West Virginia Facts


ADVERTISEMENTS


West Virginia Location In The US West Virginia State Map

West Virginia is known for:

  • Scenic mountain beauty
  • Coal mining industry
  • Outdoor adventure opportunities
  • Historic sites


Geography & Demographics

State Abbreviation WV
State Capital Charleston
State Size Total (Land + Water): 24,230 sq miles; Land Only: 24,078 sq miles
Number of Counties 55
Time Zone Eastern Time Zone
Bordering States Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia
Highest PointSpruce Knob, 4,863 feet
Tallest Building West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, 293 feet
Largest StadiumMountaineer Field in Morgantown, capacity 60,000
National ParksNew River Gorge National Park
State Population (2020)1,793,716
State Population Density74.5 people / square mile
Area Codes 304, 681
Top 5 Cities (2020 population) Charleston (45,879)
Huntington (44,934)
Morgantown (30,847)
Parkersburg (29,009)
Wheeling (26,283)

Government & Legislature

Statehood June 20, 1863
Electoral Votes4
State Flag West Virginia State Flag
GovernorOfficial West Virginia Governor Website
U. S. SenatorsList of U. S. Senators From West Virginia
U. S. RepresentativesList of U. S. Representatives From West Virginia
State SenatorsList of West Virginia State Senators
State DelegatesList of West Virginia State Delegates
State GovernmentOfficial Site
State ConstitutionWest Virginia State Constitution
Same-Sex Marriage Legalization DateOctober 9, 2014
Road ConditionsWest Virginia Road Conditions
State Quarter Issue Date October 14, 2005

State Symbols

State AnimalBlack bear
State Bird Cardinal
State ButterflyMonarch butterfly
State ColorsOld gold and blue
State FishBrook trout
State Flower Rhododendron
State FruitGolden delicious apple
State GemSilicified Mississippian fossil coral
State InsectHoneybee
State Motto Montani semper liberi (Mountaineers are always free)
State Nickname Mountain State
State RockCoal
State SoilMonongahela silt loam
State Song"West Virginia My Home Sweet Home", "The West Virginia Hills", "This is My West Virginia"
State Tree Sugar maple

Sports Teams

Major Sports Teams None
NCAA Division I Schools Marshall University (Conference USA)
West Virginia University (Big 12)

Table Tennis Clubs in West Virginia

City Table Tennis Club
CharlestonCharleston Table Tennis Club

Popular Tourist Attractions

Festivals and Events

Top festivals and events in West Virginia. They are listed in approximate order of when they take place during the year.

Festival / Event When Location
Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting February Berkeley Springs
West Virginia Strawberry Festival May Buckhannon
Charleston Sternwheel Regatta Late June to July Charleston
Appalachian String Band Music Festival August Clifftop
West Virginia State Fair August Lewisburg
Mothman Festival September Point Pleasant
West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival September Clarksburg
West Virginia Wine and Jazz Festival Late September to early October Morgantown
Mountain State Forest Festival Late September to October Elkins
Balloons Over Morgantown October Morgantown
Bridge Day October New River Gorge Bridge in Fayette County

Popular Iconic West Virginia Foods

West Virginia is famous for the following foods:

  • Pepperoni Rolls
  • Buckwheat Pancakes
  • West Virginia Slaw Dogs
  • Venison
  • Ramps
  • Apple Butter
  • Biscuits and Gravy
  • Soup Beans
  • Skillet Cornbread
  • Beans and Cornbread
  • Trout
  • Hot Dog With "Everything"

Famous People Born In West Virginia

Nobel Prize Winners

Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members

  • George Preston Marshall (Team Owner, Team Founder. Inducted in 1963)
  • Greasy Neale (Coach. Inducted in 1969)
  • Gino Marchetti (Defensive End. Inducted in 1972)
  • Sam Huff (Linebacker. Inducted in 1982)
  • Frank Gatski (Center. Inducted in 1985)
  • Randy Moss (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 2018)
  • Chuck Howley (Linebacker. Inducted in 2023)

Baseball Hall Of Fame Players

  • Jesse Burkett (Left Fielder. Inducted in 1946)
  • George Brett (Third Baseman. Inducted in 1999)
  • Bill Mazeroski (Second Baseman. Inducted in 2001)

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players

  • Jerry West (Guard. Inducted in 1980)
  • Hal Greer (Guard-Forward. Inducted in 1982)
  • Hugh Evans (Referee. Inducted in 2022)
  • Bob Huggins (Coach. Inducated in 2022)

Famous Actors And Actresses

  • John Corbett
  • Elizabeth McLaughlin
  • Ashlie Rhey

Famous Singers

  • Wilma Lee Cooper
  • Red Sovine
  • Bill Withers

West Virginia Fun Facts

  • West Virginia was named for England's "Virgin Queen," Elizabeth I. It was part of Virginia until 1861. When Virginia seceded from the Union, the 40 western county delegates opposed the secession and formed their own government, which was granted statehood in 1863.
  • The New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia, is the longest steel-arch bridge in the United States, spanning 1, 699 feet across the New River Canyon.
  • The first state sales tax established in the United States went into effect on July 1, 1921, in West Virginia.
  • Weirton is the only city in the U.S. that extends from one state border to another. The eastern portion of the city borders Pennsylvania, and the western portion of the city borders on Ohio.
  • The first official Mother's Day celebration took in 1908 at a Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, and was organized by Anna Jarvis.
  • In November 2014, 18-year-old Saira Blair was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates, becoming the youngest elected lawmaker in the United States.
  • In West Virginia, a person can be fined one dollar each act of cursing, swearing, or public drunkenness.
  • Governor Cecil Underwood was the state's youngest governor at 34 when he was first elected in 1956. He was elected again in 1996 at 74, making him the oldest governor of the state.
  • The first municipally owned parking building in the U.S. was opened September 1, 1941 in Welch, West Virginia.
  • West Virginia got its first Starbucks in December, 2003, making it the last state in the United States to have a Starbucks store.

This page was last updated on October 14, 2023.

ADVERTISEMENTS





Copyright © 2024   1keydata.com   All Rights Reserved     Privacy Policy