Communities in West Virginia offer residents a welcoming atmosphere, affordable cost of living, and a strong sense of connection to nature and neighbors alike. From charming small towns to vibrant cities like Charleston and Morgantown, West Virginia communities provide friendly neighborhoods, excellent schools, and access to outdoor recreation right at your doorstep. Residents enjoy a slower pace of life, surrounded by the state’s beautiful mountains, rivers, and forests, as well as rich local culture, historic sites, and community events that bring people together.
With safe streets, local businesses, and a true spirit of Appalachian hospitality, living in West Virginia communities means enjoying a high quality of life and a supportive, tight-knit environment where everyone feels at home. Be sure to visit our Communities Travel Guide for information about communities in West Virginia.
MARLINTON, W.Va. — When spring is in the air in West Virginia, black bears come out of hibernation and begin a desperate search for food. Because bears become more active during this time of year, the chances of an outdoor encounter increase, says Colin Carpenter, black bear project leader for the W.Va. Division of Natural … Read more
ELKINS, W.Va. — To help educate the public about the value and stability of historic stone walls, the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia has declared those in historic districts across the Mountain State “endangered.” According to Danielle Parker, the organization’s executive director, “statewide, hand-cut stone walls aged 50 years or older are part of this … Read more
THURMOND, W.Va. — Programming through a preservation organization in West Virginia will support leasing in this historic town where the National Park Service had considered demolishing several nationally historic buildings it had formerly promised to save. Following a groundswell of public aversion to a proposal to demolish more than 20 historic structures in the town, … Read more
FLAT TOP, W.Va. — Worms are already making their presence known in the upper layers of the soil in early March, says a West Virginia permaculturist who can attest to the lore of the Worm Moon of March. Justyn Marchese says he’s already observing the early-spring activity of worms at his farm on Flat Top … Read more
WHEELING, W.Va. — West Virginia may best be known for its vast mountain forests, but its northern panhandle was once a grassland clipped low by sheep. Part of the vast Ohio market area, which includes much of Ohio and western Pennsylvania, the four northern panhandle counties—Brooke, Marshall, Hancock, and Ohio—produced more wool than all other … Read more
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — A monument raised in memory of an escaped nanny goat is attracting the attention of motorists on US-19 in central West Virginia. The roadside curiosity stands along the four-lane expressway that crosses Powell Mountain, the second-highest summit the highway traverses between Florida and Pennsylvania. Anonymous benefactors have raised a memorial near the … Read more
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — Once counted among the most gracious homes in the Greenbrier Valley, the historic Level Tavern on scenic US-219 is being rediscovered, thanks to its recent introduction to the real estate market. Built in 1830, the hewn-timber residence, renowned for its vast rooms, hosted travelers unnumbered but faded into obscurity after the old … Read more
PAX, W.Va. — Few motorists traveling the West Virginia Turnpike between Beckley and Charleston may know that one of the state’s most beautiful trout streams lies hidden in the mountain forests along the way. But now scenic Paint Creek, named for ancient trees once painted blood-red by Native American warriors, is gaining ground as a … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A West Virginia University urban forester is developing a method, with the help of artificial intelligence, to identify trees at risk of falling on power lines and causing blackouts. According to Greg Dahle, associate professor of arboriculture and urban forestry at the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, downed … Read more
A West Virginia University plant pathology professor emeritus who has spent more than 70 years developing hearty tomato varieties for home gardeners has created his fourth and final tomato — the West Virginia 2023, dubbed “Mannon’s Majesty.” “With so many tomato growers in this state, I wanted to help them continue to grow their food,” … Read more
