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.
Glenville State College at Glenville, West Virginia, in the central Mountain State, kicks off its sesquicentennial celebration this week, culminating with Founder’s Day events on February 19, the anniversary of the college’s founding 150 years ago. College president Dr. Mark A. Manchin spoke of his excitement about the anniversary and the direction the school has … Read more
Friday’s high winds and warm temperatures have officials at the W.Va. Division of Forestry asking West Virginians to avoid outdoor burning until conditions improve. Forestry officials cite media reports of multiple brush fires in south-central West Virginia, including Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Putnam counties. Forestry fire personnel also continue to fight a fire in a … Read more
The State of West Virginia has been named to the Forbes list of America’s Best Employers 2022, Gov. Jim Justice announced. The list includes businesses from all industries, not only governments, according to the governor, and West Virginia was one of only two states to crack the list’s top 250. Justice said the honor was … Read more
A picture speaks a thousand words, and that’s a good thing because I have a lot to say about this plant that could best be said in pictures. And I’d be happy to hear that this article stimulated you enough to go out hunting for Hydrophyllum virginianum in the wild this spring. First, let’s chat … Read more
Shepherd University, at Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is hosting two talks by The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia that will focus on actions for climate resiliency and forest conservation in the state and the Appalachian Mountains on Monday, February 28, at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education auditorium. The presentations, which are … Read more
BETHANY, W.Va. — A castle in West Virginia? You’ll find a few examples of castle-like structures scattered through its hills, but nothing compares to Old Main at Bethany College, one of the finest examples of “Collegiate Gothic” architecture in the U.S. A visitor’s first glimpse of the building is generally had from a distance: its … Read more
In some corners of West Virginia, resident rodents such as squirrels and beavers are sharing habitat with their slow-moving, short-sighted, and very prickly cousin—the porcupine. Verifiable reports of these non-native animals in the Eastern Panhandle date back to at least the later 1980s, according to Rich Rogers, district wildlife biologist and furbearer program coordinator for … Read more
Gov. Jim Justice announced today that West Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 3.7 percent for December 2021, breaking the all-time record for the lowest unemployment rate recorded in state history for the third consecutive month. December’s rate of 3.7 percent bested the previous state record of four percent, set just one month prior … Read more
To support the growing craft beverage industry in the Mountain State and encourage further expansion, the Robert C. Byrd Institute at Marshall University, Brilliant Stream, and the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition will sponsor another statewide virtual gathering on January 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Craft: A Farm to Bottle Summit” will … Read more
Many West Virginia communities are enjoying a marked increase in tourism as well as an influx of new residents propelled by the work-from-home revolution, and the extension service at West Virginia University is working to help communities build on that. The service’s new year-long monthly webinar series “Sustainable Rural Tourism” is designed to illustrate basic … Read more
