West Virginia

West Virginia

    West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast. The capital and largest city is Charleston.     Historically the area now occupying West Virginia had a separate identity from the early days of pioneering settlement. The early British American settlers called the area Vandalia. After the American Revolution the settlers of the area sought the status of an individual...
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quick facts
Founded:June 20, 1863
Capital:Charleston
Current governorEarl Ray Tomblin
Population:1,221,119
Area:24,229.8 sq. mi.
GDP:$57,711,000,000
Also known as:Mountain State, WV, W Va
Time zone:North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5

Capital city of West Virginia

Charleston
Charleston
Population:22,996
County:Kanawha County

Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County. Early industries important to Charleston included salt and the first natural gas well. Later, coal became central to economic prosperity in the city and the...
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Major cities in West Virginia

CityCountyPopulation
Charleston Kanawha County 51,400
Huntington Cabell County 49,129
Parkersburg Wood County 31,629
Morgantown Monongalia County 30,333
Wheeling Ohio County 28,805
Fairmont Marion County 19,031
Weirton Hancock County 18,574
Martinsburg Berkeley County 17,112
Beckley Raleigh County 16,758
Clarksburg Harrison County 16,406
South Charleston Kanawha County 12,574
Bluefield Mercer County 11,069
St. Albans Kanawha County 10,984
Vienna Wood County 10,558
Moundsville Marshall County 9,055
Bridgeport Harrison County 7,936
Dunbar Kanawha County 7,637
Oak Hill Fayette County 7,151
Elkins Randolph County 6,999
Nitro Kanawha County 6,735
Hurricane Putnam County 6,272
Princeton Mercer County 6,259
New Martinsville Wetzel County 5,540
Buckhannon Upshur County 5,531
Grafton Taylor County 5,381
Keyser Mineral County 5,267
Charles Town Jefferson County 4,865
Ranson Jefferson County 4,844
Point Pleasant Mason County 4,394
Weston Lewis County 4,289
Westover Monongalia County 4,145
Ravenswood Jackson County 3,904
Barboursville Cabell County 3,559
Lewisburg Greenbrier County 3,497
Summersville Nicholas County 3,294
Kenova Wayne County 3,266
Ripley Jackson County 3,214
Pleasant Valley Marion County 3,134
Kingwood Preston County 3,045
Williamson Mingo County 3,022
Williamstown Wood County 2,993
Corporation of Ranson Jefferson County 2,957
Follansbee Brooke County 2,838
Philippi Barbour County 2,793
Petersburg Grant County 2,742
Fayetteville Fayette County 2,677
Madison Boone County 2,584
Wellsburg Brooke County 2,571
Paden City Tyler County 2,560
Hinton Summers County 2,533
Bethlehem Ohio County 2,478
Moorefield Hardy County 2,458
Milton Cabell County 2,425
Chester Hancock County 2,312
Richwood Nicholas County 2,300
White Sulphur Springs Greenbrier County 2,263
Shinnston Harrison County 2,240
Welch McDowell County 2,180
Spencer Roane County 2,103
Mannington Marion County 2,086
Salem Harrison County 2,047
Winfield Putnam County 2,039
Montgomery Kanawha County 1,912
Romney Hampshire County 1,907
St. Marys Pleasants County 1,906
Stonewood Harrison County 1,856
Belington Barbour County 1,810
Harrisville Ritchie County 1,800
McMechen Marshall County 1,707
Star City Monongalia County 1,695
Nutter Fort Harrison County 1,625
Marmet Kanawha County 1,609
Ceredo Wayne County 1,591
Ansted Fayette County 1,571
Mullens Wyoming County 1,550
Chesapeake Kanawha County 1,547
Eleanor Putnam County 1,537
New Haven Mason County 1,510
Terra Alta Preston County 1,506
Ronceverte Greenbrier County 1,501
Logan Logan County 1,488
Rainelle Greenbrier County 1,461
Glenville Gilmer County 1,440
Benwood Marshall County 1,415
Oceana Wyoming County 1,392
Sistersville Tyler County 1,385
Glen Dale Marshall County 1,381
Mount Hope Fayette County 1,364
Parsons Tucker County 1,364
Mabscott Raleigh County 1,333
Barrackville Marion County 1,292
West Liberty Ohio County 1,231
Sophia Raleigh County 1,224
Buffalo Putnam County 1,214
Marlinton Pocahontas County 1,190
Athens Mercer County 1,181
Shepherdstown Jefferson County 1,157
Belle Kanawha County 1,155
Wayne Wayne County 1,152
Pennsboro Ritchie County 1,141
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Population history of West Virginia

YearEstimated Population
2011 1,855,364
2010 1,853,973
2009 1,847,775
2008 1,840,310
2007 1,834,052
2006 1,827,912
2005 1,820,492
2004 1,816,438
2003 1,812,295
2002 1,805,414
2001 1,801,481
2000 1,807,021
1999 1,811,799
1998 1,815,609
1997 1,819,113
1996 1,822,808
1995 1,823,700
1994 1,820,421
1993 1,817,539
1992 1,806,451
1991 1,798,735
1990 1,792,548
1989 1,806,570
1988 1,830,213
1987 1,857,583
1986 1,882,352
1985 1,906,831
1984 1,927,696
1983 1,945,058
1982 1,949,605
1981 1,954,125
1980 1,950,183
1970 1,744,237
1960 1,860,421
1950 2,005,552
1940 1,901,974
1930 1,729,205
1920 1,463,701
1910 1,221,119
1900 958,800
1890 762,794
1880 618,457
1870 442,014
1860 376,688
1850 302,313
1840 224,537
1830 176,924
1820 136,808
1810 105,469
1800 78,592
1790 55,873
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State symbols for West Virginia

Milk
Milk
State beverage
Cardinal
Cardinal
State bird
Monarch butterfly
Monarch butterfly
State butterfly
Brook trout
Brook trout
State Fish
Flowering Dogwood
Flowering Dogwood
State tree
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
State tree

Governor of West Virginia

Earl Ray Tomblin
Earl Ray Tomblin
Age:60
Birthplace:Logan County
Term began:November 15, 2010

Earl Ray Tomblin is an American politician who serves as the 35th and current Governor of West Virginia. Tomblin is a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to becoming Governor, Tomblin served as President of the West Virginia State Senate for almost 17 years. He became Acting Governor in 2010 following Joe Manchin's election to the US Senate. On October 4, 2011, Tomblin was elected as Governor of West Virginia in a special election to fill the...
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Government officials from West Virginia

OfficialOfficeStart of Term
Jay Rockefeller United States Senator 1985
Joe Manchin United States Senator 2010
Natalie Tennant Secretary of State of West Virginia 2009
Darrell McGraw West Virginia Attorney General 1993
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Religions practiced in West Virginia

Pie chart showing the religions of West Virginia
ReligionPercentage of Population
Baptist 30%
Methodism 15%
Roman Catholicism 8%
Christianity 7%
Protestantism 3%
Pentecostalism 3%
Presbyterianism 3%
Church of God 2%
Lutheranism 1%
Episcopal Church 1%
Non-denominational Christianity 1%
Church of Christ 1%
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Professional sports teams in West Virginia

Wheeling Nailers
Wheeling Nailers
Ice Hockey
Venue:WesBanco Arena, Cambria County War Memorial Arena

Colleges and universities in West Virginia

Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
Universidad del Sinú
Universidad del Sinú
Southern West Virginia Community College, Logan
Southern West Virginia Community College, Logan
Southern West Virginia Community College, Williamson
Southern West Virginia Community College, Williamson
Southern West Virginia Community College, Wyoming
Southern West Virginia Community College, Wyoming

Famous residents of West Virginia

Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner
Film Actor, TV Actor

Jennifer Anne Garner is an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe- and SAG Award-winning American actress. She is best known for her role as CIA agent Sydney Bristow on TV's Alias. Garner was born in Texas, the daughter of Patricia Ann , an English teacher from Oklahoma, and Billy Jack Garner, a chemical...
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Author, TV Actor, Film Actor

Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer, editor, and public intellectual. He was the first African American to receive the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship. He has received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his teaching,...
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Breckin Meyer
Breckin Meyer
Film Actor, TV Actor

Breckin Erin Meyer is an American actor, writer, producer, and drummer. Meyer was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Dorothy Ann , a travel agent and former microbiologist, and Christopher William Meyer, a management consultant. He has lived in California, Texas, West Virginia, and New...
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Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury
TV Actor

Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn. Canterbury trained under George South and the Italian Stallion before debuting in 1989 under the ring name "Mean" Mark Canterbury. He quickly...
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Lina Basquette
Lina Basquette
Film Actor, TV Actor

Lina Basquette was an American actress noted as much for her tumultuous personal life and nine marriages, as her more than 75 years in entertainment beginning in the silent film era. She was born Lena Copeland Baskette to shop owner Frank Baskette and Gladys Rosenberg in San Mateo, California....
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Movies filmed in West Virginia

Lives and Deaths of the Poets
Lives and Deaths of the Poets
Directed by:Leland Steigs
Genre:Comedy

Lives and Deaths of the Poets is an upcoming comedy film written & directed by Leland Steigs and due to be released in 2010. Lives and Deaths of the Poets spoofs and parodies incidents taken from the lives of famous writers, artists, and musicians throughout history. Comprising a series of approximately 60 comic vignettes, the movie is the fictional story of what really did NOT happen to these famed Poets, who have so enriched all our lives.

States adjoining West Virginia

Kentucky
Kentucky

Kentucky , officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the Upper South of the United States. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states...
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Ohio
Ohio

Ohio is a state in the Midwestern United States. Ohio is the 34th most extensive, the 7th most populous, and the 10th most densely populated of the...
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Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania , officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a US state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United...
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Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to...
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Virginia
Virginia

Virginia , officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Virginia is nicknamed...
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q:
    What is the capital of West Virginia?
  • A:
    The capital of West Virginia is Charleston.
  • Q:
    What time zone is West Virginia in?
  • A:
    West Virginia is in the North American Eastern Time Zone.
  • Q:
    Who are some well-known people that were born in West Virginia?
  • A:
    Prominent people and popular celebrities born in West Virginia include:
    - Mark Verber
    - Cary Roberts
    - Mark Funkhouser
    - Claud Ashton Jones
    - Mark Canterbury
    - Brianne Siddall
    - Jonah Edward Kelley

Lists

Map of West Virginia

Map of West Virginia
West Virginia
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