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.
West Virginia officials this week unveiled the state’s new 2022 vacation guide and highway map during a ribbon-cutting at Hawks Nest State Park on the New River Gorge at Ansted, West Virginia. Gov. Jim Justice was joined by Brett McMillion, director of the Department of Natural Resources, and Chelsea Ruby, secretary of the Department of … Read more
Language has partly defined the way people in Appalachia are perceived in other regions of the U.S., according to two researchers at West Virginia University. Yet many natives stand their ground and continue to use vowel sounds that give away their linguistic roots. Kirk Hazen, director of the West Virginia Dialect Project and professor of … Read more
Gov. Jim Justice announced today that West Virginia had reached the second-highest export growth rate of any state in the nation in 2021. He celebrated the achievement at a press conference during which he spoke of a statewide reversal of fortune that’s seen the state gain global notoriety. “Our days of being 50th in every … Read more
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has announced a request for applications for its 2022 Veterans and Heroes to Agriculture Grant Program, according to state Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. Leonhardt lauded the program as an ideal means to help emerging farmers build careers. “As we continue to see the age of the farmer rise, … Read more
The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, in partnership with the City of Weston, is hosting a week-long historic preservation workshop from April 25- 29, 2022 in Weston, West Virginia. The workshop will offer an in-depth introduction to the treatment and repair of historic masonry and include both classroom instruction as well as hands-on experience. Under … Read more
If you’ve read any of my past diatribes, you know that I favor scientific botanical nomenclature above common names. That’s caused many readers to come to think of me as a snob or know-it-all. That’s not the case! But, I’m going to save the “plant name” discussion for a later date. I just wanted to … Read more
A leadership gift to West Virginia University from longtime supporters Ken and Randy Kendrick will allow the John Chambers College of Business and Economics to transform economics education through innovative programs for high-schoolers and educators statewide via the new Kendrick Center for an Ethical Economy. The $40 million partnership with the Kendricks complements broader efforts … Read more
The worst of the pandemic seemingly over, West Virginia may witness the enthusiastic return of community ramp feasts in spring 2022, according to the publisher of West Virginia Explorer Magazine. Celebrations of the wild leek, known regionally as the “ramp,” have long been the focus of community gatherings in the Mountain State, where it is … Read more
I hunt for undomesticated plants. Even though I have a substantial vegetable garden, which supplies my family with a steady supply of fresh, frozen, and canned corn, beans, onions, carrots, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, tomatoes, I still forage for wild salad plants. I can’t imagine doing otherwise. Because it’s fun, I do what one person described … Read more
A new wildlife education center at the 102-acre Forks-of-Coal State Natural Area near Charleston, West Virginia, is set to open in spring and is in the final stages of construction, according to officials. The 7,000-square-foot center located off the US-119 expressway near the confluence of the Big Coal and Little Coal rivers will include multiple … Read more
