Cairo, West Virginia

Cairo, WV (West Virginia), a community on the north fork of the Hughes River in Ritchie County, was incorporated in 1895 by Scotch Presbyterians, who found water and fertile ground there for their crops, recalling the fertility of the Nile at Cairo in Egypt.

The town was once known as Egypt and also called the McKinney Settlement, but was renamed Cairo when a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad station was located there in 1856.

The town name is coincidentally pronounced to rhyme with the word “pharaoh,” and its school mascot is the “pharaoh.” Cairo is Egypt’s capital, and pharaohs ruled Egypt in ancient times.

Cairo is a chief point along the North Bend Rail Trail, home to shops that cater to hikers and cyclists. The population was 174 at the 2020 census. The former Bank of Cairo building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

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Lodging near Cairo, West Virginia

Cairo (WV) Hotels

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Parks & Public Recreation

The following parks and public recreation areas are within 20 miles of the community.

• Mountwood Park
• North Bend Rail Trail
• North Bend State Park
• Sand Hill Wildlife Management Area
• Hughes Wildlife Management Area
• Ritchie Mines Wildlife Management Area

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Location

Cairo is approximately 10 miles west of the Ritchie County seat at Harrisville, West Virginia, and 25 miles east of Parkersburg, West Virginia.

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The climate near Cairo is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, it has a humid subtropical climate.

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Map of Cairo, West Virginia

[mappress mapid=”43″]

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Regional Information

Cairo, WV, is located in the Heartland Region of northwestern West Virginia near the Mid-Ohio Valley Region.