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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.

A person holds several green pawpaws gathered in a blue denim shirt outdoors.
Communities

West Virginia grants target new markets for pawpaws, forest crops

by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Eight West Virginia agricultural projects have received federal grants, including those focused on expanding forest farming, developing food products from native pawpaws, and helping small growers process their harvests. The W.Va. Department of Agriculture announced the awards through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which supports research, education, … Read more

Illustration of a powerful solar eruption above Earth, with numerous satellites orbiting the planet against a backdrop of fiery solar activity.
Communities

West Virginia University researchers aim to reduce satellite collision risks from solar storms

by Clyde Craig

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Solar storms can expand Earth’s upper atmosphere, slow satellites, change their orbits, and make them harder to track. As thousands of additional satellites circle the planet, those disturbances are becoming an increasingly important concern for the companies and governments that operate them. A West Virginia University researcher will lead a $2.7 million … Read more

A white-tailed deer stands in the middle of a snow-covered rural road in November, surrounded by trees as light snow falls.
Communities

West Virginia leads nation in animal collisions as deer season raises danger

by Clyde Craig

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia motorists face the nation’s highest risk of striking an animal while driving, according to new insurance data released as the state enters its most dangerous deer-collision season. “Driving through West Virginia this time of year is like driving through a petting zoo,” said David Sibray, publisher of West Virginia Explorer. “I drive … Read more

Visitors explore the historic downtown of Hinton, a gateway to the southern reaches of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, where brick-lined streets, local shops, and mountain scenery offer a quieter side of the park experience. (Photo: David Sibray / WVExplorer)
Communities

As New River Gorge attracts newcomers, Hinton foundation invites investment in community

by Clyde Craig

HINTON, W.Va. — As interest in living, working, and vacationing near New River Gorge National Park and Preserve grows and brings new investment to southern West Virginia, a community foundation invites residents and out-of-state supporters to help strengthen the region’s future. The Hinton Area Foundation is encouraging contributions to charitable funds that support education, nonprofit … Read more

West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon generates an estimated $75.5 million in annual statewide economic activity, according to a new study of West Virginia's independent colleges and universities.
Communities

West Virginia’s private colleges generate nearly $392 million annually, study finds

by David Sibray

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s six independent colleges and universities generate an estimated $391.9 million in annual economic activity and support more than 3,000 jobs, according to a new study highlighting the economic importance of higher education to some of the state’s smaller communities. “West Virginia’s independent colleges are much more than places where students … Read more

Workers restore the roof of the historic Tyree Tavern in Ansted, West Virginia. Dating to approximately 1810, the former stagecoach inn is being rehabilitated as a museum and cultural facility. A new $28,000 preservation grant will support window restoration. (Photo courtesy Pam Webster-Walsh)
Communities

Eight historic West Virginia buildings awarded $490,000 for preservation

by Clyde Craig

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Eight historic West Virginia buildings, including a frontier-era tavern, an early African American school, and a church once used by enslaved worshippers, will receive more than $490,000 in federal preservation grants to help protect landmarks dating to the state’s earliest years. The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia has awarded $490,261 through its … Read more

Turkey Shooting, by 19th-century American artist Charles Deas, depicts the pursuit of wild turkeys in early America. The bird later became the subject of one of the nation's most successful wildlife restoration efforts. (Public domain/Wikimedia Commons)
Communities

America’s wild turkey hunting tradition returns to West Virginia forests

by Will Reedy

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — One of America’s oldest hunting traditions returns to Appalachian forests Saturday, Oct. 10, when West Virginia opens its fall wild turkey season in all 55 counties, continuing a pursuit that has survived centuries of settlement, deforestation, and the bird’s near-disappearance. Long before European colonists arrived in North America, Indigenous peoples hunted wild … Read more

As WVU's Mountaineer prepares for his flu shot, health officials explain when West Virginians should get vaccinated and how to prevent influenza.
Communities

WVU Mountaineer Reese Allen to get flu shot as officials urge fall vaccinations

by David Sibray

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As influenza season approaches, West Virginia University is spotlighting one of its most recognizable figures in a campaign to encourage residents to protect themselves against the flu. Mountaineer mascot Reese Allen is scheduled to receive his annual flu shot on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the WVU Health Sciences Center in Morgantown. A student pharmacist from the WVU … Read more

A river otter pauses along a grassy riverbank log before slipping back into the water. A new collaborative study by WVU and WVDNR used high-tech GPS trackers to reveal that West Virginia otters can log up to 30 miles in a single night.
Communities

GPS trackers in new study reveal W.Va. otters traveling up to 30 miles a night

by David Sibray

NEWBERRY, W.Va. — A collaborative study led by state wildlife officials, federal scientists, and West Virginia University researchers in Morgantown is shedding light on the secret lives of West Virginia’s river otters and directly shaping state management policy for years to come. The research, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey and W.Va. Division … Read more

Peak autumn foliage frames Blackwater Falls in Tucker County, W.Va., as visitors look out from the boardwalk viewing platform. Cold overnight temperatures across the Allegheny Highlands have accelerated the seasonal color shift across higher elevations.
Communities

Recent mountain freezes accelerate peak fall foliage across high-altitude W.Va.

by David Sibray

SNOWSHOE, W.Va. — With overnight temperatures dipping into the 30s across the high elevations of the Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia’s fall foliage season has reached its pivotal moment. For autumn leaf-peepers, cold nights are a double-edged sword. A light frost acts as a botanical supercharger. As temperatures drop toward freezing, trees seal off the veins … Read more