The Pocatalico River drains about 500 square miles of western West Virginia (WV) north of the Kanawha River, into which it drains. The Pocatalico rises near Looneyville, WV, and flows southwestwardly through southern Roane County, northern Kanawha County, and southeastern Putnam County to join the Kanawha River at Raymont City, near Poca, WV.
History of the Pocatalico
In 1798, coal was discovered on the Pocatalico River, and mines operated around Raymond City, near its mouth, for several decades before World War II. The region was extensively timbered in the late 1800s.
Pocatalico Communities
From source to mouth, the following select towns and villages are located on or near the Pocatalico River.
Looneyville, WV
Walton, WV
Cicerone, WV
Island Branch, WV
Sissonville, WV
White Chapel, WV
Pocatalico, WV
Rocky Fork, WV
Lanham, WV
Raymond City, WV
Name Origin
The origin of the name "Pocatalico" has most often been cited as an adaptation of its Shawnee description as "the river of fat doe."
Variant Names
Paca River, Poca River, Poca Talico River, Pocatalco River, Pocatalica River, Pocataligo River, Pocatellico River, Pocatoligo Creek, Pocotalico River, Pocotaligo River
Regional Information
Information on lodging, dining, and recreation on and near the lower Pocatalico, downstream of and including Sissonville, WV, may be found in our guide to travel in the Metro Valley Region. Information for the upper river may found in the Heartland Region.
