Communities

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.

Morning dawns on the West Virginia University Tech Campus in Beckley, West Virginia

Traffic to increase as new semester starts at WVU Tech in Beckley

As students and employees return to West Virginia University Tech’s new campus in Beckley, West Virginia, school administrators are alerting the community to increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic on and around campus. New students and their families will be moving into campus residence halls this weekend, according to Jen Wood Cunningham, director of university relations. … Read more

Students attend an Alderson Broaddus University meet-and-greet. Photo courtesy Alderson Broaddus.

Alderson Broaddus offers programs at Fairmont, Beckley, Charleston

Alderson Broaddus University will offer new bachelor’s degree programs in the Beckley, Fairmont, and Charleston areas this fall semester in conjunction with area community and technical colleges. Criminal Justice, Health Care Management, and Interdisciplinary Studies programs will be convenient to students in southern, northern, and western West Virginia, according to Dr. Jim Owston, assistant provost … Read more

A field of hemp in West Virginia greets the dawn.

2019 industrial hemp application period set to open

The application period for the state’s industrial hemp program will open September 1, 2019, according to officials at the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Those interested in growing industrial hemp for the 2020 growing season must submit an application and all required materials by September 30, 2019, to be considered for licensure, Commissioner of Agriculture … Read more

West Virginia Turnpike Ghosts

Safety on I-77 and W.Va. Turnpike priority for PSC

Commercial motor vehicle safety along the West Virginia Turnpike has been a priority for law enforcement agencies in recent months as the number of accidents—particularly accidents involving fatalities—has risen, according to an official at the W.Va. Public Service Commission. In a coordinated effort to increase safety for the West Virginia traveling public, transportation enforcement officers … Read more

Forty-eight bells, include a 2.96-ton bourdon, hang in the bell tower at Concord University.

Concord U. rated among most affordable online schools

Concord University has been recognized as one of the “Most Affordable Online Colleges” in the nation by Study.com. Concord is ranked at 29 among the 50 institutions named in the 2019 rankings recently published by the online learning platform. The university located at Athens, West Virginia, is the only West Virginia college or university that … Read more

Students learn programming in the classroom through WVU extension programs.

WVU partnership boosts computer science ed in rural W.Va.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—The West Virginia University Extension Service is boosting computer science education in rural communities across West Virginia through a partnership with Google and National 4-H. The two organizations recently announced a $6 million grant, which will help students across 20 states learn skills needed to approach problems in fundamentally different ways across discipline as … Read more