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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.

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

A hiker overlooks fall color from the high-elevation landscape of Dolly Sods Wilderness in eastern West Virginia. The region is among the first areas of the state to show autumn color. (Photo courtesy West Virginia Department of Tourism)
Communities

West Virginia’s first fall colors are appearing in these high mountain areas

by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The first fall colors of 2026 are beginning to appear in West Virginia’s mountains, with the earliest changes being witnessed in some of the state’s highest-elevation destinations. The W.Va. Department of Tourism reports that early color is emerging in Tucker and Pocahontas counties, where cooler mountain conditions typically give visitors some of … Read more

A researcher works in a laboratory at West Virginia University’s Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, which will introduce nuclear engineering coursework in 2027 as West Virginia explores a larger role in the nation’s nuclear industry. (WVU Photo/Paige Nesbit)
Communities

WVU prepares nuclear workforce as West Virginia weighs role in nation’s nuclear industry

by Clyde Craig

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University is preparing engineering students for careers in the nuclear industry as state and federal officials explore a potentially much larger role for West Virginia in the nation’s nuclear fuel cycle, including power generation and manufacturing. Earlier state documents also proposed nuclear-fuel recycling and interim storage of used nuclear fuel, … Read more

Glenville State University rises above the small Gilmer County seat of Glenville in central West Virginia, where the university has played a prominent role in the community since its founding in 1872.
Communities

Glenville State establishes College of Business as programs expand beyond campus

by Clyde Craig

GLENVILLE, W.Va. — A small public university in rural West Virginia is expanding the reach of its business education beyond the Appalachian community it has served for more than 150 years, establishing a College of Business after adding online undergraduate and graduate programs. Glenville State University formally marked the college’s establishment Wednesday, elevating its business … Read more

The September equinox marks the astronomical beginning of autumn, though seasonal change is already underway across West Virginia. (Photo courtesy Michael and Diane Weidner)
Communities

Why fall arrived twice in West Virginia this September

by Clyde Craig

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Fall officially arrived in West Virginia Tuesday night, but depending on where you live and how you define the season, autumn may have started weeks ago or may still seem a long way off. The autumnal equinox occurred at 8:05 p.m. EDT Tuesday, marking the astronomical beginning of fall in the Northern … Read more