Ripley, West Virginia

Fireworks at Ripley, West Virginia

Ripley, West Virginia (WV), the county seat of Jackson County, was chartered in 1832 and named in honor of Harry Ripley, who drowned in Mill Creek in 1830. The community is renowned for its small-town character and as the home of the Mountain State Arts & Crafts Festival at nearby Cedar Lakes, a celebration which traditionally coincides with its July 4 celebration.

The last public hanging in West Virginia took place in Ripley in 1897, when John Morgan was hanged for murder. The spectacle prompted the state Legislature to ban public executions soon after. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have both spoken at Ripley.

Lodging near Ripley, West Virginia

Ripley (WV) Hotels

Parks & Public Recreation

The Cedar Lakes State Recreation Center and the Staats Mill Covered Bridge are located approximately three miles south of Ripley. Rollins Lake Wildlife Management Area and the near reaches of the Frozencamp Wildlife Management Area are located approximately four miles west of Ripley and eight miles east of Ripley, respectively. O’Brien Lake Wildlife Management Area is located six miles south of the community.

Location

Ripley is located on highway US-33 at the I-77 expressway approximately 40 miles north of Charleston, West Virginia, and 40 miles south of Parkersburg, West Virginia. Ravenswood, West Virgnia, is located 12 miles to the northwest; Spencer, West Virginia, 25 miles to the east.

Map of Ripley, West Virginia

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Regional Information

Ripley is located in the Mid-Ohio Valley Region in western West Virginia.