West Virginia
The Mountain State----------Population
West Virginia’s population is approximately 1.85 million, with 64 percent of its citizens living in rural areas and 36
percent in urban areas; the state’s population density is about 80 people per square mile. West Virginia is made
up of about 210 small cities, towns and villages. The state has 55 counties and three congressional districts. The
state’s capital is Charleston and its metropolitan area population is approximately 250,000. Other metropolitan
statistical areas include: Huntington-Ashland 283,370; Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna 160,905; Wheeling
143,973; Weirton-Steubenville 120,929; and Martinsburg-Jefferson 103,854. In north central West Virginia the
Clarksburg-Fairmont-Morgantown area has a combined metropolitan area of 205,000 and in the southern part of
the state the Raleigh-Mercer counties area has a population of 143,000. Cities with a population in excess of
10,000 residents include the cities below.
West Virginia’s Largest Cities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Charleston
Huntington
Parkersburg
Morgantown
Wheeling
Fairmont
Weirton
Martinsburg
Beckley
Clarksburg
Teays Valley
South Charleston
Bluefield
St. Albans
Vienna
Cross Lanes
50,267
49,129
31,629
30,330
28,803
19,031
18,576
17,112
16,758
16,408
12,704
12,574
11,068
10,985
10,558
10,353
Climate
West Virginia’s climate is similar to that of other Mid-Atlantic states. The average state temperature is 72 degrees
Fahrenheit in July and 32 degrees Fahrenheit in January. The four seasons are nearly equal in length.
Geography
West Virginia, often referred to as a Mid-Atlantic state, is nestled in the Appalachian highlands in the east central
section of the United States. In fact, it is ideally situated to access much of the United States since 60 percent of
the population lives within 500 miles. It is crossed by interstates 64, 68, 70, 77, 79 and 81, two major railroads in
the east and miles of navigable inland waterways.
The state is a composite of high, wooded mountains, deep valleys and broad plateaus. There are three
topographic regions: the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region –folded, parallel ridges of the Allegheny Mountains
in the eastern third along its eastern order; the maze of hills and hollows in the western two-thirds, the
Appalachian Plateau; and the Blue Ridge, a mountain range of spectacular grandeur in the easternmost portion of
the state. The highest elevation is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet above sea level and the lowest elevation is 240 feet
above sea level at Harper’s Ferry along the Potomac River in Jefferson County.
Major rivers are the Monongahela, Potomac, Kanawha, Little Kanawha, Big Sandy-Tug Fork, Guyandotte, Elk,
Greenbrier, New, Cheat and the Ohio, which defines West Virginia’s western border. Numerous swiftly flowing
mountain streams feed into the rivers. Many lakes, the largest of which are Bluestone, Summersville, Sutton,
Tygart, Stonewall Jackson and East Lynn, have been created by impoundments on major rivers.
Government
The capital of West Virginia is in Charleston, situated in the southern third of the state in Kanawha County
(population 190,000) at the confluence of the Kanawha and Elk Rivers. With roughly 50,000 residents, Charleston
is the State’s most populous city. West Virginia is made up of 55 counties, each with its own county and municipal
government structures. For information about state government and services, contact:
West Virginia State Capitol
Charleston, WV 25305
(304) 558-3456
The internet website for the state is: www.state.wv.us. This site provides many important links to various sites
about West Virginia. The site for the legislature is: www.legis.state.wv.us.
Brief History
The area that would become West Virginia was settled by Morgan Morgan, a Welshman, in 1730. By 1754, a large
group of Scot-Irish settled in Hampshire County (in the eastern panhandle). Native Americans used the area for
hunting, fishing and salt-gathering expeditions. Early on, the salt industry drew people to West Virginia. Salt was
first found by John Howard and John Peter Salley in the Kanawha Valley. They were also the first to discover coal
in the area in 1742.
George Washington journeyed to western Virginia via the Kanawha River in 1770. He had intended to establish a
settlement on the Kanawha, but the Revolutionary War ended his plans.
In 1863, as a result of the Civil War, West Virginia split from Virginia and became a separate state. By
proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln, West Virginia entered the Union as the 35th state on June 20, 1863.
Arthur I. Boreman became the first governor and Wheeling, in the state’s northern panhandle, was chosen as the
first capital. The Capitol was moved permanently to Charleston in 1877.
Living in West Virginia
Crime
West Virginia consistently has one of the nation’s lowest crime rates.
Economy
West Virginia has a diverse and growing economy. The state is a global hub for chemicals, a national hub for
biotech industries and a leader in energy, while having a diverse economy in aerospace, automotive, healthcare
and education, metals and steels, media and telecommunications, manufacturing, hospitality, biometrics,
forestry, and tourism.
Tourism
West Virginia is blessed with abundant natural beauty, a well-developed state park system and numerous outdoor
recreation opportunities such as boating, skiing, hiking, whitewater rafting and mountain biking. For more
information on West Virginia tourism, contact 1-800-225-5982 or visit www.westvirginia.com.
Consumer Sales Tax
The sales tax on all sales of tangible personal property or taxable service (except prescription drugs, personal
services, contracting services, professional services and public utilities) is 6 percent. Grocery items are taxed at 2
percent.
Property Tax
The West Virginia property tax is an annual tax on personal and real property. Taxes are assessed by county
assessors based on the appraised value of the property and collected by county sheriffs. Collections benefit
county boards of education, county commissions and municipalities.
Income Tax
The starting point in determining West Virginia taxable income is the federal adjusted gross income. The
graduated scale of rates ranges from 3 percent to 6.5 percent. For more information on taxes, call the West
Virginia Department of Tax and Revenue at (304) 558-2500 or visit www.state.wv.us/taxrev.
Motor Vehicle Registration
A certificate of title and an annual license fee are required to register a motor vehicle in West Virginia. All new
residents must register their vehicles. The rates vary according to the size and value of the vehicle. For more
information, contact the Division of Motor Vehicles at (304) 558-3900 or visit www.state.wv.us/dmv.
West Virginia Colleges and Universities
Alderson Broaddus
College
101 College Hill Drive
Philippi, WV 26416
304-457-1700 or
1-800-263-1549
www.ab.edu
Davis and Elkins College
100 Campus Drive
Elkins, WV 26241
304-637-1900 or
1-800-624-3157
www.davisandelkins.edu
Salem International
University
223 West Main Street
Salem, WV 26426
1-888-235-5024
www.salemu.edu
West Virginia Northern
Community College
1704 Market Street
Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 233-5900
www.wvncc.edu
American Military
University
111 W Congress Street
Charles Town, WV 25414
1-877-755-2787
www.amu.apus.edu
Fairmont State University
1201 Locust Avenue
Fairmont, WV 26554
304-367-4892
www.fairmontstate.edu
Shepherd University
P.O. Box 5000
Shepherdstown, WV
25443
304-876-5000 or
1-800-344-5231
www.shepherd.edu
West Virginia State
University
P.O. Box 1000
Institute, WV 25112
1-800-987-2112
www.wvstateu.edu
Appalachian Bible College
P.O. Box ABC
Bradley, WV 25818
1-800-678-9ABC
www.abc.edu
Glenville State College
200 High Street
Glenville, WV 26351
(800) 642-3463
www.glenville.edu
Bethany College
Bethany, WV 26032
304-829-7000 or
1-800-922-7611
www.bethanywv.edu
Marshall University
One John Marshall Drive
Huntington, WV 25755
1-800-642-3463
www.marshall.edu
Bluefield State College
219 Rock Street
Bluefield, WV 24701
304-327-4000 or
1-800-344-8892
www.bluefieldstate.edu
Mountain State
University
P.O. Box 9003
Beckley, WV 25802
1-866-367-6781
www.mountainstate.edu
Concord University
Vermillion Street
P.O. Box 1000
Athens, WV 24712
304-384-3115 or
1-800-384-5349
www.concord.edu
Ohio Valley University
1 Campus View Drive
Vienna, WV 26105
1-877-446-8668
www.ovu.edu
Southern West Virginia
Community and Technical
College
P.O. Box 2900
Mount Gay, WV 25637
(304) 792-7098
www.southernwv.edu
University of Charleston
2300 MacCorkle Ave, SE
Charleston, WV 25304
1-800-995-GOUC
www.ucwv.edu
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6201
Morgantown, WV 26506
304-293-0111 or
1-800-344-WVU1
www.wvu.edu
West Virginia Wesleyan
College
59 College Avenue
Buckhannon, WV 26201
304-473-8000
www.wvwc.edu
West Liberty University
P.O. Box 295
West Liberty, WV 26074
1-866-937-8542
www.westliberty.edu
Wheeling Jesuit
University
316 Washington Avenue
Wheeling, WV 26003
1-800-624-6992
www.wju.edu
West Virginia School of
Osteopathic Medicine
400 N. Lee Street
Lewisburg, WV 24901
(800) 356-7836
www.wvsom.edu
WVU Institute of
Technology
405 Fayette Pike
Montgomery, WV 25136
(888) 554-8324
www.wvutech.edu
Chamber
Phone #
City
Website
Barbour County Chamber
(304) 457-1958
Philippi
[email protected]
Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber
(304) 252-7328
Beckley
www.brccc.com
Buckhannon/Upshur County Chamber
(304) 472-1722
Buckhannon
www.buchamber.com
Charleston Area Alliance
(304) 340-4253
Charleston
www.charleston-wv.com
Charleston Area Chamber
(304) 345-0770
Charleston
www.charlestonwvchamber.org
Elkins-Randolph County Chamber
(304) 636-2717
Elkins
www.randolphcountywv.com
Fayette County Chamber
(304) 465-5617
Oak Hill
www.fayettecounty.com
Follansbee Chamber
(304) 527-1330
Follansbee
Greater Bluefield Chamber
(304) 327-7184
Bluefield
www.bluefieldchamber.com
Greater Greenbrier Chamber
(304) 645-2818
Lewisburg
www.greenbrierwvchamber.org
Hardy County Chamber
(304) 530-1786
Moorefield
www.hardycountychamber.com
Harrison County Chamber
(304) 624-6331
Clarksburg
www.harrisoncounty.com
Huntington Regional Chamber
(304) 525-5131
Huntington
www.huntingtonchamber.org
Jackson County Chamber
(304) 372-5707
Ripley
www.jacksonchamberwv.com
Jefferson County Chamber
(304) 725-2055
Charles Town
www.jeffersoncountywvchamber.org
Logan County Chamber
(304) 752-1324
Logan
www.logancountychamberofcommerce.com
Marion County Chamber
(304) 363-0442
Fairmont
www.marionchamber.com
Marshall County Chamber
(304) 845-2773
Moundsville
www.marshallcountychamber.com
Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber
(304) 267-4841
Martinsburg
www.berkeleycounty.org
Mid-Ohio Valley Chamber
(304) 422-3588
Parkersburg
www.movchamber.org
Mineral County Chamber
(304) 788-2513
Keyser
www.mineralcounty.org
Morgantown Area Chamber
(304) 292-3311
Morgantown
www.morgantownchamber.org
Pleasants Area Chamber , Inc.
(304) 684-9909
Saint Marys
Pocahontas County Chamber
(304) 456-5466
Marlinton
www.pccocwv.com
Preston County Chamber
(304) 329-0576
Kingwood
www.prestonchamber.com
Princeton-Mercer County Chamber
(304) 487-1502
Princeton
www.pmccc.com
Putnam County Chamber
(304) 757-6510
Teays
www.putnamcounty.org
Salem Chamber
(304) 782-1005
Salem
www.salemwv.com
South Charleston Chamber
(304) 744-0051
Charleston
www.southcharlestonchamber.org
St. Albans Chamber
(304) 727-7251
St. Albans
Summersville Area Chamber
(304) 872-1588
Summersville
www.summersvillechamber.com
Tug Valley Chamber
(304) 235-5240
Williamson
www.tugvalleychamber.com
Weirton Area Chamber
(304) 748-7212
Weirton
www.weirtonchamber.com
West Virginia Chamber
(304) 742-1115
www.wvchamber.com
Wetzel County Chamber
(304) 455-3825
Charleston
New
Martinsville
Wheeling Area Chamber
(304) 233-2575
Wheeling
www.wheelingchamber.com
www.wetzelcountychamber.com
1624 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston, WV 25311
Phone: (304) 342-1115; Fax: (304) 342-1130