Communities in West Virginia offers 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, along with 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.
Just in time for Earth Day, biology and ecology students at West Liberty University are planting trees in public spaces from Wheeling to West Liberty to increase the quality of life in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Students planted two types of native flowering trees along a portion of the Heritage Trail along the … Read more
Officials with the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve say the expansion of the park’s annual wildflower event from one weekend to two months and from one park to many called for a name change. Formerly known as the “New River Gorge Wildflower Weekend,” the regional celebration of ecology in southern West Virginia has … Read more
During this Corona pandemic, silver linings aren’t that difficult to uncover. Take the air in our major cities: at no time in our industrial age has that air has been this clean. People talk about social distancing: we invented social distancing in West Virginia. With more than 25,000 square miles and fewer than 1.8 million … Read more
It’s been a long time coming, but there’s good news for fans of the renowned Hill Top House Hotel, the majestic destination in Harpers Ferry that opened its doors in 1888. More than 13 years after the decaying hotel shut down, town officials have signed off on agreements that business owners and others here say … Read more
In the market for a new home? The Victorian mansion built on the site of abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 hanging in Charles Town is up for grabs. The asking price for the historic Gibson-Todd House with its 113-foot turret, five bedrooms, stained glass windows, carriage house, and outdoor pool is $875,000. Carolyn Snyder, a Martinsburg … Read more
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice today announced the launch of the state’s premier remote-work program, aimed at recruiting outdoor enthusiast professionals to the Mountain State. Called “Ascend WV,” the program is being supported by West Virginia native and Intuit Chairman Brad D. Smith and his wife, Alys, and will allow adventurers to enjoy world-class recreation, … Read more
Officials with the West Virginia Division of Forestry are seeking information from the public regarding a wildfire that occurred in the Clay Run area of Coopers Rock State Forest near Morgantown, West Virginia. The cause of the fire is officially undetermined at this time. The division’s Special Operations Unit and Region 1 personnel are actively … Read more
Officials with the West Virginia Division of Forestry are reminding the public to be cautious throughout spring fire season and follow safe burning laws. Between January 1 and March 25, 2021, the division reported 312 fires, and nearly 3,000 acres burned. During the same period in 2020, the division counted 158 fires and 632 acres … Read more
Before we commence chatting about my favorite fern of all time, let’s get the nomenclature out of the way (nomenclature: a fancy, two-bit word for the name of the plant). We use a binomial system (binomial: a fancy two-bit word for two names) created by the Swedish naturalist and plant explorer Carolus von Linnaeus in … Read more
The spring 2021 semester at West Virginia University begins on January 19, and WVU officials are urging students and employees to exercise extreme caution. The largest university in the Mountain State, enrollment at its main campus in Morgantown usually exceeds 25,000 annually while more than 29,000 enrolled statewide, including those at its new southern campus … Read more
