West Virginia Explorer

Saint Marys, West Virginia

David Sibray walks through Saint Marys, one of the few remaining towns in the U.S. where freight trains share city streets with automotive traffic

Saint Marys is one of the few remaining towns in the U.S. where trains share a street with automotive traffic.


Saint Marys, WV (West Virginia), the county seat of Pleasants County, was chartered in 1815 and named in 1859 by its founder, Alexander H. Creel, in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

According to Creel, Mary appeared to him one night as the steamer upon which he was traveling passed the point on the Ohio River where he later established the town. The Cain House, which he built as a riverside inn and tavern, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A fish statue raised to angler and school principal Oran "Bull" Farren testifies to the community's attachment to the river.

At Saint Mary’s Marina, a fish statue raised to angler and school principal Oran “Bull” Farren testifies to the community’s attachment to the river.

Train tracks run down the middle of 2nd Street in the town, and freight trains running through the middle of downtown are a common sight. It is one of the few remaining towns in the U.S. where freight trains share city streets with automotive traffic.

The primary sources of employment are the healthcare and manufacturing sectors, though remote-work employment is quickly increasing. The city’s water recreation is attracting new residents. The population was 1,847 at the 2020 census.

Lodging near Saint Marys, West Virginia

Saint Marys (WV) Hotels

Parks & Recreation

A bridge at Saint Marys connects the mainland with Middle Island, part of the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

A bridge at Saint Marys connects the mainland with Middle Island.

Saint Marys and Pleasants County are renowned for their water recreation opportunities. The city is situated at the mouth of Middle Island Creek below Middle Island, the only island in the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge accessible by motor vehicle. A series of trails connects wildlife observation areas on the island.

Saint Marys operates a park and marina for small watercraft on “The Thoroughfare,” a waterway formed by the junction of Middle Island Creek and the Ohio River at Middle Island. Middle Island Creek and the waterway around the island are designated state water trails designed to accommodate kayaking.

Location

Saint Marys is located on highways WV-2  and WV-16 approximately three miles east of Belmont, West Virginia, 14 miles northwest of Ellenboro, West Virginia, 17 miles southwest of Sistersville, West Virginia, 20 miles east of Williamstown, West Virginia, and 15 miles northeast of the I-77 expressway at Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Map of Saint Marys, West Virginia

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Regional Information

Saint Marys is located in the Mid-Ohio Valley Region in northwestern West Virginia. The City of Saint Marys provides further information.


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