Elevation: 2,020 feet [615.7 m] above sea level<2>

GPS Coordinates (Latitude/Longitude)<3>

For the purpose of mapping and calculating distances, we have chosen the following reference point for Switchback:

Lat: 37.371200° (or 37°22'16" N)

Lon: -81.385700° (or -81°23'8" W)

USGS Topo Map: Anawalt<4>

Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for Switchback

GNIS ID: 1555770

FIPS State / Place Code: 54 / 78772

(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Switchback)

About McDowell County

The community of Welch is the County Seat for McDowell County.

From the 2010 US Census (For more detail, see our Census Page for McDowell)

Population

Year	Population
2019 Est:<5>	17,624 (20.24% decrease since 2010)
2010	22,097 (19.14% decrease since 2000)
2000:	27,329

Total Area:<6> 534 sq. miles [1,385.4 km²]

Housing Units: <7> 11,322

Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for McDowell

GNIS ID: 1689162

FIPS State / County Code: 54 / 047

(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Switchback)

About West Virginia

From the US Census

Population

Year	Population
2019 Est:	1,795,263 (3.12% decrease since 2010)
2010:	1,852,994 (2.47% increase since 2000)
2000:	1,808,344

Websites for State of West Virginia

Official Website: https://www.wv.gov/

Tourism: https://wvtourism.com/

Parks: https://wvstateparks.com/

Fishing: https://wvdnr.gov/fishing/

Hunting: https://wvdnr.gov/hunting/

Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for State of West Virginia

GNIS ID: 1779805

FIPS State: 54

(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Switchback)

Off-the-Road Links ...

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Switchback. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of West Virginia: https://www.wv.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>	When there's a risk of an area code running out of phone numbers, an 'Overlay Area Code' is created that has the same geographic boundaries as the existing area code. In this case, the 304 code has been Overlayed with the 681 area code. New phone numbers in the Switchback area will be assigned with one of these codes: 304 or 681. As a result, placing a call in the Switchback area will require 10-digit dialing (where you enter both the area code and then the phone number).
<2>	The elevation is an estimate for the area around Switchback - it will be higher in some places and lower in others.
<3>	Longitude & latitude values may not be the geographic center of Switchback, rather it may be a prominent intersection or the center of population, etc. It will vary depending on the source.
<4>	Name of the USGS 7.5 Minute topographic map which includes Switchback.
<5>	Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019.
<6>	The area value has been supplied by the US Census Bureau and it can be different than the geographic boundaries of Switchback. The value given by the Census Bureau reflects their statistical (or sampling) requirements. For example, if there is a cluster of people living just outside of the community's official boundary, the Census-defined area might be expanded to include that group.
<7>	A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway).