West Virginia Explorer West Virginia Explorer News
Browse

Communities

See our Communities Travel Guide

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.

Wheeling Suspension Bridge, Wheeling, WV, Ohio County, Mid-Ohio Valley Region
Communities

Historic suspension bridge at Wheeling to be restored

by David Sibray

Gov. Jim Justice and the West Virginia Division of Highways have announced that a project to repair and rehabilitate the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge at Wheeling, West Virginia, has been awarded. Advantage Steel & Construction was awarded a contract for $17,907,147 to make necessary repairs to the historic bridge’s superstructure and substructure, to replace any … Read more

The class will collect folklore from the region, attempt to understand the collected samples, and compile the regional treasures into a book.
Communities

New River college sets fall Appalachian writing class

by David Sibray

New River Community and Technical College will offer an Appalachian Folklore and Heritage Writing class at its Nicholas County Campus in Summersville, West Virginia, on Thursday evenings beginning Sept. 16, 2021, from 6 to 8 p.m. At the conclusion of the five-week course, participants will receive a bound, hard-back book of the stories written in … Read more

City of Beckley, West Virginia, Raleigh County, New River Gorge Region
Communities

National Park Service awards W.Va. preservation alliance $550,000

by David Sibray

The National Park Service has awarded the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia a $550,000 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant to help preserve endangered historic buildings in West Virginia. The alliance will add the grant to its existing Saving Historical Places Grant Program, which provides funding to preserve West Virginia’s historical buildings that have fallen into … Read more

A geothermal heat map of West Virginia shows areas of potential geothermal energy hot spots.
Communities

WVU to drill three miles down to tap geothermal hotspot

by David Sibray

West Virginia University researchers will drill three miles into the ground near Morgantown to test the potential of geothermal energy in the region this fall. They may help reduce the university’s carbon footprint and decrease its energy costs, according to Nagasree Garapati, visiting assistant professor of chemical and biomedical engineering. Garapati and her research team … Read more

Berries at a farmer's market
Communities

Create Buckhannon awarded 2021 gift for agricultural innovation

by Clyde Craig

Create Buckhannon has been named the winner of the 2021 West Virginia Vanguard Agriculture Competition, a statewide contest sponsored by the Robert C. Byrd Institute at Marshall University that honors innovation and ingenuity in agriculture. The annual award recognizes a West Virginia entrepreneur or organization whose idea has the greatest potential to solve logistical challenges … Read more

Barbara Breshock of the W.Va. Division of Forestry demonstrates forestry equipment.
Communities

Registration open for “Women Owning Woodlands” weekend

by David Sibray

Women landowners who wish to learn more about forestry in West Virginia and network with other women involved in woodlands management can now register for the W.Va. Division of Forestry’s “Women Owning Woodlands” workshop. The event led by women instructors provides women landowners with an opportunity to ask questions, practice skills, and connect with woodland … Read more