View source for West Virginia

{{short description|U.S. state}}
{{redirect2|WV|Mountain State||Western Virginia|and|Mountain States|and|WV (disambiguation)|and|West Virginia (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox U.S. state
| name = West Virginia
| image_flag = Flag of West Virginia.svg
| flag_link = Flag of West Virginia
| image_seal = {{Multiple image
| border=infobox
| width=100
| align=center
| direction=vertical
| image1=Seal of West Virginia.svg
| alt1=Seal of West Virginia (obverse)
| image2=Seal of West Virginia (Reverse).png
| alt2=Seal of West Virginia (reverse)
}}
| seal_link = Seal of West Virginia
| image_map = West Virginia in United States.svg
| nickname = Mountain State
| motto = {{nowrap|{{lang|la|[[Montani semper liberi]]}}}}<br />{{nowrap|(English: Mountaineers Are Always Free)}}{{force singular}}
| anthem = [[List of West Virginia state symbols#State songs|Four songs]]
| Former = Part of [[Virginia]]
| seat = [[Charleston, West Virginia|Charleston]]
| LargestCity = capital
| LargestCounty = [[Kanawha County, West Virginia|Kanawha]]
| LargestMetro = [[Charleston metropolitan area, West Virginia|Charleston–Huntington]] (combined)<br />[[Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area|Huntington]] (metro and urban)
| Governor = {{nowrap|[[Patrick Morrisey]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])}}
| Lieutenant Governor = [[Randy Smith (politician)|Randy Smith]] (R)
| Legislature = [[West Virginia Legislature]]
| Upperhouse = [[West Virginia Senate|Senate]]
| Lowerhouse = [[West Virginia House of Delegates|House of Delegates]]
| Judiciary = [[Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia]]
| Senators = {{nowrap|[[Shelley Moore Capito]] (R)}} <br />
{{nowrap|[[Jim Justice]] (R)}}
| Representative = {{nowrap|[[West Virginia's 1st congressional district|1]]: [[Carol Miller (politician)|Carol Miller]] (R)}}<br />{{nowrap|[[West Virginia's 2nd congressional district|2]]: [[Riley Moore]] (R)}}
| postal_code = WV
| TradAbbreviation = W.Va. and W.V.
| population_demonym = [[List of U.S. state residents names|West Virginian, Mountaineer]]
| area_rank = 41st
| area_total_sq_mi = 24,230
| area_total_km2 = 62,755
| area_land_sq_mi = 24,078
| area_land_km2 = 62,361
| area_water_sq_mi = 152
| area_water_km2 = 394
| area_water_percent = 0.6
| population_rank = 39th
| population_as_of = 2024
| 2010Pop = {{DecreaseNeutral}} 1,769,979<ref name="census.gov">{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/WV/PST045224|accessdate=January 9, 2025|title= United States Census Quick Facts West Virginia}}</ref>
| population_density_rank = 29th
| 2010DensityUS = auto
| 2010Density = 29.8
| MedianHouseholdIncome = {{Decrease}} ${{round|55948|-2}} (2<span>0</span>23)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/acsbr-023.pdf|title=Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2023|accessdate=January 12, 2025}}</ref>
| IncomeRank = [[List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income|49th]]
| AdmittanceOrder = 35th
| AdmittanceDate = {{start date and age|1863|06|20}}
| timezone1 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset1 = −05:00
| timezone1_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = −04:00
| Latitude = 37°12′ N to 40°39′ N
| Longitude = 77°43′ W to 82°39′ W
| width_mi = 130
| width_km = 210
| length_mi = 240
| length_km = 385
| elevation_max_point = [[Spruce Knob]]<ref>{{cite ngs|id=HW3570|designation=Spruce Knob Cairn 1956|access-date=October 24, 2011}}</ref><ref name=USGS>{{cite web |url=https://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |year=2001 |access-date=October 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|name=NAVD88|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]]}}
| elevation_max_ft = 4863
| elevation_max_m = 1482
| elevation_ft = 1,513
| elevation_m = 461
| elevation_min_point = [[Potomac River]] at {{nowrap|[[Virginia]] border}}<ref name=USGS />{{refn|group=note|name=NAVD88}}
| elevation_min_ft = 240
| elevation_min_m = 73
| iso_code = US-WV
| website = wv.gov
| OfficialLang = De jure: English
| Representatives = 
}}

'''West Virginia''' is a landlocked [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[Southern United States|Southern]] and [[Mid-Atlantic (United States)|Mid-Atlantic]] regions of the [[United States]].<ref group="note">The [[United States Census Bureau|Census Bureau]] and the [[Association of American Geographers]] classify West Virginia as part of the [[Southern United States]] while the [[Bureau of Labor Statistics]] classifies the state as a part of the [[Mid-Atlantic (United States)|Mid-Atlantic]] region "[https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/ Mid-Atlantic Home : Mid-Atlantic Information Office: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics"]. www.bls.gov. Archived.</ref> Mountainous, it is bordered by [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Maryland]] to the northeast, [[Virginia]] to the southeast, [[Kentucky]] to the southwest, and [[Ohio]] to the northwest. West Virginia is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|10th-smallest state by area]] and ranks as the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|12th-least populous state]], with a population of 1,769,979 residents.<ref name="census.gov"/> The capital and [[List of municipalities in West Virginia|most populous city]] is [[Charleston, West Virginia|Charleston]] with a population of 49,055.

West Virginia was admitted to the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] on June 20, 1863, and was a key [[Border states (American Civil War)|border state]] during [[American Civil War|the American Civil War]]. It separated from [[Virginia]] and was one of two states (along with [[Nevada]]) admitted to the Union during the Civil War. Some of its residents held slaves, but most were propertied farmers, and the delegates provided for the gradual abolition of slavery in the new state constitution. The state legislature abolished slavery in the state, and at the same time ratified the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|13th Amendment]] abolishing slavery nationally on February 3, 1865.

West Virginia's [[northern panhandle]] extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio to form a [[tri-state area|tristate area]], with [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling]], [[Weirton, West Virginia|Weirton]], and [[Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown]] just across the border from the [[Pittsburgh]] metropolitan area. [[Huntington, West Virginia|Huntington]] in the southwest is close to Ohio and Kentucky, while [[Martinsburg, West Virginia|Martinsburg]] and [[Harpers Ferry]] in the [[eastern panhandle]] region are considered part of the [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] metropolitan area, between Maryland and Virginia. West Virginia is often included in several U.S. geographical regions, including the Mid-Atlantic, the [[Upland South]], and the [[Southeastern United States]]. It is the only state entirely within the area served by the [[Appalachian Regional Commission]]; the area is commonly defined as "[[Appalachia]]".<ref name="ARC service area">{{cite web |url=http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=27 |title=Appalachian Region: Counties in Appalachia |publisher=Appalachian Regional Commission |access-date=November 13, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917184038/http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=27 |archive-date=September 17, 2008}}</ref>

The state is noted for its [[mountain]]s and rolling hills,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gtP82LEroSYC&pg=PA4 |page=4 |publisher=[[Gareth Stevens]] |author1=Justine Fontes |author2=Ron Fontes |title=West Virginia: The Mountain State|date=January 2, 2003 |isbn=9780836851632}}</ref> its historically significant [[coal mining]] and [[logging]] industries,<ref name="BritanEcon">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=West Virginia - Economy |author= |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |date= |access-date=November 3, 2023 |url= https://www.britannica.com/place/West-Virginia/Economy}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Railroad Came to the Highlands to Speed Major Tree Harvesting |date=June 27, 1965 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times/134552447/ |work=Asheville Citizen-Times |page=84}}</ref> and its [[Political history|political]] and [[labor history (discipline)|labor history]]. It is also known for its tourism<ref name="BritanEcon"/> and a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including [[skiing]], [[whitewater rafting]], [[fishing]], [[hiking]], [[backpacking (wilderness)|backpacking]], [[mountain biking]], [[rock climbing]], and [[hunting]]. From the [[Great Depression]] to the 1990s, the state voted heavily for the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] due to its tradition of union-based politics. Since then, the state has become heavily [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], and is considered a [[Red states and blue states|"deep red"]] state at the federal level.<ref name="slate.com" /> West Virginia consistently ranks among the lowest U.S. states in terms of health outcomes, life expectancy, education, and economic factors.<ref name="US Health Map" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Knisely |first=Amelia Ferrell |date=2024-06-11 |title=WV ranks near bottom of country for education outcomes as childhood poverty increases, data shows • West Virginia Watch |url=https://westvirginiawatch.com/2024/06/11/wv-ranks-near-bottom-of-country-for-education-outcomes-as-childhood-poverty-increases-data-shows/ |access-date=2025-06-26 |website=West Virginia Watch |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of West Virginia}}

Many ancient manmade earthen mounds from various prehistoric [[Mound builder (people)|mound builder cultures]] survive in West Virginia, especially in the areas of present-day [[Moundsville, West Virginia|Moundsville]], [[South Charleston, West Virginia|South Charleston]], and [[Romney, West Virginia|Romney]]. Artifacts uncovered in these give evidence of village societies with a tribal trade system culture that crafted [[cold forming|cold-worked]] [[copper]] pieces.

In the 1670s, during the [[Beaver Wars]], the powerful [[Iroquois]], five allied nations based in present-day New York and Pennsylvania, drove out other Native American tribes from the region to reserve the upper [[Ohio Valley]] as a hunting ground. [[Siouan language]] tribes, such as the [[Moneton]], had previously been among the earliest recorded in the area. Conflicts with European settlers resulted in various displaced Native tribes settling in West Virginia, where they were known as ''Mingo'', meaning "remote affiliates of the Iroquois Confederacy".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jennings |first1=Francis |title=Review of ''A Country Between: The Upper Ohio Valley and Its Peoples, 1724-1774'' by Michael N. McConnell. |journal=The Journal of American History |date=December 1993 |volume=80 |issue=3 |pages=1056 |doi=10.2307/2080440|jstor=2080440 |issn = 0021-8723}}</ref>

The area now identified as West Virginia was contested territory among Anglo-Americans as well, with the colonies of [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Virginia]] claiming territorial rights under their colonial charters to this area before the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Some speculative land companies, such as the [[Vandalia Company]],<ref>[[Charles Henry Ambler]], "A History of West Virginia" p. 104.</ref> the [[Ohio Company]] and the [[Indiana Company]], tried but failed to legitimize their claims to land in parts of West Virginia and present-day [[Kentucky]]. This rivalry resulted in some settlers petitioning the Continental Congress to create a new territory called [[Westsylvania]]. With the federal settlement of the [[Yohogania County, Virginia|Pennsylvania and Virginia border dispute]], creating [[Kentucky County, Virginia]], Kentuckians "were satisfied [...] and the inhabitants of a large part of West Virginia were grateful."<ref>Charles H. Ambler. ''A History of West Virginia'', pp. 132–138</ref>

The [[British Crown]] considered the area of West Virginia part of its [[Virginia Colony]] from 1607 to 1776. The United States considered this area the western part of the state of [[Virginia]] (commonly called ''Trans-Allegheny Virginia'') from 1776 to 1863, before West Virginia's formation. Its residents were discontented for years with their position in Virginia, as the government was dominated by the [[planter class|planter elite]] of the [[Tidewater (region)|Tidewater]] and [[Piedmont region of Virginia|Piedmont]] areas. The legislature had electoral malapportionment, based on the counting of slaves toward regional populations, and western white residents were underrepresented in the state legislature. More subsistence and established farmers lived in the west, and they were generally less supportive of slavery, although many counties were divided on their support. Residents of that area became more sharply divided after the planter elite of eastern Virginia voted to secede from the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] during the Civil War.

Residents of the western and northern counties set up a separate government under [[Francis Harrison Pierpont|Francis Pierpont]] in 1861, which they called the [[Restored Government of Virginia|Restored Government]]. Most voted to separate from Virginia, and the new state was admitted to the Union in 1863. In 1864 a state constitutional convention drafted a constitution, which was ratified by the legislature without putting it to popular vote. West Virginia abolished [[slavery]] by a gradual process and temporarily [[Disfranchisement|disenfranchised]] those who had fought for the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] or held Confederate office.

West Virginia's history has been profoundly affected by its mountainous terrain, numerous and vast river valleys, and rich natural resources. These were all factors driving its economy and the lifestyles of its residents, who tended to live in many small, relatively isolated communities in the mountain valleys.

===Prehistory===
{{further|Prehistory of West Virginia|Protohistory of West Virginia}}

A 2010 analysis of a local [[stalagmite]] revealed that Native Americans were burning forests to clear land as early as 100{{nbsp}}BCE.<ref>{{cite web |last=Thier |first=David |date=April 18, 2010 |title=W.Va. Stalagmite Points to Surprising Carbon Footprint |website=Science |publisher=aolnews.com |url=http://www.aolnews.com/science/article/wva-stalagmite-points-to-surprising-carbon-footprint/19443425 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420094810/http://www.aolnews.com/science/article/wva-stalagmite-points-to-surprising-carbon-footprint/19443425 |archive-date=April 20, 2010}}</ref> Some regional late-prehistoric [[Eastern Woodland]] tribes were more involved in hunting and fishing, practicing the [[Eastern Agricultural Complex]] gardening method which used fire to clear out underbrush from certain wooded areas. Another group progressed to the more time-consuming, advanced companion crop fields method of gardening. Also continuing from the ancient [[Indigenous people]] of the state, they cultivated [[tobacco]] through to early historic times. It was used in numerous social and religious rituals.

"[[Maize]] (corn) did not make a substantial contribution to the diet until after 1150 [[Before Present|BP]]", to quote Mills (OSU 2003).{{full citation needed|date=August 2016}} Eventually, tribal villages began depending on corn to feed their [[turkey (bird)|turkey]] flocks, as Kanawha Fort Ancients practiced bird [[husbandry]]. The local Natives made cornbread and a flat rye bread called "bannock" as they emerged from the protohistoric era. A horizon extending from a little before the early 18th century is sometimes called the acculturating ''Fireside Cabin culture''. Trading posts were established by European traders along the [[Potomac River|Potomac]] and [[James River|James rivers]].

Tribes that inhabited West Virginia as of 1600 were the Siouan [[Monongahela Culture]] to the north, the [[Fort Ancient]] culture along the Ohio River from the Monongahela to Kentucky and extending an unknown distance inland,<ref name="ReferenceA">Ellis, Laura Elizabeth "Investigating the Orchard Site: A Protohistoric Fort AncientSite in West Virginia" 2015</ref> and the Eastern Siouan [[Tutelo]] and [[Moneton]] tribes in the southeast. There was also the Iroquoian [[Susquehannock]] in the region approximately east of the Monongahela River and north of the Monongahela National Forest, a possible tribe called the Senandoa, or Shenandoah, in the Shenandoah Valley and the easternmost tip of the state may have been home to the [[Manahoac]] people. The Monongahela may have been the same as a people known as the Calicua, or Cali.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} The following may have also all been the same tribe—Moneton, Moheton, Senandoa, Tomahitan.

During the Beaver Wars, other tribes moved into the region. The Iroquoian Tiontatecaga (also Little Mingo, Guyandotte)<ref>Franquelin, Jean Baptiste Louis. "Franquelin's map of Louisiana". LOC.gov. Retrieved August 17, 2017.</ref> seem to have split off from the Petun after they were defeated by the Iroquois. They eventually settled somewhere between the Kanawha and Little Kanawha Rivers. During the 1750s, when the Mingo Seneca seceded from the Iroquois and returned to the Ohio River Valley, they contend that this tribe merged with them. The [[Shawnee]] arrived as well; though primarily stationed within former Monongahela territory approximately until 1750, they extended their influence throughout the Ohio River region. They were West Virginia's last Native tribe and were driven out by the United States during the Shawnee Wars (1811–1813). The Erie, who were chased out of Ohio around 1655, are now believed to be the same as the [[Westo]], who invaded as far as South Carolina before being destroyed in the 1680s. If so, their path would have brought them through West Virginia. The historical movement of the Tutelo<ref>"Discoveries of John Lederer," reprinted by O.H. Harpel, Cincinnati (1879)</ref> and carbon dating of the Fort Ancients seem to correspond with the given period of 1655–1670 as the time of their removal.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The Susquehannocks were original participants in the Beaver Wars but were cut off from the Ohio River by the Iroquois around 1630 and found themselves in dire straits. Suffering from disease and constant warfare and unable to provide for themselves financially, they began to collapse and moved further and further east, to the Susquehanna River of Eastern Pennsylvania.<ref>Jennings, Francis "Glory, Death & Transfiguration: The Susquehannock Natives in the 17th Century" 1968</ref> The Manahoac were probably forced out in the 1680s when the Iroquois began to invade Virginia.<ref>"Lambreville to Bruyas Nov. 4,1696" N.Y. Hist. Col. Vol. III, p. 484</ref> The Siouan tribes there moved into [[North Carolina]] and later returned as one tribe, known as the Eastern Blackfoot, or Christannas.<ref>Lawson's "History of Carolina" reprinted by Stroller & Marcom. Raleigh, 1860, p. 384</ref>

The Westo did not secure the territory they conquered. Even before they were gone, displaced natives from the south flooded into freshly conquered regions and took them over.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cherokeelessons.com/pdf/Cherokee%20Lessons%20978-0-557-68640-7.pdf\|title=Cherokee Lessons Introductory Edition}}</ref> These became known as the Shattaras, or West Virginia Cherokees. They took in and merged with the Monetons, who began to call themselves the Mohetons. The Calicua also began to call themselves Cherokees soon after, showing an apparent further merger. These Shattaras were closely related to the tribes that formed to the south in the aftermath of the Westo—the Yuchi and Cherokee. From 1715 to 1717, the Yamasee War sprang up. The Senandoa allegedly sided with the Yuchi and were destroyed by Yamasee allies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://peopleofonefire.com/the-shenandoah-valley-of-virginia-its-secret-native-american-history.html|title=The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia . . . its Secret Native American History|work=People of One Fire |date=October 23, 2016|access-date=March 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301140738/https://peopleofonefire.com/the-shenandoah-valley-of-virginia-its-secret-native-american-history.html|archive-date=March 1, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Therefore, if the Senandoa were the same tribe as the Moneton, this would mean the collapse of Shattara-Moneton culture. Another tribe that appeared in the region was the Canaragay, or Kanawha.<ref>Mooney 1894:7–8.</ref> It later migrated to Maryland and merged into colonial culture.

===European exploration and settlement===
{{Main|Colony of Virginia|French and Indian War|Treaty of Paris (1763)|Indian Reserve (1763)|American Revolutionary War|Lee Resolution|United States Declaration of Independence|Treaty of Paris (1783)}}
[[File:Col. Thomas Lee.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Thomas Lee (Virginia colonist)|Thomas Lee]], the first manager of the [[Ohio Company]] of Virginia]]

In 1671, General [[Abraham Wood]], at the direction of Royal Governor [[William Berkeley (governor)|William Berkeley]] of the [[Virginia Colony]], sent a party from [[Fort Henry, Virginia|Fort Henry]] led by Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam to survey this territory. They were the first Europeans recorded as discovering [[Glen Ferris, West Virginia|Kanawha Falls]]. Some sources state that Governor [[Alexander Spotswood]]'s 1716 [[Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition]] (for which the state's Golden Horseshoe Competition for 8th graders is named) had penetrated as far as [[Pendleton County, West Virginia|Pendleton County]], but modern historians interpret the original accounts of the excursion as suggesting that none of the expedition's horsemen ventured much farther west of the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] than [[Harrisonburg, Virginia]]. John Van Metre, a Native trader, penetrated into the northern portion in 1725. The same year, [[Germans|German]] settlers from Pennsylvania founded New Mecklenburg, the present [[Shepherdstown, West Virginia|Shepherdstown]], on the [[Potomac River]], and others followed.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=562}}

King [[Charles II of England]], in 1661, granted to a company of gentlemen the land between the Potomac and [[Rappahannock River|Rappahannock]] rivers, known as the [[Northern Neck]]. [[Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron]] ultimately took possession of this grant, and in 1746 a [[Fairfax Stone|stone]] was erected at the source of the [[North Branch Potomac River]] to mark his grant's western limit. [[George Washington]] surveyed a considerable part of this land between 1748 and 1751. His diary recorded that there were already many squatters, largely of German origin, along the [[South Branch Potomac River]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=562–563}}

[[Christopher Gist]], a surveyor in the employ of the first [[Ohio Company]], which was composed chiefly of Virginians, explored the country along the [[Ohio River]] north of the mouth of the [[Kanawha River]] between 1751 and 1752. The company sought to have a 14th colony established with the name "[[Vandalia (colony)|Vandalia]]". Many settlers crossed the mountains after 1750, though they were hindered by Native American resistance. Few Native Americans lived permanently within the state's present limits, but the region was a common hunting ground, crossed by many trails. During the [[French and Indian War]] (the North American front of the Seven Years' War in Europe),Native allies of the French nearly destroyed the scattered British settlements.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}}

Shortly before the [[American Revolutionary War]], in 1774 Crown Governor of Virginia [[John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore]], led a force over the mountains. A body of militia under [[Andrew Lewis (soldier)|then-Colonel Andrew Lewis]] dealt the [[Shawnee Natives]], under [[Cornstalk (Shawnee leader)|Hokoleskwa]] (or "Cornstalk"), a crushing blow during the [[Battle of Point Pleasant]] at the junction of the Kanawha and the Ohio rivers.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}} At the Treaty of Camp Charlotte concluding [[Dunmore's War]], Cornstalk agreed to recognize the Ohio River as the new boundary with the "[[Long Knives]]". But by 1776 the Shawnee returned to war, joining the [[Chickamauga Cherokee|Chickamauga]], a band of [[Cherokee]] known for the area where they lived.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}} Native American attacks on settlers continued until after the [[American Revolutionary War]]. During the war, the settlers in western Virginia were generally active [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Whigs]]; many served in the [[Continental Army]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}} [[Claypool's Rebellion]] of 1780–1781, in which a group of men refused to pay taxes to the Continental Army, showed war-weariness in what became West Virginia.

===Trans-Allegheny Virginia===
{{Main|Vandalia (colony)|Westsylvania}}
{{See also|History of slavery in West Virginia}}
[[File:Westsylvaniamap.png|right|thumb|State of Westsylvania proposed to the U.S. Congress]]

Social conditions in western Virginia were entirely unlike those in the eastern part. The population was not homogeneous, as a considerable part of the immigration came by way of Pennsylvania and included Germans, Protestant [[Scotch-Irish American|Scotch-Irish]], and settlers from states farther north. Counties in the east and south were settled mostly by eastern Virginians. During the American Revolution, the movement to create a state beyond the [[Allegheny Mountains|Alleghenies]] was revived and a petition for the establishment of "[[Westsylvania]]" was presented to [[United States Congress|Congress]], on the grounds that the mountains presented an almost impassable barrier to the east. The rugged terrain made slavery unprofitable, and time only increased the social, political, economic, and cultural differences (''see'' [[Tuckahoes and Cohees]]) between Virginia's two sections.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}}

In 1829, a constitutional convention met in Richmond to consider reforms to Virginia's outdated constitution. [[Philip Doddridge (Virginia politician)|Philip Doddridge]] of Brooke County championed the cause of western Virginians who sought a more democratic frame of government,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Richards |first=Samuel J. |date=Fall 2019 |title=Reclaiming Congressman Philip Doddridge from Tidewater Cultural Imperialism |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/739985|journal=West Virginia History: A Journal of Regional Studies |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=1–26 |doi=10.1353/wvh.2019.0019|s2cid=211648744|issn=1940-5057|url-access=subscription }}</ref> but western reforms were rejected by leaders from east of the [[Allegheny Mountains|Alleghenies]] who "clung to political power in an effort to preserve their plantation lifestyles dependent on enslaving blacks".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Richards |first=Samuel J. |date=Fall 2019 |title=Reclaiming Congressman Philip Doddridge from Tidewater Cultural Imperialism |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/739985|journal=West Virginia History: A Journal of Regional Studies |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=7 |doi=10.1353/wvh.2019.0019|s2cid=211648744|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Virginia leaders maintained a property qualification for [[suffrage]], effectively disenfranchising poorer farmers in the west whose families did much of the farm work themselves. In addition, the [[Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830|1829–30 convention]] gave slaveholding counties the benefit of three-fifths of their slave population in apportioning the state's representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a result, every county west of the Alleghenies except one voted to reject the constitution, which nevertheless passed because of eastern support.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}} The eastern planter elite's failure to make constitutional reforms exacerbated existing east–west sectionalism in Virginia and contributed to its division.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Sectionalism in Virginia from 1776–1861 |last=Ambler |first=Charles H. |publisher=Russell & Russell |year=1964 |location=New York}}</ref>

The [[Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850|Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850–51]], the Reform Convention, addressed a number of issues important to western Virginians. It extended the vote to all white males 21 years or older. The governor, lieutenant governor, the judiciary, sheriffs, and other county officers were to be elected by public vote. The General Assembly's composition was changed. Representation in the House of Delegates was apportioned based on the census of 1850, counting whites only. The Senate representation was arbitrarily fixed at 50 seats, with the west receiving 20 senators and the east 30. This was made acceptable to the west by a provision that required the General Assembly to reapportion representation based on the white population in 1865, or else put the matter to a public referendum. But the east also gave itself a tax advantage in requiring a property tax at true and actual value, except for slaves. Slaves under age 12 were not taxed and slaves over that age were taxed at only $300, a fraction of their true value, but small farmers had all their assets, animals, and land taxed at full value. Despite this tax and the lack of [[internal improvements]] in the west, the vote was 75,748 for and 11,063 against the new constitution. Most of the opposition came from delegates from eastern counties, who did not like the compromises made for the west.<ref>Charles H. Amber, ''A History of West Virginia'', pp. 276–79.</ref>

Given these differences, many in the west had long contemplated a separate state. In particular, men such as lawyer [[Francis H. Pierpont]] from Fairmont had long chafed under the Tidewater and Piedmont slaveholders' political dominance. In addition to differences over slavery, he and allies felt the Virginia government ignored and refused to spend funds on needed internal improvements in the west, such as turnpikes and railroads.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/the-birth-of-a-state/|title=The Birth of a State|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 16, 2012|access-date=July 27, 2012|author=Grady, John|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719220643/http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/the-birth-of-a-state/|archive-date=July 19, 2012}}</ref>

===Separation from Virginia===
{{Main|Ordinance of Secession|Wheeling Convention|Restored Government of Virginia|State of Kanawha|Admission to the Union|List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union|Border states (American Civil War)|West Virginia in the American Civil War}}
[[File:Map of Virginia with percentage of slave population within each county from 1860 Census, from- Proposed state of Kanawha (West Virginia) 1861 as first proposed (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Map of Virginia dated June 13, 1861, featuring the percentage of slave population within each county at the 1860 census and the proposed state of Kanawha]]
[[File:Harper's Ferry seen from Maryland side of Potomac River.jpg|thumb|left|[[Harpers Ferry]] alternated between Confederate and Union rule eight times during the [[American Civil War]], and was finally annexed by West Virginia.<ref>{{cite web | title = Harpers Ferry and the Civil War Chronology | publisher = National Park Service | date = July 24, 2019 | url = https://www.nps.gov/hafe/learn/historyculture/hf-civil-war.htm}}</ref>]]
[[File:October 24, 1861 county vote for West Virginia statehood.jpg|thumb|Votes by county in the October 1861 statehood vote]]West Virginia was the only state in the Union to separate from a Confederate state ([[Virginia]]) during the Civil War.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statehood12.html |title="Chapter Twelve "Reorganized Government of Virginia Approves Separation" |publisher=Wvculture.org |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407100928/http://www.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statehood12.html |archive-date=April 7, 2010}}</ref> In Richmond on April 17, 1861, the [[Virginia Secession Convention of 1861]] voted to secede from the Union, but of the 49 delegates from the northwestern corner (which ultimately became West Virginia) only 17 voted in favor of the [[Ordinance of Secession]], while 30 voted against<ref>A detailed list of delegate names and votes are located in Virgil Lewis' ''How West Virginia Was Made'', p. 30, and also Charles Ambler's ''A History of West Virginia'', 1933, p. 309. Missing from both lists, however, are the delegates for McDowell County, William P. Cecil and Samuel L. Graham, who also represented Tazewell and Buchanan counties, which are still part of Virginia. Both Cecil and Graham voted in favor of the Ordinance. See Pendleton, William C. ''History of Tazewell County and Southwest Virginia, 1748–1920'', Richmond, 1920, pp. 600, 603.</ref> (with two abstentions).<ref>Those not voting were Thomas Maslin of Hardy County and Benjamin Wilson of Harrison County. Ambler, Charles H. ''A History of West Virginia'', p. 309, footnote 32.</ref> Almost immediately after that vote, a mass meeting at [[Clarksburg, West Virginia|Clarksburg]] recommended that each county in northwestern Virginia send delegates to a convention to meet in [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling]] on May 13, 1861. When this First [[Wheeling Convention]] met, 425 delegates from 25 counties were present, though more than one-third of the delegates were from the northern panhandle area.<ref>J. McGregor "The Disruption of Virginia", p. 193.</ref> Soon there was a division of sentiment.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}}

Some delegates led by pro-Union slaveowner [[John S. Carlile]] favored the immediate formation of a new state, while others led by [[Waitman Willey]] argued that, as Virginia's secession had not yet been passed by the required referendum (as happened on May 23), such action would constitute revolution against the United States.{{refn|group=note|The [[United States Constitution]] provides that no state may be divided without its consent.}} The convention decided that if Virginians adopted the secession ordinance (of which there was little doubt), another convention including the members-elect of the legislature would meet in Wheeling in June 1861. On May 23, 1861, secession was ratified by a large majority in Virginia as a whole, but in the western counties 34,677 voted against and 19,121 voted for the ordinance.<ref>Richard O. Curry "A House Divided", p. 147.</ref>

The Second Wheeling Convention met as agreed on June 11 and declared that, since the Secession Convention had been called without popular consent, all its acts were void and all who adhered to it had vacated their offices.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}} The Wheeling Conventions, and the delegates themselves, were never actually elected by public ballot to act on behalf of western Virginia.<ref>C. Ambler "The History of West Virginia", p. 318.</ref> Of its 103 members, 33 had been elected to the Virginia General Assembly<ref>Virgil Lewis "How West Virginia Was Made" pp. 79–80.</ref> on May 23. This included some hold-over state senators whose four-year terms had begun in 1859, and some who vacated their offices to convene in Wheeling. Other members "were chosen even more irregularly—some in mass meetings, others by county committee, and still others were seemingly self-appointed".<ref>Charles Ambler "The History of West Virginia", p. 318.</ref> An act for the reorganization of the government was passed on June 19. The next day, convention delegates chose [[Francis H. Pierpont]] as governor of Virginia and elected other officers to a rival state government and two U.S. senators (Willey and Carlile) to replace secessionists before adjourning. The federal government promptly recognized the new government and seated the two new senators. Thus there were two state governments in Virginia: one pledging allegiance to the United States and one to the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}}

The second Wheeling Convention had recessed until August 6, then reassembled on August 20 and called for a popular vote on the formation of a new state and for a convention to frame a constitution if the vote were favorable. In the October 24, 1861, election, 18,408 votes were cast for the new state and 781 against.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}} The election results were questioned since the Union army then occupied the area and Union troops were stationed at many of the polls to prevent Confederate sympathizers from voting.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://archive.wvculture.org/history/archives/statehoo.html |title=West Virginia Statehood |publisher=Wvculture.org |access-date=November 21, 2024}}</ref> This was also election day for local offices, and elections were also held in camps of Confederate soldiers, who elected rival state officials, such as [[Robert E. Cowan]]. Most pro-statehood votes came from 16 counties around the northern panhandle.<ref>Richard O. Curry ''A House Divided'', pp. 141–152.</ref> Over 50,000 votes had been cast on the Ordinance of Secession, yet the vote on statehood garnered little more than 19,000.<ref>Richard O. Curry "A House Divided", pp. 149–150</ref> In Ohio County, home to Wheeling, only about a fourth of the registered voters cast votes.<ref>Richard O. Curry "A House Divided", p. 149</ref> In most of what would become West Virginia, there was no vote at all, as two-thirds of the territory of West Virginia had voted for secession, and county officers remained loyal to Richmond. Votes recorded from pro-secession counties were mostly cast elsewhere by Unionist refugees from these counties.<ref>Richard O. Curry ''A House Divided'', p. 86.</ref>

Despite that controversy, delegates (including many Methodist ministers) met to write a constitution for the new state, beginning on November 26, 1861. During that constitutional convention, a Mr. Lamb of Ohio County and a Mr. Carskadon claimed that in Hampshire County, out of 195 votes only 39 were cast by citizens of the state; the rest were cast illegally by Union soldiers.<ref>J. McGregor. ''The Disruption of Virginia'', p. 270.</ref> One of the key figures was [[Gordon Battelle (minister)|Gordon Battelle]], who also represented Ohio County, and who proposed resolutions to establish public schools, as well as to limit the movement of slaves into the new state, and to gradually abolish slavery. The education proposal succeeded, but the convention tabled the slavery proposals before finishing its work on February 18, 1862. The new constitution was more closely modeled on Ohio's than Virginia's, adopting a township model of government rather than the "[[courthouse clique]]s" of Virginia which Carlile criticized, and a compromise demanded by the Kanawha region (Charleston lawyers Benjamin Smith and Brown) allowed counties and municipalities to vote subsidies for railroads or other improvement organizations.<ref>Williams p. 80.</ref> The resulting instrument was ratified (18,162 for and 514 against) on April 11, 1862.

[[File:WVSlaveBroadside.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Fugitive slaves in the United States|Escaped slave]] broadside, [[Hampshire County, West Virginia|Hampshire County]], West Virginia, 1845]]
On May 13, 1862, the state legislature of the reorganized government approved the formation of the new state. An application for admission to the Union was made to Congress, introduced by Senator [[Waitman Willey]] of the Restored Government of Virginia. Carlile sought to sabotage the bill, first trying to expand the new state's boundaries to include the Shenandoah Valley, and then to defeat the Willey amendment at home.<ref>John Alexander Williams, West Virginia: A Bicentennial History (W.W. Norton 1976), p. 78</ref> On December 31, 1862, President [[Abraham Lincoln]] approved an enabling act admitting West Virginia on the condition that a provision for the gradual abolition of slavery be inserted in its constitution{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}} (as Battelle had urged in the ''Wheeling Intelligencer'' and also written to Lincoln). While many felt West Virginia's admission as a state was both illegal and unconstitutional, Lincoln issued his ''Opinion on the Admission of West Virginia'' finding that "the body which consents to the admission of West Virginia is the Legislature of Virginia", and that its admission was therefore both constitutional and expedient.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/history/statehood/lincolnopinion.html |title=Opinion of Abraham Lincoln on the Admission of West Virginia |publisher=Wvculture.org |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413111858/http://www.wvculture.org/HiStory/statehood/lincolnopinion.html |archive-date=April 13, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Aunt Susan, a slave woman tending a white baby.png|thumb|upright|A slave woman tending to a white baby in West Virginia, 1865]]
The convention was reconvened on February 12, 1863, and the abolition demand of the federal enabling act was met. The revised constitution was adopted on March 26, 1863, and on April 20, 1863, Lincoln issued a proclamation admitting the state 60 days later on June 20, 1863. Meanwhile, officers for the new state were chosen, while Pierpont moved his pro-Union Virginia capital to Union-occupied [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], where he asserted and exercised jurisdiction over all the remaining Virginia counties within the federal lines.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}}

The question of the constitutionality of the formation of the new state was later brought before the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in ''[[Virginia v. West Virginia (1871)|Virginia v. West Virginia]].'' [[Berkeley County, West Virginia|Berkeley]] and [[Jefferson County, West Virginia|Jefferson]] counties, lying on the Potomac east of the mountains, voted in favor of annexation to West Virginia in 1863, with the consent of Virginia's reorganized government.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}}

Many voters of the strongly pro-secessionist counties were absent in the Confederate Army when the vote was taken and refused to acknowledge the transfer when they returned. The [[Virginia General Assembly]] repealed the act of secession and in 1866 brought suit against West Virginia asking the court to declare the counties part of Virginia, which would have made West Virginia's admission as a state unconstitutional. Meanwhile, on March 10, 1866, Congress passed a joint resolution recognizing the transfer.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}} The Supreme Court decided in West Virginia's favor in 1870.<ref>''[[Virginia v. West Virginia (1871)|Virginia v. West Virginia]]'', [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=case&court=us&vol=78&page=39 78 U.S. 39 (1870)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017180429/http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=case&court=us&vol=78&page=39 |date=October 17, 2010}}.</ref>

====Claims by Maryland====
The original charters for Maryland and Virginia were silent as to which branch of the upper Potomac was the boundary. This was settled by the 1785 [[Mount Vernon Conference]]. Nevertheless, when West Virginia seceded from Virginia, Maryland claimed West Virginia land north of the South Branch (all of [[Mineral County, West Virginia|Mineral]] and [[Grant County, West Virginia|Grant]] Counties and parts of [[Hampshire County, West Virginia|Hampshire]], [[Hardy County, West Virginia|Hardy]], [[Tucker County, West Virginia|Tucker]] and [[Pendleton County, West Virginia|Pendleton]] Counties). The Supreme Court rejected these claims in two separate decisions in 1910.<ref>''[[Maryland v. West Virginia]],'' {{ussc|217|1|1910}}</ref><ref>''Maryland v. West Virginia,'' {{ussc|217|577|1910}}</ref>

===In the Civil War===
{{Main|West Virginia in the American Civil War}}
During the Civil War, Union General [[George B. McClellan]]'s forces gained possession of the greater part of the territory in the summer of 1861, culminating at the [[Battle of Rich Mountain]], and Union control was never again seriously threatened. In 1863, General [[John D. Imboden]], with 5,000 Confederates, raided a considerable portion of the state and burned Pierpont's library, although Willey escaped their grasp. Bands of guerrillas burned and plundered in some sections, and were not entirely suppressed until the war ended.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}} The eastern panhandle counties were more affected by the war, with military control of the area repeatedly changing hands.

The area that became West Virginia actually furnished about an equal number of soldiers to the Union and Confederate armies,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/History/civwaran.html |title=Researching Your Civil War Ancestor |publisher=Wvculture.org |access-date=July 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707162340/http://www.wvculture.org/history/civwaran.html |archive-date=July 7, 2010}}</ref> about 22,000–25,000 each. In 1865, the Wheeling government found it necessary to strip voting rights from returning Confederates in order to retain control. James Ferguson, who proposed the law, said if it was not enacted he would lose the election by 500 votes.<ref>Charles Ambler. "Disfranchisement in West Virginia", Yale Review, 1905, p. 41.</ref> Confederates' property might also be confiscated, and in 1866 a constitutional amendment disfranchising all who had given aid and comfort to the Confederacy was adopted. The addition of the [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourteenth]] and [[Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fifteenth Amendments]] to the U.S. Constitution caused a reaction. The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic party]] secured control in 1870, and in 1871 the constitutional amendment of 1866 was abrogated. [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] had taken the first steps toward this change in 1870. On August 22, 1872, an entirely new constitution was adopted.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=563}}

Beginning in [[Reconstruction Era|Reconstruction]], and for several decades thereafter, the two states disputed the new state's share of the prewar Virginia government's debts, which had mostly been incurred to finance public infrastructure improvements, such as canals, roads, and railroads under the [[Virginia Board of Public Works]]. Virginians—led by former Confederate general [[William Mahone]]—formed a political coalition based upon this: the [[Readjuster Party]]. West Virginia's first constitution provided for the assumption of a part of the Virginia debt, but negotiations opened by Virginia in 1870 were fruitless, and in 1871 Virginia funded two-thirds of the debt and arbitrarily assigned the remainder to West Virginia.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=563–564}} The issue was [[Virginia v. West Virginia (1911)|finally settled in 1915]], when the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] ruled that West Virginia owed Virginia $12,393,929.50.<ref>Virginia v. West Virginia, 238 U.S. 202 (1915).</ref> The final installment of this sum was paid in 1939.

===Development of natural resources===
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2011}}
[[File:Trapper Boy.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Child labor]]er photographed by [[Lewis Hine]] in the coal mines of West Virginia, 1908]]
[[File:Farm Security Administration, Family of coal miner in West Virginia - NARA - 195846.tif|thumb|Family of a coal miner, {{Circa|1935}}]]
[[File:Saturday afternoon street scene. Welch, McDowell County, West Virginia. - NARA - 541004.jpg|thumb|left|Saturday afternoon street scene, [[Welch, West Virginia|Welch]], McDowell County, 1946]]

After [[Reconstruction era|Reconstruction]], the new 35th state benefited from the development of its mineral resources more than any other single economic activity.

[[Potassium nitrate|Saltpeter]] caves had been employed throughout Appalachia for munitions; the border between West Virginia and [[Virginia]] includes the "Saltpeter Trail", a string of [[limestone]] [[cave]]rns containing rich deposits of [[calcium nitrate]] which were rendered and sold to the government. The trail stretched from [[Pendleton County, West Virginia|Pendleton County]] to the western terminus of the route in the town of [[Union, Monroe County, West Virginia|Union]], [[Monroe County, West Virginia|Monroe County]]. Nearly half of these caves are on the West Virginia side, including [[Organ Cave]] and [[Haynes Cave]]. In the late 18th century, saltpeter miners in [[Haynes Cave]] found large animal bones in the deposits. These were sent by a local historian and frontier soldier Colonel John Stuart to [[Thomas Jefferson]]. The bones were named ''[[Megalonyx jeffersonii]]'', or great-claw, and became known as Jefferson's three-toed sloth. It was declared the official [[state fossil]] of West Virginia in 2008. The West Virginia official [[List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones|state rock]] is [[bituminous coal]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2009_SESSIONS/RS/BILLS/hcr37%20intr.htm |title=West Virginia House Concurrent Resolution No. 37, signed into law June 2009 |access-date=February 18, 2010 |publisher=State of West Virginia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616050623/http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2009_SESSIONS/RS/BILLS/hcr37%20intr.htm |archive-date=June 16, 2009}}</ref> and the official [[List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones|state gemstone]] is silicified Mississippian fossil Lithostrotionella coral.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvcommerce.org/travel/requestinformation/statefacts.aspx |title=State Facts |access-date=November 12, 2009 |publisher=State of West Virginia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105133724/http://www.wvcommerce.org/travel/requestinformation/statefacts.aspx |archive-date=November 5, 2009}}</ref>

The limestone also produced a useful [[quarry]] industry. Usually small, and softer, high-calcium seams were burned to produce industrial lime. This lime was used for agricultural and construction purposes; for many years a specific portion of the [[C & O Railroad]] carried limestone rock to [[Clifton Forge, Virginia]] as an industrial flux.

[[Salt]] mining had been underway since the 18th century, though it had largely played out by the time of the American Civil War, when the red salt of [[Kanawha County, West Virginia|Kanawha County]] was a valued commodity of first Confederate, and later Union, forces. In the years following, more sophisticated mining methods would restore West Virginia's role as a major producer of salt.

However, in the second half of the 19th century, there was an even greater treasure not yet developed: [[bituminous coal]]. It would fuel much of the [[Industrial Revolution]] in the U.S. and the steamships of many of the world's navies.

The residents (both Native Americans and early European settlers) had long known of the underlying coal, and that it could be used for heating and fuel. However, for a long time, "personal" or [[artisanal mining]] was the only practical development. After the War, with the new [[railroad]]s came a practical method to transport large quantities of coal to expanding U.S. and export markets. As the [[anthracite]] mines of northwestern New Jersey and Pennsylvania began to play out during this same time period, investors and industrialists focused new interest in West Virginia. [[Geologist]]s such as Dr. [[David T. Ansted]] surveyed potential coal fields and invested in land and early mining projects.

The completion of the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Railway]] (C&O) across the state to the new city of [[Huntington, West Virginia|Huntington]] on the [[Ohio River]] in 1872 opened access to the [[New River (West Virginia)|New River]] Coal Field. Soon, the C&O was building its huge [[coal pier]] at [[Newport News, Virginia]], on the large harbor of [[Hampton Roads]]. In 1881, the new Philadelphia-based owners of the former [[Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad]] (AM&O), which stretched across Virginia's southern tier from [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], had sights clearly set on West Virginia, where the owners had large landholdings. Their railroad was renamed [[Norfolk and Western]] (N&W), and a new railroad city was developed at [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]] to handle planned expansion. After its new president [[Frederick J. Kimball]] and a small party journeyed by horseback and saw firsthand the rich bituminous coal seam, which Kimball's wife named ''Pocahontas'', the N&W redirected its planned westward expansion to reach it. Soon, the N&W was also shipping from new coal piers at Hampton Roads.

In 1889, in the southern part of the state, along the Norfolk and Western rail lines, the important coal center of [[Bluefield, West Virginia]], was founded. The "capital" of the [[Pocahontas coalfield]], this city would remain the largest city in the southern portion of the state for several decades. It shares its name with a sister city, [[Bluefield, Virginia|Bluefield]], in Virginia.

In the northern portion of the state and elsewhere, the older [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]] (B&O) and other lines also expanded to take advantage of coal opportunities. The B&O developed coal piers in [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] and at several points on the [[Great Lakes]]. Other significant rail carriers of coal were the [[Western Maryland Railway]] (WM), [[Southern Railway (US)|Southern Railway]] (SOU), and the [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]] (L&N).

Particularly notable was a latecomer, the [[Virginian Railway]] (VGN). By 1900, only the most rugged terrain of southern West Virginia was any distance from the existing railroads and mining activity. Within this area west of the New River Coalfield in Raleigh and Wyoming counties lay the [[Winding Gulf Coalfield]], later promoted as the "Billion Dollar Coalfield".

A protégé of Dr. Ansted was [[William N. Page|William Nelson Page]] (1854–1932), a [[civil engineer]] and mining manager in [[Fayette County, West Virginia|Fayette County]]. Former West Virginia governor [[William A. MacCorkle]] described him as a man who knew the land "as a farmer knows a field". Beginning in 1898, Page teamed with northern and European-based investors to take advantage of the undeveloped area. They acquired large tracts of land in the area, and Page began the [[Deepwater Railway]], a [[short-line railroad]] chartered to stretch between the C&O at its line along the [[Kanawha River]] and the N&W at [[Matoaka, West Virginia|Matoaka]]—a distance of about {{convert|80|mi|km}}.

Although the Deepwater plan should have provided a competitive shipping market via either railroad, leaders of the two large railroads did not appreciate the scheme. In secret collusion, each declined to negotiate favorable rates with Page, nor did they offer to purchase his railroad, as they had many other short-lines. However, if the C&O and N&W presidents thought they could thus kill the Page project, they were to be proved mistaken. One of the [[Partnership|silent partner]] investors Page had enlisted was millionaire industrialist [[Henry H. Rogers|Henry Huttleston Rogers]], a principal in [[John D. Rockefeller]]'s [[Standard Oil Trust]] and an old hand at developing natural resources and transportation. A master at competitive "warfare", Henry Rogers did not like to lose in his endeavors and also had [[deep pocket|"deep pockets"]].

Instead of giving up, Page (and Rogers) quietly planned and then built their tracks all the way east across Virginia, using Rogers' private fortune to finance the $40&nbsp;million cost. When the renamed [[Virginian Railway]] (VGN) was completed in 1909, no fewer than three railroads were shipping ever-increasing volumes of coal to export from Hampton Roads. West Virginia coal was also in high demand at [[Great Lakes]] ports. The VGN and the N&W ultimately became parts of the modern [[Norfolk Southern]] system, and the VGN's well-engineered 20th-century tracks continue to offer a favorable gradient to Hampton Roads.

As coal mining and related work became major employment activities in the state, there was considerable labor strife as working conditions, safety issues and economic concerns arose. Even in the 21st century, mining safety and ecological concerns are still challenging to the state whose coal continues to power electrical generating plants in many other states.

Coal is not the only valuable mineral found in West Virginia, as the state was the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carat (6.896 g) [[Jones Diamond]].

==Geography==
{{Main|Environment of West Virginia}}
[[File:West Virginia geographic map-en.svg|thumb|West Virginia is situated in the [[Appalachian Mountains]], bounded by [[Allegheny Mountains]], [[Ohio River|Ohio]] and [[Big Sandy River (Ohio River tributary)|Big Sandy]] rivers, and the [[Cumberland Mountains]].]]

Located in the [[Appalachian Mountains]], West Virginia covers an area of {{convert|24,229.76|sqmi|km2}}, with {{convert|24,077.73|sqmi|km2}} of land and {{convert|152.03|sqmi|km2}} of water, making it the 41st-largest state in the United States.<ref>{{cite web| title=Land and Water Area of States, 2000| publisher=Information Please| year=2000| url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108355.html| access-date=July 7, 2010| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723112813/http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108355.html| archive-date=July 23, 2010}}</ref> West Virginia borders [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Maryland]] in the northeast, [[Virginia]] in the southeast, [[Ohio]] in the northwest, and [[Kentucky]] in the southwest. Its longest border is with Virginia at {{Convert|381|mi|km|abbr=}}, followed by Ohio at {{Convert|243|mi|km|abbr=}}, Maryland at {{Convert|174|mi|km|abbr=}}, Pennsylvania at {{Convert|118|mi|km|abbr=}}, and Kentucky at {{Convert|79|mi|km|abbr=}}.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.econ.umn.edu/~holmes/data/BORDLIST.html| title=Bordlist| website=umn.edu| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208094443/http://www.econ.umn.edu/~holmes/data/BORDLIST.html| archive-date=February 8, 2012}}</ref>

===Geology and terrain===
{{Main|Geology of West Virginia}}
[[File:WV plateau.jpg|right|thumb|Shaded relief map of the [[Cumberland Plateau]] and [[Ridge-and-valley Appalachians]]]]

West Virginia is located entirely within the Appalachian Region, and the state is almost entirely mountainous, giving the reason for the nickname ''The Mountain State'' and the motto ''Montani Semper Liberi'' ("Mountaineers are always free"). The elevations and ruggedness drop near large rivers like the Ohio River or [[Shenandoah River]]. About 75% of the state is within the [[Cumberland Plateau]] and [[Allegheny Plateau]] regions. Though the relief is not high, the plateau region is extremely rugged in most areas. The average elevation of West Virginia is approximately {{convert|1500|ft|m}} above sea level, which is the highest of any U.S. state east of the Mississippi River.

On the eastern state line with [[Virginia]], high peaks in the [[Monongahela National Forest]] region give rise to an island of colder [[climate]] and [[ecosystem]]s similar to those of northern [[New England]] and eastern Canada. The highest point in the state is atop [[Spruce Knob]], at {{convert|4863|ft|m}},<ref name=usgs>{{cite web|date=April 29, 2005 |url=https://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |access-date=November 9, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061102095332/http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=November 2, 2006}}</ref> and is covered in a [[boreal forest]] of dense [[spruce]] trees at altitudes above {{convert|4000|ft|m}}. Spruce Knob lies within the Monongahela National Forest and is a part of the [[Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf/sp/sksrnra.html |title=FS.fed.us |publisher=FS.fed.us |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001024720/http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf/sp/sksrnra.html |archive-date=October 1, 2009}}</ref> A total of six [[wilderness]] areas can also be found within the forest. Outside the forest to the south, the New River Gorge is a canyon {{convert|1000|ft|m}} deep, carved by the [[New River (Kanawha River)|New River]]. The [[National Park Service]] manages a portion of the gorge and river that has been designated as the [[New River Gorge National Park and Preserve]].

Other areas under protection and management include:
{| border="0"
|-
|valign="top"|
* [[Appalachian National Scenic Trail]]
* [[Bluestone National Scenic River]]
* [[Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge]]
* [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park]]
|valign="top"|
* [[Gauley River National Recreation Area]]
* [[George Washington National Forest]]
* [[Harpers Ferry National Historical Park]]
* [[Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge]]
|}
[[File:JudyRocks.JPG|thumb|[[Spruce Mountain (West Virginia)|Spruce Knob]] (in the distance) is the highest point in West Virginia and the [[Allegheny Mountains]].]]

Most of West Virginia lies within the [[Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests]] [[ecoregion]], while the higher elevations along the eastern border and in the panhandle lie within the [[Appalachian–Blue Ridge forests]]. The native [[vegetation]] for most of the state was originally mixed [[hardwood]] forest of oak, [[chestnut]], [[maple]], [[beech]], and [[Eastern white pine|white pine]], with [[willow]] and [[American sycamore]] along the state's waterways. Many of the areas are rich in [[biodiversity]] and scenic beauty, a fact appreciated by native West Virginians, who refer to their home as ''Almost Heaven'' (from the song "[[Take Me Home, Country Roads]]" by [[John Denver]]). Before the song, it was known as "The Cog State" (Coal, Oil, and Gas) or "The Mountain State".

The underlying rock strata are [[Paleozoic]] Era [[sandstone]]s, [[shale]]s, [[bituminous coal]] beds, and [[limestone]]s laid down in near-shore environments. The sandstones and shales were derived from [[sediment]]s eroded from former mountains to the east, then deposited in a shallow inland sea to the west. The limestones were derived from biomineralizing marine organisms such as calcareous algae, brachiopods, and crinoids. Coals were formed in coastal swamp environments, and deltaic environments formed near the mouths of ancient rivers. Sea level rose and fell many times during the [[Carboniferous]] Period ([[Mississippian age|Mississippian]] and [[Pennsylvanian (geology)|Pennsylvanian]] Subperiods), yielding a variety of rock [[stratum|strata]] that dominate the bedrock today. The [[Appalachian Mountains]], which are a major influence on the present-day geography of West Virginia, formed more than three hundred million years ago.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Coney | first1 = Peter J | year = 1970 | title = The Geotectonic Cycle and the New Global Tectonics | journal = Geological Society of America Bulletin | volume = 81 | issue = 3| pages = 739–748 | doi=10.1130/0016-7606(1970)81[739:tgcatn]2.0.co;2| bibcode = 1970GSAB...81..739C}} Abstract: "Mountain complexes result from irregular successions of tectonic responses due to sea-floor spreading, shifting lithosphere plates, transform faults, and colliding, coupled, and uncoupled continental margins."</ref>

The State Fossil of West Virginia is the giant ground sloth ''[[Megalonyx jeffersonii]],'' which lived during the [[Pleistocene]] Epoch (the most recent "Ice Age"). The genus was described by [[Thomas Jefferson]] in 1799 from remains collected in Haynes Cave, Monroe County, West Virginia.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Babcock |first=Loren E. |date=March 18, 2024 |title=Nomenclatural history of Megalonyx Jefferson, 1799 (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Pilosa, Megalonychidae) |journal=ZooKeys |issue=1195 |pages=297–308 |doi=10.3897/zookeys.1195.117999 |doi-access=free |issn=1313-2970 |pmc=10964019 |pmid=38532771|bibcode=2024ZooK.1195..297B}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jefferson |first=Thomas |date=1799 |title=A Memoir on the Discovery of Certain Bones of a Quadruped of the Clawed Kind in the Western Parts of Virginia |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1005103 |journal=Transactions of the American Philosophical Society |volume=4 |pages=246–260 |doi=10.2307/1005103|jstor=1005103|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1799, that area was considered to belong to the western part of the State of Virginia. ''Megalonyx'' was the first genus of fossil vertebrate animal named from the United States.<ref name=":1" />

===Climate===
{{Further|Climate change in West Virginia}}
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2011}}
[[File:Köppen Climate Types West Virginia.png|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] of West Virginia, using 1991–2020 [[Climatological normal|climate normals]]]]
{{climate chart|West Virginia state-wide averages
|22|39|3.3
|24|43|2.9
|32|53|3.8
|40|64|3.7
|50|73|4.4
|59|80|4.0
|64|83|4.2
|62|82|4.0
|56|76|3.4
|44|65|2.9
|35|54|3.5
|27|44|3.3
|float=right
|units=imperial
|source=<span style="font-size:98%">West Virginia University data</span>{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}
}}

The climate of West Virginia is generally a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa'', except ''Dfb'' at the higher elevations) with warm to hot, humid summers and chilly winters, increasing in severity with elevation. Some southern highland areas also have a mountain temperate climate (Köppen ''Cfb'') where winter temperatures are more moderate and summer temperatures are somewhat cooler. However, the weather is subject in all parts of the state to change. The [[hardiness zone]]s range from zone 5b in the central Appalachian Mountains to zone 7a in the warmest parts of the lowest elevations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-west-virginia-usda-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php |title=West Virginia USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |publisher=plantmaps.com |access-date=November 11, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209044026/http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-west-virginia-usda-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php |archive-date=December 9, 2010}}</ref>

In the eastern panhandle and the [[Ohio River]] valley, temperatures are warm enough to see and grow subtropical plants such as southern magnolia (''[[Magnolia grandiflora]]''), [[Lagerstroemia|crepe myrtle]], ''[[Albizia julibrissin]]'', [[American sweetgum]] and even the occasional [[needle palm]] and [[sabal minor]]. These plants do not thrive as well in other parts of the state. The [[eastern prickly pear]] grows well in many portions of the state.

Average January temperatures range from around 26&nbsp;°F (−4&nbsp;°C) near the [[Cheat River]] to 41&nbsp;°F (5&nbsp;°C) along sections of the border with Kentucky. July averages range from 67&nbsp;°F (19&nbsp;°C) along the [[North Branch Potomac River]] to 76&nbsp;°F (24&nbsp;°C) in the western part of the state. It is cooler in the mountains than in the lower sections of the state.<ref name="climates">{{cite web| title=West Virginia University data| url=http://www.health.wvu.edu/employment/live/clim_quickfacts.aspx |publisher=West Virginia University Health Office| access-date=July 7, 2010| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531095326/http://health.wvu.edu/employment/live/clim_quickfacts.aspx| archive-date=May 31, 2008}}</ref> The highest recorded temperature in the state is {{convert|112|F|C}} at [[Martinsburg, West Virginia|Martinsburg]] on July 10, 1936, and the lowest recorded temperature in the state is {{convert|-37|F|C}} at [[Lewisburg, West Virginia|Lewisburg]] on December 30, 1917.

Annual precipitation ranges from less than {{convert|32|in|mm}} in the lower eastern section to more than {{convert|56|in|mm}} in higher parts of the Allegheny Front. Valleys in the east have lower rainfall because the Allegheny mountain ridges to the west create a partial [[rain shadow]]. Slightly more than half the rainfall occurs from April to September. Dense fogs are common in many valleys of the [[Kanawha County, West Virginia|Kanawha]] section, especially the [[Tygart Valley]]. West Virginia is also one of the cloudiest states in the nation, with the cities of [[Elkins, West Virginia|Elkins]] and [[Beckley, West Virginia|Beckley]] ranking 9th and 10th in the U.S. respectively for the number of cloudy days per year (over 210). In addition to persistent cloudy skies caused by the damming of moisture by the Alleghenies, West Virginia also experiences some of the most frequent precipitation in the nation, with [[Snowshoe, West Virginia|Snowshoe]] averaging nearly 200 days a year with either rain or snow. Snow usually lasts only a few days in the lower sections but may persist for weeks in the higher mountain areas. An average of {{convert|34|in|mm}} of snow falls annually in Charleston, although during the winter of 1995–1996 more than three times that amount fell as several cities in the state established new records for snowfall. Average snowfall in the Allegheny Highlands can range up to {{convert|180|in|mm}} per year. Severe weather is somewhat less prevalent in West Virginia than in most other eastern states, and it ranks among the least tornado-prone states east of the Rockies.

===Flora and fauna===
{{Main|Fauna of West Virginia}}

===Major cities===
{{See also|List of municipalities in West Virginia|List of census-designated places in West Virginia}}

There are 232 incorporated municipalities in West Virginia. [[Charleston, West Virginia|Charleston]] is the state's [[capital city|capital]] and most populous city; the [[Charleston metropolitan area, West Virginia|Charleston metropolitan area]] has approximately 200,000 residents. The [[Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area]] is anchored by [[Huntington, West Virginia|Huntington]], the state's second-most populous city. Other metro areas in the state include [[Morgantown metropolitan area|Morgantown]], [[Wheeling metropolitan area|Wheeling]], [[Weirton–Steubenville metropolitan area|Weirton]], [[Beckley, West Virginia metropolitan area|Beckley]], and [[Parkersburg–Vienna metropolitan area|Parkersburg–Vienna]].<ref name="statejournal.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.statejournal.com/story/21756224/wv-metro-micro-area-boundaries-change |title=WV metro, micro area boundaries change - Business, Government Legal News from throughout WV |access-date=January 29, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126182512/http://www.statejournal.com/story/21756224/wv-metro-micro-area-boundaries-change |archive-date=January 26, 2016}}</ref> Other metropolitan areas that contain cities in West Virginia, but are primarily in other states include [[Cumberland metropolitan area|Cumberland, Maryland]]; [[Hagerstown metropolitan area|Hagerstown, Maryland]]; [[Washington metropolitan area|Washington, D.C.]]; and [[Winchester, VA–WV MSA|Winchester, Virginia]]. Another six cities function as the centers of [[micropolitan statistical area]]s, which are predominantly more rural: [[Bluefield, West Virginia|Bluefield]], [[Clarksburg, West Virginia|Clarksburg]], [[Elkins, West Virginia|Elkins]], [[Fairmont, West Virginia|Fairmont]], [[Logan, West Virginia|Logan]], and [[Point Pleasant micropolitan area|Point Pleasant]].<ref name="statejournal.com" />

Originally, the state capital was located in Wheeling, from 1863 to 1870. It was then moved to Charleston, a more central city, from 1870 to 1875, when it returned to Wheeling. In 1885, the capitol burned down and it was moved back to Charleston that year, where a vote was held to determine the permanent capital between Charleston, [[Clarksburg, West Virginia|Clarksburg]], and [[Martinsburg, West Virginia|Martinsburg]]. Charleston was selected, and it has remained the capital since.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/2341|title = Capital Cities|date = April 21, 2011|website = The West Virginia Encyclopedia|last = Bailey|first = Kenneth|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141015010219/http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/2341|archive-date = October 15, 2014}}</ref>

{{Largest cities
| country = West Virginia
| stat_ref = Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biggestuscities.com/wv|title=Biggest US Cities By Population - West Virginia - 2018 Population|date=March 4, 2020|publisher=Biggest US Cities|access-date=March 4, 2020}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| div_name =
| div_link = Counties of West Virginia{{!}}County
| city_1 = Charleston, West Virginia{{!}}Charleston
| div_1 = Kanawha County, West Virginia{{!}}Kanawha
| pop_1 = 47,215
| city_2 = Huntington, West Virginia{{!}}Huntington
| div_2 = Cabell County, West Virginia{{!}}Cabell
| pop_2 = 46,048
| city_3 = Morgantown, West Virginia{{!}}Morgantown
| div_3 = Monongalia County, West Virginia{{!}}Monongalia
| pop_3 = 30,955
| city_4 = Parkersburg, West Virginia{{!}}Parkersburg
| div_4 = Wood County, West Virginia{{!}}Wood
| pop_4 = 29,675
| city_5 = Wheeling, West Virginia{{!}}Wheeling
| div_5 = Ohio County, West Virginia{{!}}Ohio
| pop_5 = 26,771
| city_6 = Weirton, West Virginia{{!}}Weirton
| div_6 = Hancock County, West Virginia{{!}}Hancock
| pop_6 = 18,449
| city_7 = Fairmont, West Virginia{{!}}Fairmont
| div_7 = Marion County, West Virginia{{!}}Marion
| pop_7 = 18,411
| city_8 = Martinsburg, West Virginia{{!}}Martinsburg
| div_8 = Berkeley County, West Virginia{{!}}Berkeley
| pop_8 = 17,465
| city_9 = Beckley, West Virginia{{!}}Beckley
| div_9 = Raleigh County, West Virginia{{!}}Raleigh
| pop_9 = 16,183
| city_10 = Clarksburg, West Virginia{{!}}Clarksburg
| div_10 = Harrison County, West Virginia{{!}}Harrison
| pop_10 = 15,480
| city_11 = South Charleston, West Virginia{{!}}South Charleston
| div_11 = Kanawha County, West Virginia{{!}}Kanawha
| pop_11 = 12,240
| city_12 = Vienna, West Virginia{{!}}Vienna
| div_12 = Wood County, West Virginia{{!}}Wood
| pop_12 = 10,230
| city_13 = St. Albans, West Virginia{{!}}St. Albans
| div_13 = Kanawha County, West Virginia{{!}}Kanawha
| pop_13 = 10,069
| city_14 = Bluefield, West Virginia{{!}}Bluefield
| div_14 = Mercer County, West Virginia{{!}}Mercer
| pop_14 = 9,730
| city_15 = Bridgeport, West Virginia{{!}}Bridgeport
| div_15 = Harrison County, West Virginia{{!}}Harrison
| pop_15 = 8,681
| city_16 = Moundsville, West Virginia{{!}}Moundsville
| div_16 = Marshall County, West Virginia{{!}}Marshall
| pop_16 = 8,401
| city_17 = Oak Hill, West Virginia{{!}}Oak Hill
| div_17 = Fayette County, West Virginia{{!}}Fayette
| pop_17 = 8,218
| city_18 = Dunbar, West Virginia{{!}}Dunbar
| div_18 = Kanawha County, West Virginia{{!}}Kanawha
| pop_18 = 7,205
| city_19 = Elkins, West Virginia{{!}}Elkins
| div_19 = Randolph County, West Virginia{{!}}Randolph
| pop_19 = 7,026
| city_20 = Hurricane, West Virginia{{!}}Hurricane
| div_20 = Putnam County, West Virginia{{!}}Putnam
| pop_20 = 6,506
}}

==Demographics==
{{See also|African Americans in West Virginia}}
[[File:West Virginia population density 2020.png|thumb|upright=1.6|right|West Virginia population density 2020]]

{{US Census population
| 1790 = 55873
| 1800 = 78592
| 1810 = 105469
| 1820 = 136808
| 1830 = 176924
| 1840 = 224537
| 1850 = 302313
| 1860 = 376688
| 1870 = 442014
| 1880 = 618457
| 1890 = 762794
| 1900 = 958800
| 1910 = 1221119
| 1920 = 1463701
| 1930 = 1729205
| 1940 = 1901974
| 1950 = 2005552
| 1960 = 1860421
| 1970 = 1744237
| 1980 = 1949644
| 1990 = 1793477
| 2000 = 1808344
| 2010 = 1852994
| 2020 = 1793716
| estimate = 1769979
| estyear = 2024
| align-fn = center
| footnote = Source:1910–2020<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<br />2024<ref>{{Cite web |title=QuickFacts: West Virginia |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/WV | website=Census.gov | publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 20, 2024}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 United States]] census, West Virginia's population was 1,793,716, a 3.2% decrease from the [[2010 United States Census|2010 United States census]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/West_Virginia?g=0400000US54 |access-date=February 24, 2023 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> West Virginia's [[center of population]] is in [[Gassaway, West Virginia|Gassaway]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Population and Population Centers by State: 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 6, 2008|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080918020344/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt|archive-date=September 18, 2008}}</ref>

According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 1,375 [[Homelessness|homeless]] people in West Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf|title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Ethnic composition as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |title=Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census
 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 12, 2021 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 26, 2021}}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Alone
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White (non-Hispanic)]]
|align=right| {{bartable|89.1|%|2||background:gray}}
|align=right| {{bartable|93.0|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
| [[African Americans|African American (non-Hispanic)]]
|align=right| {{bartable|3.6|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|align=right| {{bartable|4.9|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]{{refn|Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.|group=note}}
|align=right| {{bartable}}
|align=right| {{bartable|1.9|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.8|%|2||background:purple}}
|align=right| {{bartable|1.2|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.2|%|2||background:gold}}
|align=right| {{bartable|2.0|%|2||background:gold}}
|-
| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.02|%|2||background:pink}}
|align=right| {{bartable|0.1|%|2||background:pink}}
|-
| Other
|align=right| {{bartable|0.3|%|2||background:brown}}
|align=right| {{bartable|1.0|%|2||background:brown}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ '''West Virginia Racial Breakdown of Population'''
|-
! Racial composition
! 1990<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html|archive-date=July 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725044857/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html|url-status=dead |title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States}}</ref>
! 2000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://censusviewer.com/|title=แทงบอลออนไลน์ UFABET เว็บตรง อันดับ 1 บอล 4 ตังค์ สมัครออโต้|website=แทงบอลออนไลน์ UFABET เว็บตรงอันดับ 1 ที่ดีที่สุด}}</ref>
! 2010<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html|title=US Census Bureau 2010 Census |website=census.gov}}</ref>
!2020<ref name="2020DP1">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=040XX00US54 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): West Virginia |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 17, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[white American|White]] || 96.2% || 95.0% || 93.9% || 89.8%
|-
| [[African American|Black]] || 3.1% || 3.2% || 3.4% || 3.7%
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]] || 0.4% || 0.5% || 0.7% || 0.8%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native]] || 0.1% || 0.2% || 0.2% || 0.2%
|-
| [[Native Hawaiian]] and<br />[[Pacific Islander|other Pacific Islander]] || – || – || – || -
|-
| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Other race]] || 0.1% || 0.2% || 0.3% || 0.7%
|-
| [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]] || – || 0.9% || 1.5% || 4.7%
|}

As of 2019, West Virginia has an estimated population of 1,792,147, which is a decrease of 10,025 (0.55%) from the prior year and a decrease of 47,162 (2.55%) since the previous census.<ref name="data.census.gov">{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profilechartwidget?geoID=0400000US54&metricFormat=percent&topic=Race&type=bar|access-date=January 21, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> This includes a natural decrease of 3,296 (108,292 births minus 111,588 deaths) and an increase from net [[Human migration|migration]] of 14,209 into the state. West Virginia is the least populous [[Southeastern United States|southeastern state]]. [[Immigration to the United States|Immigration]] from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 3,691, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 10,518.

In 2018, the top countries of origin for West Virginia's immigrants were [[Mexico]], [[China]], [[India]], the [[Philippines]] and [[Germany]]. Only 1.6% of the state's residents were foreign-born, placing West Virginia last among the 50 states in that statistic. It also has the lowest percentage of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2.6%).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_west_virginia.pdf|title=Immigrants in West Virginia}}</ref>

The five largest ancestry groups in West Virginia according to the American Community Survey are: 22% [[Ethnic American|American]], 17% [[English American|English]], 13% [[German American|German]], 10% [[Irish American|Irish]], and 4% [[Italian American|Italian]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2022.B04004?q=B04004:%20People%20Reporting%20Single%20Ancestry&g=040XX00US54|title=People Reporting Single Ancestry |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 2022 |website= census.gov|publisher= United States Census Bureau|access-date= June 12, 2024|quote=}}</ref>

Large numbers of people of [[Germans|German]] ancestry are present in the northeastern counties of the state. People of [[English American|English]] ancestry are present throughout the entire state. Many West Virginians who self-identify as [[Irish American|Irish]] are actually [[Scots-Irish American|Scots-Irish]] Protestants. [[African Americans]] are concentrated in Metro Valley in the vicinity of Charleston and Huntington. African Americans also live in the New River/Greenbrier Valley.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.wvculture.org/arts/ethnic/african.html|title=African American Communities in West Virginia|website=archive.wvculture.org}}</ref> The state also has a significant [[Serbian Americans|Serbian]] population. Most of the Serbs came to West Virginia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to work in the [[Coal mining|coal mines]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-21 |title=Weirton's Serbian Heritage Is A Chicken Blast |url=https://wvpublic.org/weirtons-serbian-heritage-is-a-chicken-blast/ |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=West Virginia Public Broadcasting |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Milan Puskar Gives $20 Million to WVU |url=http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/issues/spring2004/htmlfiles/puskar.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928222459/http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/issues/spring2004/htmlfiles/puskar.html |archive-date=2011-09-28 |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=www.ia.wvu.edu}}</ref> There are also small numbers of Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans in West Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/West-Virginia/Climate|title=West Virginia - Appalachian, Humid, Temperate &#124; Britannica}}</ref> There is also a [[Romani people|Romani]] community in West Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/89|title=Romani People|first=West Virginia Humanities|last=Council|website=www.wvencyclopedia.org}}</ref> There are also [[Melungeons]] in the state.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/805|title=Indians|first=West Virginia Humanities|last=Council|website=www.wvencyclopedia.org}}</ref>

[[File:Ethnic Origins in West Virginia.png|thumb|upright=1.35 |Packed circles diagram showing estimates of the ethnic origins of people in West Virginia in 2021.]]
As of the 2010 census, 16% of West Virginia's residents are 65 or older, ranking second in the country, only behind Florida, which sits at 17%.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Table 16: Resident Population by Age and State: 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2011/compendia/statab/131ed/population.html |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=April 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426204152/https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2011/compendia/statab/131ed/population.html |archive-date=April 26, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:West Virginia Counties by race (2020 census).svg|thumb |Racial plurality in West Virginia by county, per the 2020 U.S. census{{Collapsible list
| title = Legend|{{col-begin}}{{col-2}}
'''Non-Hispanic White'''

{{legend|#85200c|70–80%}}

{{legend|#5b0f00|80–90%}}

{{legend|#410b00|90%+}}
{{col-end}}
}}]]There were 20,928 births in 2006. Of these, 19,757 (94.40% of the births, 95.19% of the population) were to non-Hispanic whites. There were 22 births to Native American (0.11% of the births and 0.54% of the population), 177 births to Asians (0.85% of the births and 0.68% of the population), 219 births to Hispanics (1.05% of the births and 0.88% of the population) and 753 births to blacks and others (3.60% of the births and 3.56% of the population).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_07.pdf |title=National Vital Statistics Reports, Volume 56, Number 7, (12/5/07) |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101016115621/http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_07.pdf |archive-date=October 16, 2010}}</ref> The county with the highest percentage of residents under 18 is [[Berkeley County, West Virginia|Berkeley County]] with 23.5% and [[Gilmer County, West Virginia|Gilmer County]] with the lowest percentage at 15.3%'''.'''<ref>{{Cite web   |title=West Virginia Population Declined 3.2% From 2010 to 2020 |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/west-virginia-population-change-between-census-decade.html |access-date=February 15, 2023 |website=Census.gov}}</ref>

;Birth data
''Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number. Since 2016, data for births of [[White Hispanic and Latino Americans|White Hispanic]] origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.''
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ Live Births by Race/Ethnicity of Mother
|-
! [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Race]]
! 2013<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf |title=Births: Final Data for 2013|website=Cdc.gov |access-date=July 14, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911162514/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2017}}</ref>
! 2014<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |title=Births: Final Data for 2014|website=Cdc.gov |access-date=July 14, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214040341/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |archive-date=February 14, 2017}}</ref>
! 2015<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |title=Births: Final Data for 2015|website=Cdc.gov |access-date=July 14, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170718034600/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |archive-date=July 18, 2017}}</ref>
! 2016<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Births: Final Data for 2016 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |access-date=May 7, 2018 |journal=National Vital Statistics Reports |volume=67 |number=1 |date=January 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603002249/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |archive-date=June 3, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
! 2017<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Births: Final Data for 2017 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |access-date=February 22, 2019 |journal=National Vital Statistics Reports |volume=67 |number=8 |date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201210916/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
! 2018<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=December 21, 2019}}</ref>
! 2019<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=April 9, 2021}}</ref>
! 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=February 21, 2022}}</ref>
! 2021<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-01.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref>
! 2022<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=April 5, 2024}}</ref>
! 2023<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-1.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=2025-04-12}}</ref>
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic Whites|White]]
| 19,542 (93.8%)
| 18,860 (92.9%)
| 18,442 (93.1%)
| 17,460 (91.5%)
| 16,943 (90.7%)
| 16,621 (91.1%)
| 16,476 (90.8%)
| 15,698 (90.6%)
| 15,643 (91.0%)
| 15,300 (90.4%)
| 14,852 (89.4%)
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
| 754 (3.6%)
| 813 (4.0%)
| 738 (3.7%)
| 587 (3.1%)
| 629 (3.4%)
| 626 (3.4%)
| 620 (3.4%)
| 603 (3.5%)
| 543 (3.1%)
| 566 (3.3%)
| 573 (3.4%)
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
| 229 (1.1%)
| 214 (1.0%)
| 225 (1.1%)
| 170 (0.9%)
| 201 (1.1%)
| 176 (1.0%)
| 173 (1.0%)
| 160 (0.9%)
| 181 (1.0%)
| 178 (1.1%)
| 178 (1.1%)
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]
| 19 (0.1%)
| 29 (0.1%)
| 28 (0.1%)
| 17 (0.1%)
| 26 (0.1%)
| 16 (0.1%)
| 13 (0.1%)
| 16 (0.1%)
| 20 (0.1%)
| 14 (0.1%)
| 16 (0.1%)
|-
| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]'' (any race)
| ''219'' (1.1%)
| ''350'' (1.7%)
| ''331'' (1.7%)
| ''378'' (2.0%)
| ''390'' (2.1%)
| ''378'' (2.1%)
| ''383'' (2.1%)
| ''373'' (2.1%)
| ''345'' (2.0%)
| ''412'' (2.4%)
| ''506'' (3.0%)
|-
| '''Total'''
| '''20,825''' (100%)
| '''20,301''' (100%)
| '''19,805''' (100%)
| '''19,079''' (100%)
| '''18,675''' (100%)
| '''18,248''' (100%)
| '''18,136''' (100%)
| '''17,323''' (100%)
| '''17,198''' (100%)
| '''16,929''' (100%)
| '''16,606''' (100%)
|}

===Native American tribes===
{{Expand section|date=July 2025}}
<ref name="auto"/>

===Languages===

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:1em; float:center"
|+ '''Top 10 non-English languages spoken in West Virginia'''
|-
! Language !! Percentage of population<br /><small>(as of 2010)</small><ref name="Data Center Results">{{Cite web|title=Data Center Results|url=https://apps.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results|access-date=June 19, 2021|website=apps.mla.org|archive-date=March 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308223853/https://apps.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| [[Spanish language|Spanish]] || 1.07%
|-
| [[French Language|French]] || 0.17%
|-
| [[German Language|German]] || 0.14%
|-
| [[Italian Language|Italian]] || 0.09%
|-
| [[Chinese language|Chinese]] || 0.09%
|-
| [[Tagalog Language|Tagalog]] || 0.06%
|-
| [[Japanese Language|Japanese]] || 0.05%
|-
| [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] || 0.04%
|-
| [[Urdu language|Urdu]] || 0.04%
|-
| [[Korean language|Korean]] || 0.04%
|}

In 2010 97.67% (1,697,042) of West Virginia residents aged 5 years or older spoke English as their primary language. 2.33% of residents spoke a native language other than English.<ref name="Data Center Results"/>

===Religion===
{{Pie chart
| radius = 110
| thumb = right
| caption = Religious self-identification, per [[Public Religion Research Institute]]'s 2022 ''American Values Survey''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=February 24, 2023 |title=PRRI – American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition in West Virginia |website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]] |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2022/States/religion/m/US-WV|access-date=April 3, 2023}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]]
| value1 = 53
| color1 = Green
| label2 = [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholicism]]
| value2 = 11
| color2 = Indigo
| label3 = [[Jehovah's Witnesses|Jehovah's Witness]]
| value3 = 2
| color3 = Black
| label4 = [[Mormonism]]
| value4 = 1
| color4 = Lightblue
| label5 = [[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]]
| value5 = 28
| color5 = White
| label6 = [[New Age]]
| value6 = 3
| color6 = Red
| label7 = [[Buddhism in the United States|Buddhism]]
| value7 = 2
| color7 = Yellow
}}

{{bar box
|title = Religion in West Virginia (2020)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/west-virginia/ |title=Adults in West Virginia |work=Religious Landscape Study |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=November 17, 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115050657/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/west-virginia/ |archive-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref>
|titlebar=#ddd |left1=religion |right1=percent |float=left
|bars =
{{bar percent|[[Protestant]]|dodgerblue|70}}
{{bar percent|Unaffiliated|grey|18}}
{{bar percent|[[Catholic]]|purple|6}}
{{bar percent|[[Mormon]]|pink|2}}
{{bar percent|[[Jewish]]|blue|1}}
{{bar percent|[[Muslim]]|yellow|1}}
{{bar percent|Other faith|orange|1}}
{{bar percent|Unanswered|green|1}}
}}Several surveys of West Virginians' religious affiliation have been made in recent years, including in 2008 by the American Religion Identity Survey,<ref>{{cite web |title=ARIS 2008 Summary Report—ARIS |url=http://commons.trincoll.edu/aris/publications/aris-2008-summary-report/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613231230/http://commons.trincoll.edu/aris/publications/aris-2008-summary-report/ |archive-date=June 13, 2012 |website=trincoll.edu}}</ref> and in 2010 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 11, 2015 |title=Religious Landscape Study |url=http://religions.pewforum.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214011626/http://religions.pewforum.org/ |archive-date=February 14, 2015 |website=pewforum.org}}</ref> The Pew survey results admit to a 6.5% margin of error, while the ARIS survey says "estimates are subject to larger sampling errors in states with small populations." A characteristic of religion in Appalachian communities is the abundance of independent, non-affiliated churches, which "remain unnoted and uncounted in any census of church life in the United States". This sometimes leads to the belief that these communities are "unchurched".<ref>[http://utpress.org/Appalachia/EntryDisplay.php?EntryID=013 ''Old-Time Religion''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117094726/http://utpress.org/Appalachia/EntryDisplay.php?EntryID=013|date=January 17, 2013}}, Encyclopedia of Appalachia</ref>

The largest denomination as of 2010, according to [[Association of Religion Data Archives]], was the [[United Methodist Church]] with 136,000 members in 1,200 congregations. The second-largest Protestant church was the [[American Baptist Churches USA]], with 88,000 members and 381 congregations. The [[Southern Baptist Convention|Southern Baptist]] church had 44,000 members and 232 congregations. The [[Churches of Christ]] had 22,000 members and 287 congregations. The [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]] had 200 congregations and 20,000 members.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives—Maps & Reports |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/54/rcms2010_54_state_adh_2010.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217051349/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/54/rcms2010_54_state_adh_2010.asp |archive-date=December 17, 2013 |website=thearda.com}}</ref> By the 2020 ARDA study, non-denominational Protestantism became the largest Christian group, with 152,518 adherents.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 Congregational Membership |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=1&c=54 |access-date=April 15, 2023 |website=www.thearda.com}}</ref>

A 2015 survey by the [[Pew Research Center]] found that West Virginia was the seventh-most "highly religious" state in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 29, 2016 |title=How religious is your state? |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/how-religious-is-your-state/?state=alabama |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308115627/http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/how-religious-is-your-state/?state=alabama |archive-date=March 8, 2016 |website=pewresearch.org}}</ref> A 2020 survey by the [[Public Religion Research Institute]] found that 69% of the adult population was Christian, reflecting a slight decrease since the Pew Research Center's 2015 survey.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 PRRI Religious Study |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-WV |access-date=September 17, 2022 |website=ava.prri.org}}</ref> In 2020, a survey of nearly 1,900 West Virginians reported that 78.6% were Christian and 16.2% were unaffiliated.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sheitle |first1=Christopher P. |last2=Corcoran |first2=Katie E. |last3=Remsburg |first3=Taylor |date=February 25, 2021 |title=Religion in West Virginia, West Virginia Social Survey Report |url=https://survey.wvu.edu/files/d/8e050570-2a9b-4d24-a8dc-a800e1afe362/religion-report-accessible-version.pdf |access-date=September 21, 2022 |website=wvu.edu |publisher=West Virginia University}}</ref> In 2022, the Public Religion Research Institute estimated 67% of the state was Christian (53% Protestant, 11% Catholic, 2% Jehovah's Witness, and 1% Mormon), 28% unaffiliated, 3% [[New Age]], and 2% [[Buddhism in the United States|Buddhist]].

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of West Virginia}}

{{See also|List of West Virginia counties by socioeconomic factors|West Virginia locations by per capita income}}

According to the World Bank, West Virginia's economy would nominally be the world's 69th-largest, behind [[Luxembourg]] and ahead of [[Bulgaria]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=GDP (current US$) {{!}} Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true |access-date=February 15, 2023 |website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2025}} The state has a projected nominal GDP of $85.434&nbsp;billion in 2009 according to the [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] report as of 2021, and a real GDP of $71.343&nbsp;billion. The state's real GDP growth of 1.3% in 2021 was the 8th-best in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woodruff |first=Clifford |date=October 23, 2022 |title=Gross Domestic product by state and personal income by state 3rd quarter 2022 |url=https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/stgdppi3q22.pdf |access-date=February 15, 2023 |website=Bureau of Economic Analysis}}</ref>

While per capita income fell 2.6% nationally in 2009, West Virginia's grew at 1.8%.<ref name=WVC>[http://www.wvcommerce.org/news/story/West_Virginia_improves_per_capita_ranking/1150/default.aspx "West Virginia improves per capita ranking"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101117211338/http://www.wvcommerce.org/news/story/West_Virginia_improves_per_capita_ranking/1150/default.aspx |date=November 17, 2010}}, Catherine Zacchi. West Virginia Department of Commerce. 2010. Accessed December 11, 2010</ref> Through the first half of 2010, exports from West Virginia topped $3&nbsp;billion, growing 39.5% over the same period from the previous year and ahead of the national average by 15.7%.<ref name=WVC />

''[[Forbes]]'' ranked [[Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown]] as the 10th-best small city in the nation to conduct business in 2010. The city is also home to [[West Virginia University]], the 95th-best public university, according to ''U.S. News & World Report'' in 2011.<ref>[http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-top-public "Best Colleges 2011"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826121616/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-top-public |date=August 26, 2009}}, ''U.S. News & World Report''. 2010. Accessed December 11, 2001</ref> The proportion of West Virginia's adult population with a [[bachelor's degree]] is the lowest in the U.S., at 17.3%.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/statab/ranks/rank19.html | title=State Rankings-Statistical Abstract of the United States-Persons 25 Years Old and Over With a Bachelor's Degree or More, 2004 | publisher=Census.gov | date=January 7, 2009 | access-date=July 31, 2010 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018014743/http://www.census.gov/statab/ranks/rank19.html | archive-date=October 18, 2010}}</ref>

The net corporate income tax rate is 6.5% while business costs are 13% below the national average.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021 |title=West Virginia Net Corporate Income Tax |url=https://tax.wv.gov/Documents/TaxForms/2021/cit120.instructions.pdf |url-status=live |website=Tax.wv.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215175747/https://tax.wv.gov/Documents/TaxForms/2021/cit120.instructions.pdf |archive-date=February 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>[http://wvcommerce.org/business/industries/default.aspx "West Virginia Industries"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101220013929/http://www.wvcommerce.org/business/industries/default.aspx |date=December 20, 2010}}, West Virginia Department of Commerce. Accessed December 11, 2010</ref>

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that in 2014 West Virginia's economy grew twice as fast as the next fastest-growing state east of the Mississippi River, ranking third alongside Wyoming and just behind North Dakota and Texas among the fastest-growing states.<ref>{{cite web |title=Broad Growth Across States in 2014 |url=https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/2015/gsp0615.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611182028/https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/2015/gsp0615.htm |archive-date=June 11, 2015 |website=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis}}</ref>

===Tourism===
[[File:Seneca Rocks by Asilverstein Oct 2013 High Dynamic Range Merge from 7 Exposures.jpg|thumb|[[Seneca Rocks]], Pendleton County]]

Tourism contributed $4.27&nbsp;billion to the state's economy and employed 44,400 people in 2010, making it one of the state's largest industries.<ref>{{cite report| publisher=AECOM| title=West Virginia Ten Year Tourism Plan| date=September 2012 |url=https://wvtourism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/AECOM-West-Virginia-Final-Report.pdf}}</ref> Many tourists, especially in the eastern mountains, are drawn to the region's notable opportunities for outdoor recreation. [[Canaan Valley]] is popular for winter sports, [[Seneca Rocks]] is one of the premier rock climbing destinations in the eastern U.S., the [[New River Gorge]]/[[Fayetteville, WV|Fayetteville]] area draws rock climbers as well as [[whitewater]] rafting enthusiasts, and the [[Monongahela National Forest]] is popular with hikers, backpackers, hunters, and anglers.

Also drawing tourism to the state is the [[List of West Virginia state parks|West Virginia State Park]] & [[List of West Virginia state forests|State Forest]] system, which comprises 45 units covering 164,000 acres. In 2021, over 9 million people visited a West Virginia State Park, the highest number on record. This is partly due to a recent $151 million improvement project that has seen improvements at every park and forest.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Staff Reports |title=West Virginia officials mark completion $8 million in upgrades at Pipestem Resort State Park |url=https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/west-virginia-officials-mark-completion-8-million-in-upgrades-at-pipestem-resort-state-park/article_a1a8cdc6-cbda-11ec-8e1b-f7a8485d0dab.html |website=wvnews |date=May 4, 2022 |access-date=December 19, 2022}}</ref>

In addition to such outdoor recreation opportunities, the state offers a number of historic and cultural attractions. [[Harpers Ferry National Historical Park]] is a historic town situated at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. [[Harpers Ferry]] was the site of [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]]'s 1859 [[John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry|raid]] on the U.S. Armory and Arsenal. Located at the approximate midpoint of the [[Appalachian Trail]], Harpers Ferry is the base of the [[Appalachian Trail Conservancy]].

[[The Greenbrier]] hotel and [[resort]], originally built in 1778, has long been considered a premier hotel, frequented by numerous world leaders and U.S. presidents over the years.

West Virginia is the site of the [[National Radio Astronomy Observatory]], which features the [[Green Bank Telescope]]. For the 1963 Centennial of the State, it hosted two high school graduate delegates from each of the 50 States at the [[National Youth Science Camp]] near Bartow, and has continued this tradition ever since. The main building of [[Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum|Weston State Hospital]] is the largest hand-cut sandstone building in the western hemisphere, second worldwide only to the Kremlin in Moscow. Tours of the building, which is a [[National Historic Landmark]] and part of the [[Civil War Discovery Trail|National Civil War Trail]], are offered seasonally and by appointment year-round. West Virginia has numerous popular festivals throughout the year.

===Energy===
[[File:Coalseam 8618.JPG|right|thumb|[[Bituminous]] coal seam in southwestern West Virginia]]

One of the major resources in West Virginia's economy is [[coal]]. According to the [[Energy Information Administration]], West Virginia is a top coal producer in the United States, second only to Wyoming. West Virginia is located in the heart of the Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Bed, which stretches from Tennessee north to New York in the middle of Appalachia.

As of 2017, the coal industry accounted for 2% of state employment.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/04/25/climate/todays-energy-jobs-are-in-solar-not-coal.html|title=Today's Energy Jobs Are in Solar, Not Coal|first=Nadja|last=Popovich|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 25, 2017|access-date=June 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620052645/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/04/25/climate/todays-energy-jobs-are-in-solar-not-coal.html|archive-date=June 20, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Nearly all the electricity generated in West Virginia is from coal-fired power plants. West Virginia produces a surplus of electricity and leads the nation in net interstate electricity exports.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=WV |title=EIA State Energy Profiles: West Virginia |date=June 12, 2008 |access-date=June 24, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516020549/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=WV |archive-date=May 16, 2008}}</ref> Farming is also practiced in West Virginia, but on a limited basis because of the mountainous terrain over much of the state.

An assessment from 2012 estimated that West Virginia had the potential to generate 8,627 GWh/year from 2,772 MW of 100-meter [[wind turbines]], and 60,000 GWh from 40,000 MW of photovoltaics, including 3,810 MW of rooftop [[photovoltaics]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrel.gov/gis/re_potential.html|title=NREL: Dynamic Maps, GIS Data, and Analysis Tools—Renewable Energy Technical Potential |website=nrel.gov|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915115931/http://www.nrel.gov/gis/re_potential.html|archive-date=September 15, 2012}}</ref> This was based on then-existing technologies and apparently was based on some assumed requirements for the economic performance of the respective resources.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|-
|+ West Virginia Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_installed_capacity.asp |title=U.S. Installed Wind Capacity |website=windpoweringamerica.gov |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314233108/http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_installed_capacity.asp |archive-date=March 14, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_1_17_a| title=Electric Power Monthly Table 1.17.A| author=[[Energy Information Administration|EIA]]| publisher=[[United States Department of Energy]]| date=July 27, 2012| access-date=August 15, 2012| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926010515/http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_1_17_a| archive-date=September 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/index.cfm| title=Electric Power Monthly Table 1.17.B| author=[[Energy Information Administration|EIA]]| publisher=[[United States Department of Energy]]| date=July 27, 2012| access-date=August 15, 2012| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120820142604/http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/index.cfm| archive-date=August 20, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://apps2.eere.energy.gov/wind/windexchange/wind_installed_capacity.asp |title=WINDExchange: U.S. Installed Wind Capacity |author=Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy |publisher=[[United States Department of Energy]] |access-date=May 25, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525165620/http://apps2.eere.energy.gov/wind/windexchange/wind_installed_capacity.asp |archive-date=May 25, 2017}}</ref>
|-
! style="background:#cfb;"| Year
! style="background:#cfb;"| Capacity<br />(MW)
! style="background:#cfb;"| Total
! style="background:#cfb;"| Jan
! style="background:#cfb;"| Feb
! style="background:#cfb;"| Mar
! style="background:#cfb;"| Apr
! style="background:#cfb;"| May
! style="background:#cfb;"| Jun
! style="background:#cfb;"| Jul
! style="background:#cfb;"| Aug
! style="background:#cfb;"| Sept
! style="background:#cfb;"| Oct
! style="background:#cfb;"| Nov
! style="background:#cfb;"| Dec
|- align=right
| 2009 || 330 || 742 || 86 || 86 || 69 || 71 || 31 || 49 || 49 || 32 || 46 || 71 || 68 || 86
|- align=right
| 2010 || 431 || 939 || 92 || 79 || 85 || 86 || 66 || 69 || 49 || 33 || 66 || 114 || 89 || 112
|- align=right
| 2011 || 564 || 1099 || 102 || 113 || 112 || 114 || 49 || 62 || 45 || 68 || 60 || 122 || 124 || 132
|- align=right
| 2012 || 583 || 1286 || 201 || 147 || 136 || 130 || 59 || 90 || 85 || 41 || 65 || 98 || 100 || 133
|- align=right
| 2013 || 583 || 1387 || 175 || 154 || 174 || 140 || 134 || 78 || 55 || 58 || 52 || 58 || 159 || 152<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/current_year/february2015.pdf |title=Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2014 |date=February 2015 |website=Eia.gov |access-date=July 14, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801194832/https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/current_year/february2015.pdf |archive-date=August 1, 2017}}</ref>
|- align=right
| 2014 || 583 || 1451 || 166 || 146 || 167 || 143 || 100 || 62 || 76 || 64 || 67 || 154 || 157 || 149
|- align=right
| 2015 || 583 || 1376 || 158 || 137 || 181 || 137 || 75 || 103 || 65 || 44 || 71 || 122 || 147 || 136
|- align=right
| 2016 || 686 || 1432 || 166 || 164 || 134 || 120 || 74 || 92 || 69 || 57 || 67 || 130 || 135 || 222
|- align=right
| 2017 || 686 || 1682 || 124 || 123 || 171 || 174 || 152 || 140 || 112 || 52 || 70 || 116 || 167 || 211
|- align=right
| 2018 || 686 || 1779 || 191 || 181 || 183 || 180 || 138 || 132 || 97 || 108 || 106 || 144 || 160 || 160
|- align=right
| 2019 || || || 160 || 131 || 144 || 185 || 152 || 162 ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|}

===Taxes===

West Virginia personal [[income tax]] is based on federal adjusted gross income (not taxable income), as modified by specific items in West Virginia law. Citizens are taxed within five income brackets, which range from 3.0% to 6.5%. The state's consumer [[sales tax]] is levied at 6% on most products except for non-prepared foods.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wva.state.wv.us/wvtax/foodtax.aspx |title=Food Tax |publisher=State of West Virginia |access-date=April 22, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020231023/http://www.wva.state.wv.us/wvtax/FoodTax.aspx |archive-date=October 20, 2014}}</ref>

West Virginia counties administer and collect [[property tax]]es, although property tax rates reflect levies for state government, county governments, county boards of education and municipalities. Counties may also impose a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places not located within the city limits of any municipality that levies such a tax. Municipalities may levy license and [[gross receipts tax]]es on businesses located within the city limits and a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places in the city. Although the Department of Tax and Revenue plays a major role in the administration of this tax, less than half of one percent of the property tax collected goes to state government.

The primary beneficiaries of the property tax are county boards of education. Property taxes are paid to the [[Sheriffs in the United States|sheriff]] of each of the state's 55 counties. Each county and municipality can impose its own rates of property taxation within the limits set by the West Virginia Constitution. The West Virginia legislature sets the rate of tax of county boards of education. This rate is used by all county boards of education statewide. However, the total tax rate for county boards of education may differ from county to county because of excess levies. The Department of Tax and Revenue supervises and otherwise assists counties and municipalities in their work of assessment and tax rate determination. The total tax rate is a combination of the tax levies from four state taxing authorities: state, county, schools and municipal. This total tax rate varies for each of the four classes of property, which consists of personal, real and intangible properties. Property is assessed according to its use, location and value as of July 1. WV Assessments has a free searchable database of West Virginia real estate tax assessments, covering current and past years. All property is reappraised every three years; annual adjustments are made to assessments for property with a change of value. West Virginia does not impose an [[inheritance tax]]. Because of the phase-out of the federal [[estate tax]] credit, West Virginia's estate tax is not imposed on estates of persons who died on or after January 1, 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.wv.us/taxrev/taxdoc/tsd393.pdf |access-date=July 14, 2017 |url-status=dead |title=West Virginia Estate Tax (for decedents dying after June 30,1985) And Intestate Succession Law (for decedents dying after July 9, 1993) |publisher=West Virginia State Tax Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927183746/http://www.state.wv.us/taxrev/taxdoc/tsd393.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2011}}</ref>

===Largest private employers===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ The largest private employers in West Virginia, as of March 2019, were:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lmi.workforcewv.org/EandWAnnual/TopEmployers.html|title = WorkForce West Virginia LMI}}</ref>
! Rank
! Company
|-
| 1
| [[WVU Medicine]]
|-
| 2
| [[Walmart]]
|-
| 3
| [[Charleston Area Medical Center|CAMC Health System]]
|-
| 4
| Mountain Health Network
|-
| 5
| [[Kroger]]
|-
| 6
| [[Lowe's|Lowe's Home Centers]]
|-
| 7
| [[Contura Energy]]
|-
| 8
| [[Wheeling Hospital|Wheeling Hospital, Inc.]]
|-
| 9
| [[Mylan Pharmaceuticals]]
|-
| 10
| [[Murray Energy|Murray American Energy]]
|-
| 11
| ResCare
|-
| 12
| Mon Health
|-
| 13
| [[Macy's|Macy's Corporate Services]]
|-
| 14
| [[American Electric Power]]
|-
| 15
| West Virginia's Choice, Inc.
|-
| 16
| [[FirstEnergy Corp]]
|-
| 17
| [[Dollar General|Dolgencorp, LLC (Dollar General Stores)]]
|-
| 18
| Thomas Health Systems
|-
| 19
| [[Pilgrim's Pride Corporation of West Virginia]]
|-
| 20
| [[Frontier West Virginia]]
|-
| 21
| Blackhawk Mining, LLC
|-
| 22
| [[Darden Restaurants|Darden Restaurants (GMRI, Inc.)]]{{efn|group="employers"|Labelled as "General Mills Restaurants", one of Darden's predecessors. GMRI, Inc. remains Darden's main operating subsidiary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/940944/000094094421000041/dri-20210530.htm|title=Darden Restaurants Form 10-K|date=July 23, 2021|access-date=March 14, 2022|quote=Darden Restaurants, Inc. is a Florida corporation incorporated in March 1995, and is the parent company of GMRI, Inc., also a Florida corporation. GMRI, Inc. and certain other of our subsidiaries own and operate our restaurants. [...] We were acquired by General Mills, Inc. in 1970 and became a separate publicly held company in 1995[...]}}</ref>}}
|-
| 23
| [[Arch Coal|Arch Coal, Inc.]]
|-
| 24
| [[Walgreens]]
|-
| 25
| [[DowDuPont|DowDuPont, Inc.]]
|}
{{notelist|group="employers"}}

==Quality of life==
{{too few opinions|date=February 2016}}
[[File:Bluefield, West Virginia - 2014.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bluefield, West Virginia|Bluefield]], a major center for coal mining, in 2014]]
{{see also|List of West Virginia counties by socioeconomic factors}}

===Economy===
West Virginia coal exports declined 40% in 2013—a loss of $2.9&nbsp;billion and overall total exports declined 26%.<ref>[https://census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/state/data/wv.html "State Exports via West Virginia"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413155534/http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/state/data/wv.html |date=April 13, 2014}}, U.S. Census Bureau. March 26, 2014. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> West Virginia ranked last in the [[Gallup, Inc.|Gallup Economic Index]] for the fourth year running. West Virginia's score was −44, or a full 17 points lower than the average of −27 for the other states in the bottom ten.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/167123/economic-confidence-highest-2013.aspx |title=Economic Confidence Still Highest in D.C. in 2013. Confidence improved in most states; West Virginia still least confident |publisher=Gallup |date=February 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309072739/http://www.gallup.com/poll/167123/economic-confidence-highest-2013.aspx |archive-date=March 9, 2014 |access-date=April 14, 2014}}</ref> West Virginia ranked 48th in the CNBC "Top States for Business 2013" based on measures of competitiveness such as economy, workforce and cost of living—ranking among the bottom five states for the last six years running.<ref>[https://www.cnbc.com/id/100824779 "America's Top States for Business 2013"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822070528/https://www.cnbc.com/id/100824779 |date=August 22, 2017}}, CNBC. July 9, 2013. Accessed April 14, 2014.</ref> West Virginia ranked 49th in the 2014 State New Economy Index and has ranked in the bottom three states since 1999. West Virginia ranked last or next-to-last in critical indicators such as Workforce Education, Entrepreneurial Activity, High-Tech Jobs, and Scientists and Engineers.<ref>[http://www.itif.org/publications/2014-state-new-economy-index "2014 State New Economy Index"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085757/http://www.itif.org/publications/2014-state-new-economy-index |date=August 19, 2014}}, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. June 11, 2014. Accessed August 16, 2014.</ref>

===Employment===

In 2012, West Virginia's [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) grew by 3.3%.<ref>[http://bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/2013/pdf/gsp0613.pdf "Widespread Economic Growth in 2012"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611064129/https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/2013/pdf/gsp0613.pdf |date=June 11, 2014}}, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. June 6, 2013. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> The state issued a report highlighting the state's GDP as indicating a fast-growing economy, but did not address employment indicators.<ref>[http://newsletters.wvcommerce.org/newsletters/344/issue/Governor-Releases-July-Edge-Business-Report/285/ "Governor Releases July Edge Business Report"]{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}, West Virginia Department of Commerce. July 9, 2013. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> In 2009–2013, the U.S. real GDP increased 9.6% and total employment increased 3.9%. In West Virginia during the same time period, its real GDP increased about 11%, while total employment decreased by 1,000 jobs from 746,000 to 745,000.

In 2013, West Virginia ranked last in the nation with an [[employment-to-population ratio]] of only 50%, compared to the national average of 59%.<ref>[http://bls.gov/news.release/pdf/srgune.pdf "Regional and State Unemployment—2013 Annual Averages"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308014549/http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/srgune.pdf |date=March 8, 2014}}, U.S. Bureau of Labor. February 28, 2014. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> The state lost 5,600 jobs in its labor force in four critical economic sectors: construction (1,900), manufacturing (1,100), retail (1,800), and education (800), while gaining just 400 in mining and logging.<ref>[http://workforcewv.org/lmi/datarel/DRNEWS.pdf "West Virginia's February Unemployment Rate at 6.0 Percent"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413143832/http://workforcewv.org/lmi/datarel/DRNEWS.pdf |date=April 13, 2014}}, WorkForce West Virginia. March 18, 2014. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> The state's Civilian Labor Force dropped by 15,100.<ref>[http://workforcewv.org/lmi/datarel/cnty_PR.pdf "Labor Market Information by West Virginia County February 2014"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413145550/http://workforcewv.org/lmi/datarel/cnty_PR.pdf |date=April 13, 2014}}, WorkForce West Virginia. March 25, 2014. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref>

===Wages and poverty===
[[Personal income]] growth in West Virginia during 2013 was only 1.5%—the lowest in the nation—and about half the national average (2.6%).<ref name=":3">[https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/2014/pdf/spi0314.pdf "State Personal Income 2013"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413155632/https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/2014/pdf/spi0314.pdf |date=April 13, 2014}}, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. March 25, 2014. Accessed April 11, 2014.</ref> Overall income growth in West Virginia in the last thirty years has been only 13%—about a third of the national average (37%). Wages of the impoverished bottom 1% income earners decreased by 3%, compared to the national average, which increased 19%.<ref>[http://s2.epi.org/files/2014/Income-Inequality-by-State-Final.pdf "Income Equality by State"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906185353/http://s2.epi.org/files/2014/Income-Inequality-by-State-Final.pdf |date=September 6, 2015}}, Economic Policy Institute. February 2014. Accessed April 11, 2014.</ref>

West Virginia's [[Poverty in the United States|poverty rate]] is one of the highest in the nation. 2017 estimates indicate that 19% of the state's population lives in poverty, exceeding the national average of 13%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates |url=https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/saipe/#/?map_geoSelector=aa_c |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620141334/https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/saipe/#/?map_geoSelector=aa_c |archive-date=June 20, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Population===

United Van Lines 37th Annual Migration Study showed in 2013 that 60% more people moved out of West Virginia than moved in.<ref>[http://unitedvanlines.com/mover/united-newsroom/press-releases/2014/2013-united-van-lines-migration-study.htm "United Van Lines annual migration study reveals Oregon as top moving destination of 2013"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413130511/http://www.unitedvanlines.com/mover/united-newsroom/press-releases/2014/2013-united-van-lines-migration-study.htm |date=April 13, 2014}}, United Van Lines. January 2, 2014. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> West Virginia's population is expected to decline by more than 19,000 residents by 2030, and West Virginia lost one of its three seats in the United States House of Representatives in the 2020 census.<ref>[http://www.be.wvu.edu/bber/outlook_pdfs/WV-Economic-Outlook-2014.pdf "West Virginia Economic Outlook 2014"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402124643/http://be.wvu.edu/bber/outlook_pdfs/WV-Economic-Outlook-2014.pdf |date=April 2, 2014}}, West Virginia University College of Business and Economics. March 31, 2014. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> West Virginia is the only state where death rates exceed birth rates. During 2010–2013, about 21,000 babies per year were born in West Virginia, but over these three years West Virginia had 3,000 more deaths than births.<ref name="census1">[http://census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/news_conferences/20130314_popest_countymetro.html "2012 County/Metro Population Estimates"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729172304/http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/news_conferences/20130314_popest_countymetro.html |date=July 29, 2014}}, U.S. Census Bureau. March 14, 2013. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref>

===Family===

Gallup-Healthways annual "State of American Well-Being" rankings reports that 1,261 concerned West Virginians rated themselves as "suffering" in categories such as Quality of Life, Physical Health, and Access to Basic Needs. Overall, West Virginia citizens rated themselves as being more miserable than people in all other states—for five years running.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://info.healthways.com/wbi2013 |title=Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413105808/http://info.healthways.com/wbi2013 |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |publisher=Gallup-Healthways |access-date=April 12, 2014}}</ref> In addition, the Gallup Well-Being Index for 2013 ranked Charleston, the state capital, and Huntington last and next-to-last out of 189 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas.<ref>{{cite web |title=Provo-Orem, Utah, Leads U.S. Communities in Well-Being |last=Witters |first=Dan |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/167984/provo-orem-utah-leads-communities.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413202835/http://www.gallup.com/poll/167984/provo-orem-utah-leads-communities.aspx |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |publisher=Gallup |date=March 25, 2014 |access-date=April 14, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's National Index of Children's Progress ranked West Virginia 43rd in the nation for all kids, and last for white kids.<ref>[http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data "KIDS COUNT Data Center"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419144423/http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data |date=April 19, 2014}}, KIDS COUNT Data Center. April 1, 2014. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2013 KIDS COUNT Data Book also ranked West Virginia's education system 47th in the nation for the second straight year.<ref>[http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data "2013 KIDS COUNT Data Book"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419144423/http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data |date=April 19, 2014}}, KIDS COUNT Data Center. June 24, 2014. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> Charleston, West Virginia has the worst divorce rate among 100 cities in the nation. Stephen Smith, the executive director of the West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, said poor employment prospects are to blame: "The pressure to make a good living puts strain on a marriage, and right now it is infinitely harder to make a living here than it was 40 years ago."<ref>[http://wvgazette.com/article/20140405/ARTICLE/140409638/1131 "Local economy is tough on marriages"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413141959/http://wvgazette.com/article/20140405/ARTICLE/140409638/1131 |date=April 13, 2014}}, ''Charleston Gazette''. March 18, 2014. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref>

===Health===

United Health Foundation's "America's Health Rankings" for 2013 found that Americans are making considerable progress in key health measures. West Virginia, however, ranked either last or second-to-last in twenty categories, including cancer, child immunization, diabetes, disabilities, drug deaths, teeth loss, low birth weight, missed work days due to health, prescription drug overdose, preventable hospitalizations, and senior clinical care.<ref name=":4">[http://americashealthrankings.org/rankings "America's Health Rankings: 2013"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413145446/http://americashealthrankings.org/rankings |date=April 13, 2014}}, United Health Foundation. December 11, 2013. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> Wisconsin Population Health Institute annual "Health Rankings" for 2012 showed West Virginia spends $9,671 per capita on health care annually. El Salvador spends just $467, yet both have the same life expectancy.<ref>[http://rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/newsroom-content/2013/03/2013CountyHealthRankings.html "County Health Rankings Show Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Every State"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413155202/http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/newsroom-content/2013/03/2013CountyHealthRankings.html |date=April 13, 2014}}, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. March 20, 2013. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> In 2012, according to the Census Bureau, West Virginia was the only state where death rates exceed birth rates. During 2010–2013, about 21,000 babies per year were born in West Virginia, but there were 24,000 deaths.<ref name="census1" /> In demographics, this is called a "net mortality society".<ref>[http://www.wilsonquarterly.com/sites/default/files/articles/Feat_Eberstadt.FNL.pdf "Japan Shrinks"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413144427/http://www.wilsonquarterly.com/sites/default/files/articles/Feat_Eberstadt.FNL.pdf |date=April 13, 2014}}, Wilson Quarterly. Spring 2012. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref>

The National Center for Health Statistics says national birth rates for teenagers are at historic lows—during 2007–2010, teen birth rates fell 17% nationally. West Virginia, however, ranked last with a 3% increase in birth rates for teenagers.<ref>[http://cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db89.htm "2012 County/Metro Population Estimates"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413154720/http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db89.htm |date=April 13, 2014}}, U.S. Centers for Disease Control. April 10, 2012. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> A study by West Virginia's Marshall University showed that 19% of babies born in the state have evidence of drug or alcohol exposure.<ref>[http://hca.wv.gov/policyandplanning/Documents/Health%20Plan%20Analysis/ApxB.pdf "Prevalence of Drug Use in Pregnant West Virginia Patients"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413150318/http://www.hca.wv.gov/policyandplanning/Documents/Health%20Plan%20Analysis/ApxB.pdf |date=April 13, 2014}}, West Virginia Health Care Authority. July 1, 2010. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> This is several times the national rate, where studies show that about 5.9% of pregnant women in the U.S. use illicit drugs, and about 8.5% consume any alcohol.<ref>[http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2012SummNatFindDetTables/NationalFindings/NSDUHresults2012.pdf "Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203035035/http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2012SummNatFindDetTables/NationalFindings/NSDUHresults2012.pdf |date=December 3, 2013}}, U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. September 2013. Accessed April 12, 2014.</ref> An Institute for Health Policy Research study determined that mortality rates in Appalachia are correlated with coal production. In twenty West Virginia coal counties mining more than a million tons of coal per year and having a total population of 850,000, there are about 10,100 deaths per year, with 1,400 of those statistically attributed to deaths from heart, respiratory and kidney disease from living in an Appalachian coal county.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Hendryx | first1 = Michael | year = 2009 | title = Mortality from heart, respiratory, and kidney disease in coal mining areas of Appalachia | journal = Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health | volume = 82 | issue = 2| pages = 243–249 | doi = 10.1007/s00420-008-0328-y | pmid=18461350| bibcode = 2009IAOEH..82..243H | s2cid = 20528316}}</ref>

In 2015, [[McDowell County, West Virginia|McDowell County]] had the highest rate of [[United States drug overdose death rates and totals over time|drug-induced deaths]] of any county in the United States, with a rate of 141 deaths per 100,000 people. Four of the five counties with the highest rates of drug-induced deaths are in West Virginia (McDowell, Wyoming, Cabell and Raleigh Counties).<ref>{{cite web |title=Underlying Cause of Death, 1999–2015 Results |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |url=https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/datarequest/D76;jsessionid=E63AD90E918B8FA3E71818EFDD738927?stage=results&action=sort&direction=MEASURE_DESCEND&measure=D76.M3#Citation |access-date=January 11, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113115619/https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/datarequest/D76;jsessionid=E63AD90E918B8FA3E71818EFDD738927?stage=results&action=sort&direction=MEASURE_DESCEND&measure=D76.M3#Citation |archive-date=January 13, 2017}}</ref> In 2022, West Virginia had the highest drug overdose death rate of any US state, at 80.9 per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite web | title = Drug Overdose Mortality by State | publisher = U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | url = https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/drug_poisoning_mortality/drug_poisoning.htm | accessdate = September 21, 2024}}</ref>

American environmental attorney [[Robert Bilott]] exposed how [[DuPont (1802–2017)|DuPont]] had been knowingly polluting water with [[perfluorooctanoic acid]] (PFOA) in [[Parkersburg, West Virginia]], since the 1980s.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html?_r=0 |title=The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare |date=January 6, 2016 |author=Rich, Nathaniel |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> This battle with DuPont is depicted in the film ''[[Dark Waters (2019 film)|Dark Waters]]''.

====Life expectancy====
The residents of West Virginia [[List of U.S. states and territories by life expectancy|have a lower life expectancy]] than the national average. In 2014 life expectancy for both sexes in the state was 76.0 years compared to 79.1 years for the United States as a whole. In 2014, males in West Virginia lived an average of 73.6 years compared to a national average of 76.7 years and females lived an average of 77.5 years compared to a national average of 81.5 years. Male life expectancy in West Virginia between 1980 and 2014 increased by 4.7 years, compared to a national average of a 6.7-year increase. Life expectancy for females in West Virginia between 1980 and 2014 increased by 1.7 years, compared to a national average of a 4.0-year increase. Life expectancy for both sexes is among the lowest of all states.<ref name="US Health Map">{{cite web |title=US Health Map |url=https://vizhub.healthdata.org/subnational/usa |website=Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation |publisher=University of Washington |access-date=December 27, 2020}}</ref>

Life expectancies in 2014 for both sexes in West Virginia counties ranged from a low of 70.3 years in [[McDowell County, West Virginia|McDowell County]] to a high of 79.3 years in [[Pendleton County, West Virginia|Pendleton County]]. McDowell and several other West Virginia counties are among the counties in the U.S. with the lowest life expectancies.<ref name="US Health Map"/>

==Government and politics==
{{Main|Government of West Virginia|West Virginia Constitution}}

[[File:The West Virginia Capitol in Charleston LCCN2015631770.jpg|thumb|The [[West Virginia State Capitol]] in Charleston is home to the [[West Virginia Legislature]].]]

The [[West Virginia Legislature]] is [[bicameral]]. It consists of the [[West Virginia House of Delegates|House of Delegates]] and the [[West Virginia Senate|Senate]], both housed in the [[West Virginia State Capitol]]. It is a citizen's legislature, meaning that legislative office is not a full-time occupation, but rather a part-time position. Consequently, the legislators often hold full-time jobs in their community of residence.

Typically, the legislature is in session for 60 days between January and early April. The final day of the regular session ends in a bewildering fury of last-minute legislation to meet a constitutionally imposed midnight deadline. During the remainder of the year, monthly interim sessions are held in preparation for the regular session. Legislators also gather periodically for 'special' sessions when called by the governor.

The [[List of Governors of West Virginia|governor]], elected every four years on the same day as the U.S. presidential election, is sworn in during the following January. Governors of West Virginia can serve two consecutive terms but must sit out a term before serving a third term in office. The title of [[Lieutenant governor (United States)|Lieutenant Governor]] is assigned by statute to the [[Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia|senate president]]. West Virginia's current governor is [[Patrick Morrisey]].

West Virginia's highest court is the [[Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia|Supreme Court of Appeals]]. The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the busiest appellate court of its type in the United States. West Virginia is one of 11 states with a single appellate court. The state constitution allows for the creation of an intermediate court of appeals, but the Legislature has never created one. The Supreme Court is made up of five justices, elected in nonpartisan elections to 12-year terms. For the purpose of courts of general jurisdiction, the state is divided into 31 judicial circuits. Each circuit is made up of one or more counties. Circuit judges are elected in non-partisan elections to serve eight-year terms.

West Virginia is an [[alcoholic beverage control state]], but unlike most such states, it does not operate retail outlets, having exited that business in 1990. It retains a monopoly on wholesaling of [[Distilled beverage|distilled spirits]] only. West Virginia is one of 27 states that do not have a [[Capital punishment in the United States|death penalty]], and it was the only state in the southeastern United States to have abolished it until 2021, when [[Capital punishment in Virginia|Virginia]] did so as well.

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of West Virginia|Political party strength in West Virginia}}

{| class="wikitable sortable floatright" style="text-align: right;" width="32%"
|+ Voter registration as of August 31, 2025:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sos.wv.gov/elections/Pages/VoteRegTotals.aspx |title=West Virginia Voter Registration Totals |publisher=West Virginia Secretary of State |access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Total voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (US)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align=center | 502,332
| align=center | 42.24%
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (US)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align=center | 334,054
| align=center | 28.09%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent politician}}
| [[Independent voter|Unaffiliated]]
| align=center | 300,320
| align=center | 25.25%
|-
| {{party color cell|Other parties (US)}}
|[[List of political parties in the United States|Minor parties]]
| align=center | 52,567
| align=center | 4.42%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align=center | 1,189,273
! align=center | 100.00%
|}

West Virginia is regarded as a heavily Republican, [[Red states and blue states|"deep red"]] state at the federal level.<ref name="slate.com" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/democrats-getting-destroyed-key-senate-142414525.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory|title=Democrats Are Getting Destroyed In Key Senate States|website=yahoo.com|date=March 4, 2014 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202084343/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/democrats-getting-destroyed-key-senate-142414525.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory|archive-date=February 2, 2017}}</ref> Since [[2000 United States presidential election|2000]], West Virginians have supported the Republican candidate in every presidential election, nearly always by increasing margins. The [[2008 United States presidential election in West Virginia|2008 presidential election]] was the last to date in which the Democratic nominee won any of the state's counties.

In the [[2024 United States presidential election in West Virginia|2024 presidential election]], Republican [[Donald Trump]] won all of the state's counties and 69.97% of the vote, the highest percentage any party has won in the state's history.<ref>{{cite web|title=Official 2024 Presidential General Election Results |url=https://www.fec.gov/documents/5644/2024presgeresults.pdf |publisher=[[Federal Election Commission]] |date=January 16, 2025 |access-date=January 18, 2025 }}</ref> West Virginia was Trump's best performance in 2016.<ref name="Leip, David">{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=General Election Results—West Virginia|publisher=United States Election Atlas|access-date=November 18, 2016|author=Leip, David|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709214827/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|archive-date=July 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

At the state level, West Virginia's politics were largely dominated by the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] from the [[Great Depression]] through the 2000s. This was a legacy of West Virginia's very strong tradition of union membership.<ref name="slate.com">{{cite journal|last=Woodruff |first=Betsy|date=October 29, 2014|title=Goodbye West Virginia |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/10/republicans_are_turning_west_virginia_red_how_the_democrats_lost_control.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721085311/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/10/republicans_are_turning_west_virginia_red_how_the_democrats_lost_control.html|archive-date=July 21, 2017|journal=Slate|quote=But by 2000, tectonic changes in the state's politics were underway. West Virginians tended to be economically liberal but socially conservative, and as social issues like abortion came to the forefront in national politics, the state started looking better for Republicans. The leftward tilt of the national Democratic Party helped matters, too.}}</ref> After the 2014 midterm elections Democrats controlled the governorship, the majority of statewide offices, and one U.S. Senate seat, while Republicans held one U.S. Senate seat, all three of the state's [[U.S. House]] seats, and a majority in both houses of the [[West Virginia Legislature]]. In the 2016 elections, the Republicans held on to their seats and made gains in the State Senate and gained three statewide offices.<ref>{{cite news | title=The Latest: GOP maintains majority in West Virginia Senate | url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article113238573.html | date=November 9, 2016 | newspaper=[[Miami Herald]] | access-date=November 9, 2016 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110111716/http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article113238573.html | archive-date=November 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=McElhinny | first1=Brad | title=W.Va. Republicans celebrate Trump win and GOP gains | url=http://wvmetronews.com/2016/11/09/w-va-republicans-celebrate-trump-win-and-gop-gains/ | date=November 9, 2016 | publisher=[[West Virginia MetroNews]] | access-date=November 10, 2016 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110161351/http://wvmetronews.com/2016/11/09/w-va-republicans-celebrate-trump-win-and-gop-gains/ | archive-date=November 10, 2016}}</ref>

Evangelical Christians comprised 52% of the state's voters in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#val=WVP00p1 |work=CNN |title=Local Exit Polls—Election Center 2008—Elections & Politics from CNN.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605132422/http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#val=WVP00p1 |archive-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref> A poll in 2005 showed that 53% of West Virginia voters are [[anti-abortion]], the seventh highest in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateAbortion0805SortedbyProLife.htm |title=SurveyUSA - 50 State Abortion 0805 Sorted by Pro Life |publisher=SurveyUSA.com |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221052419/http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateAbortion0805SortedbyProLife.htm |archive-date=February 21, 2010}}</ref> A 2014 poll by Pew Research found that 35% of West Virginians supported legal abortion in "all or most cases" while 58% wanted it to be banned "in all or most cases".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/compare/views-about-abortion/by/state/ |title=Views about abortion by state |publisher=Pew Research Center|work=2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study |access-date=October 11, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012014543/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/compare/views-about-abortion/by/state/ |archive-date=October 12, 2018}}</ref>

A September 2011 [[Public Policy Polling]] survey found that 19% of West Virginia voters thought [[same-sex marriage]] should be legal, while 71% thought it should be illegal and 10% were not sure. A separate question on the same survey found that 43% of West Virginia voters supported the legal recognition of same-sex couples, with 17% supporting same-sex marriage, 26% supporting civil unions but not marriage, 54% favoring no legal recognition and 3% not sure.<ref>{{cite press release |title=WV against gay marriage, for Tea Party, Steelers, Reds/Bucs |date=September 15, 2011 |publisher=Public Policy Polling |url=http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_WV_0915.pdf |access-date=September 20, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723060028/http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_WV_0915.pdf |archive-date=July 23, 2012}}</ref> In 2008, 58% favored troop withdrawal from Iraq while just 32% wanted troops to remain.<ref>{{cite web |title=West Virginia: McCain 45% Obama 38% |date=September 25, 2008 |website=Rasmussenreports.com |publisher=Rasmussen Reports |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/west_virginia/west_virginia_mccain_45_obama_38 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301004702/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2008/2008_presidential_election/west_virginia/west_virginia_mccain_45_obama_38 |archive-date=March 1, 2012 |url-status=deviated}}</ref> On fiscal policy in 2008, 52% said raising taxes on the wealthier individuals would benefit the economy, while 45% disagreed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Election 2008: West Virginia Presidential Election|website=Rasmussenreports.com|publisher=Rasmussen Reports |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/west_virginia/election_2008_west_virginia_presidential_election |date=October 21, 2008 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516201617/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/west_virginia/election_2008_west_virginia_presidential_election |archive-date=May 16, 2010}}</ref>

In a 2020 study, West Virginia was ranked as the 16th hardest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=December 15, 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Transportation==
{{Main|Transportation in West Virginia}}

[[File:View of New River Gorge Bridge.jpg|thumb|The iconic [[New River Gorge Bridge]] near [[Fayetteville, West Virginia|Fayetteville]]]]
[[File:Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit.jpg|thumb|[[Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit]]]]

Highways form the backbone of transportation systems in West Virginia, with over {{convert|37300|mi|km}} of public roads in the state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvdot.com/3_roadways/3_roadways.htm |title=West Virginia Department of Transportation, accessed June 9, 2006 |publisher=Wvdot.com |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024223558/http://www.wvdot.com/3_roadways/3_roadways.htm |archive-date=October 24, 2009}}</ref> Airports, railroads, and rivers complete the commercial transportation modes for West Virginia. Commercial air travel is facilitated by airports in Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Beckley, Lewisburg, Clarksburg, and Parkersburg. All but Charleston and Huntington are subsidized by the federal [[United States Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation's]] [[Essential Air Service]] program. The cities of Charleston, Huntington, Beckley, Wheeling, Morgantown, Clarksburg, Parkersburg and Fairmont have bus-based public transit systems.

[[West Virginia University]] in Morgantown boasts the [[Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit|PRT (personal rapid transit) system]], the state's only single-rail public transit system. Developed by [[Boeing]], the WVU School of Engineering and the [[United States Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation]], it was a model for low-capacity light transport designed for smaller cities. Recreational transportation opportunities abound in West Virginia, including hiking trails,<ref>de Hart, A, and Sundquist, B., Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Charleston, West Virginia 1993.</ref> [[rail trails]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvrtc.org |title=West Virginia Rails-to-Trails Council, accessed June 9, 2006 |publisher=Wvrtc.org |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829215645/http://www.wvrtc.org/ |archive-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref> ATV off-road trails,<ref>{{cite web |author=Southern West Virginia |url=http://www.trailsheaven.com/ |title=Hatfield and McCoys Trail web site, accessed June 6, 2006 |publisher=Trailsheaven.com |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702070729/http://www.trailsheaven.com/ |archive-date=July 2, 2010}}</ref> white water rafting rivers,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvwhitewater.com/ |title=WV White Water web site, access June 6, 2006 |publisher=Wvwhitewater.com |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727125107/http://www.wvwhitewater.com/ |archive-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref> and two tourist railroads, the [[Cass Scenic Railroad]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cassrailroad.com/ |title=Cass Scenic Railroad web site, accessed June 9, 2006 |publisher=Cassrailroad.com |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225094114/http://www.cassrailroad.com/ |archive-date=February 25, 2009}}</ref> and the [[South Branch Valley Railroad|Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.potomaceagle.info/ |title=Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, accessed June 6, 2006 |publisher=Potomaceagle.info |date=February 20, 2010 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926230922/http://potomaceagle.info/ |archive-date=September 26, 2010}}</ref>

Rail lines in the state used to be more prevalent, but many lines have been discontinued because of increased automobile traffic. Many old tracks have been converted to [[rail trails]] for recreational use, although the coal-producing areas still have railroads running at near capacity. [[Amtrak]]'s ''[[Cardinal (train)|Cardinal]]'' roughly parallels I-64's path through the state. [[MARC Train|MARC]] trains serve commuters to [[Washington, D.C.]] in the eastern panhandle. In 2006 [[Norfolk Southern]] along with the West Virginia and U.S. Government approved a plan to modify many of the rail tunnels in West Virginia, especially in the southern half of the state, to allow for double-stacked cars (see [[Intermodal freight transport|inter-modal freight]]). This is expected to also help bring economic growth to the southern half of the state. An Intermodal Freight Facility is located at Prichard, just south of Huntington.

Because of the mountainous nature of the entire state, West Virginia has several notable tunnels and bridges. The most famous of these is the [[New River Gorge Bridge]], which was at a time the longest steel single-arch bridge in the world with a 3,031-foot (924 m) span. The bridge is also pictured on the West Virginia [[State quarter]]. The Fort Steuben Bridge (Weirton-Steubenville Bridge) was at the time of its construction one of only three cable-stayed steel girder trusses in the United States. "The Veterans Memorial Bridge was designed to handle traffic from the Fort Steuben Bridge as well as its own traffic load", to quote the ''Weirton Daily Times'' newspaper.<ref name="Gossett Fort Steuben Bridge permanently closed">{{Cite news |url=http://www.weirtondailytimes.com/page/content.detail/id/515883.html |title=Fort Steuben Bridge permanently closed |last=Gossett |first=Dave |date=January 15, 2009 |work=Weirton Daily Times |access-date=February 2, 2009 |archive-date=February 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154035/https://www.weirtondailytimes.com/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The 80-year-old Fort Steuben Bridge (Weirton-Steubenville Bridge) was permanently closed on January 8, 2009. The [[Wheeling Suspension Bridge]] was the first bridge built across the [[Ohio River]] in 1849 and for a time was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It is still the oldest vehicular suspension bridge in the United States still in use.

===Roads===
[[File:The Veterans Memorial Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge across the Ohio River between Steubenville, Ohio, and Weirton, West Virginia LCCN2015632005.tiff|thumb|right|The [[Veterans Memorial Bridge (Steubenville, Ohio)|Veterans Memorial Bridge]] carries US 22 from [[Weirton, West Virginia|Weirton]] into Ohio.]]

West Virginia is crossed by seven [[Interstate Highways]]. [[Interstate 64|I-64]] enters the state near [[White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia|White Sulphur Springs]] in the mountainous east, and exits for [[Kentucky]] in the west, near [[Huntington, West Virginia|Huntington]]. [[Interstate 77|I-77]] enters from [[Virginia]] in the south, near [[Bluefield, West Virginia|Bluefield]]. It runs north past [[Parkersburg, West Virginia|Parkersburg]] before it crosses into [[Ohio]]. [[Interstate 64|I-64]] and [[Interstate 77|I-77]] between Charleston and Beckley are merged as toll road known as the [[West Virginia Turnpike]], which continues as I-77 alone from Beckley to Princeton. It was constructed beginning in 1952 as a two-lane road, but rebuilt beginning in 1974 to Interstate standards. Today almost nothing of the original construction remains. [[Interstate 68|I-68]]'s western terminus is in [[Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown]]. From there it runs east into [[Maryland]]. At the [[Interstate 68|I-68]] terminus in Morgantown, it meets [[Interstate 79|I-79]], which enters from Pennsylvania and runs through the state to its southern terminus in [[Charleston, West Virginia|Charleston]]. [[Interstate 70|I-70]] briefly runs through West Virginia, crossing the northern panhandle through [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling]], while [[Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia)|I-470]] is a bypass of Wheeling (making Wheeling among the smallest cities with an interstate bypass). [[Interstate 81|I-81]] also briefly runs in West Virginia through the [[eastern panhandle]] where it goes through [[Martinsburg, West Virginia|Martinsburg]].

The interstates are supplemented by roads constructed under the Appalachian Corridor system. Four Corridors are complete. Corridor D, carrying US 50, runs from the Ohio River, and I-77, at Parkersburg to I-79 at Clarksburg. Corridor G, carrying US 119, runs from Charleston to the Kentucky border at Williamson. Corridor L, carrying US 19, runs from the Turnpike at Beckley to I-79 near Sutton (and provides a shortcut of about {{Convert|40|mi|km|abbr=}} and bypasses Charleston's urban traffic for travelers heading to and from Florida). Corridor Q, carrying US 460, runs through Mercer County, entering the state from [[Giles County, Virginia]] and then reentering Virginia at [[Tazewell County, Virginia|Tazewell County]].

Work continues on the long-delayed Corridor H, which will carry US 48 from Weston to the Virginia line near Wardensville. As of 2018, a section from Weston to Kerens just past Elkins, and another section from Wardensville to Davis are complete. Other projects under development are a four-lane upgrade of US 35 from Scott Depot to the Ohio River at Point Pleasant, which is about two-thirds complete; a four-lane upgrade of WV 10 from Logan to Man and then of WV 80 from Man to Gilbert, which is about half completed; and four-lane upgrades to US 52 from Bluefield to Williamson, known as the "King Coal Highway" and from Williamson to Huntington, known as the "Tolsia Highway" which are many years from completion. A project known as the "Coalfields Expressway" is also ongoing, and will carry US 121 from Beckley west across Raleigh, Wyoming, and McDowell counties, entering Virginia near Bishop.

==Education==
{{Main|Education in West Virginia}}
West Virginia is one of the lowest-scoring U.S. states for [[education in the United States|education]]. According to [[National Assessment of Educational Progress|The National Assessment of Educational Progress]], it is significantly below the national average in mathematics, reading, writing, and science. The surrounding states of Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania score higher than or equal to the national average.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NAEP State Profiles |url=https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile |access-date=February 27, 2023 |website=www.nationsreportcard.gov |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Colleges and universities ===
{{Further|List of colleges and universities in West Virginia}}

{{div col}}
* [[American Public University System]]
* [[Appalachian Bible College]]
* [[Bethany College (West Virginia)|Bethany College]]
* [[Bluefield State University]]
* [[Blue Ridge Community and Technical College]]
* [[BridgeValley Community and Technical College]]
* [[Concord University]]
* [[Davis and Elkins College]]
* [[Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College]]
* [[Fairmont State University]]
* [[Future Generations Graduate School]]
* [[Glenville State University]]
* [[Marshall University]]
* [[Mountwest Community and Technical College]]
* [[New River Community and Technical College]]
* [[Pierpont Community and Technical College]]
* [[Potomac State College of West Virginia University]]
* [[Salem International University]]
* [[Shepherd University]]
* [[Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College]]
* [[University of Charleston]]
* [[West Liberty University]]
* [[West Virginia Northern Community College]]
* [[West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine]]
* [[West Virginia State University]]
* [[West Virginia University]]
* [[West Virginia University at Parkersburg]]
* [[West Virginia University Institute of Technology]]
* [[West Virginia Wesleyan College]]
* [[Wheeling University]]
{{div col end}}

==Culture==

=== West "by God" Virginia ===
West Virginia is often called "West 'by God' Virginia." The term first appeared on online-accessible publications in 1926, when students at the [[University of Virginia]] wrote an article in the Virginia Spectator claiming that West "by God" Virginia women could consume corn liquor on its own, without having to mix it with other liquids. A 1939 academic article by [[Harold Wentworth (lexicographer)|Harold Wentworth]] of the [[West Virginia University|WVU]] History department had a footnote claiming that the term originated from when a native West Virginian, annoyed at being called a Virginian, claimed that he instead hailed from "West 'by God' Virginia."<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCormick |first=Liz |date=2019-08-28 |title=From Corn Liquor to State Pride - Origins of 'West by God Virginia' |url=https://wvpublic.org/from-corn-liquor-to-state-pride-origins-of-west-by-god-virginia/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=West Virginia Public Broadcasting |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Sports===

West Virginia is home to college sports teams from two schools—West Virginia and Marshall—that play in NCAA Division{{nbsp}}I. West Virginia is also home to several professional minor league baseball, football, hockey, and other sports teams.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
![[Club (organization)|Club]]
![[Sport]]
![[Sports league|League]]
|-
|[[West Virginia Mountaineers]]
|[[American football|Football]] / Basketball
|[[Big 12 Conference]]
|-
|[[Marshall Thundering Herd]]
|[[American football|Football]] / Basketball
|[[Sun Belt Conference]]
|-
|[[Bluefield Ridge Runners]]
|Baseball
|[[Appalachian League]]
|-
|[[Charleston Dirty Birds]]
|Baseball
|[[Atlantic League of Professional Baseball]]
|-
|[[Tri-State Coal Cats]]
|Baseball
|[[Appalachian League]]
|-
|[[West Virginia Miners]]
|Baseball
|[[Prospect League]]
|-
|[[West Virginia Black Bears]]
|Baseball
|[[MLB Draft League]]
|-
|[[Wheeling Nailers]]
|[[Ice hockey]]
|[[ECHL]]
|-
|West Virginia Lightning<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvlightningfootball.com |title=West Virginia Lightning Football |publisher=Wvlightningfootball.com |access-date=January 29, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113181747/http://www.wvlightningfootball.com/ |archive-date=January 13, 2012}}</ref>
|[[American football|Football]]
|Elite Mid-Continental Football League<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.elitemcfl.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217034918/http://elitemcfl.com/|url-status=dead|title=线上娱乐平台送体验金,gav澳门网站,gav澳门网站-【www.51335c.net】|archive-date=December 17, 2014|website=www.elitemcfl.com}}</ref>
|-
|[[West Virginia United]]
|[[Soccer]]
|[[USL League Two]]
|-
|[[West Virginia Bruisers]]
|[[American football|Football]]
|[[Women's Football Alliance]]
|}

===Music===
{{Main|Music of West Virginia}}

====Appalachian music====

West Virginia's folk heritage is a part of the [[Appalachian folk music]] tradition, and includes styles of [[Musical styles (violin)#Fiddle|fiddling]], ballad singing, and other styles that draw on [[Ulster Scots people|Scots-Irish]] music. Camp Washington-Carver, a Mountain Cultural Arts Center located at [[Clifftop, Fayette County, West Virginia|Clifftop]] in [[Fayette County, West Virginia|Fayette County]], hosts an annual Appalachian String Band Festival.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/stringband/ |title=Appalachian String Band Festival |publisher=Wvculture.org |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729203742/http://www.wvculture.org/stringband/ |archive-date=July 29, 2010}}</ref> The Capitol Complex in Charleston hosts The Vandalia Gathering, where traditional Appalachian musicians compete in contests and play in impromptu jam sessions and evening concerts over the weekend.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wvculture.org/vandalia/ |title=Vandalia Gathering |publisher=Wvculture.org |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828120221/http://www.wvculture.org/vandalia/ |archive-date=August 28, 2010}}</ref> The Augusta Heritage Center sponsored by Davis & Elkins College in [[Elkins, West Virginia|Elkins]] in [[Randolph County, West Virginia|Randolph County]] produces the annual [[Augusta Heritage Festival]], which includes intensive week-long workshops in the summer that help preserve Appalachian heritage and traditions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.augustaheritage.com/about.html |title=Augustaheritage.com |publisher=Augustaheritage.com |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814045504/http://www.augustaheritage.com/about.html |archive-date=August 14, 2010}}</ref>

====Classical music====

The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1939, as the ''Charleston Civic Orchestra'', before becoming the ''Charleston Symphony Orchestra'' in 1943. The first conductor was William R. Wiant, followed by the conductor Antonio Modarelli, who was written about in the November 7, 1949 ''Time Magazine'' for his composition of the ''River Saga'', a six-section program piece about the Kanawha River according to the ''Charleston Gazette''{{'}}s November 6, 1999, photo essay, "Snapshots of the 20th Century".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wvgazette.com/static/century/gz1106.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410001327/http://www.wvgazette.com/static/century/gz1106.html|url-status=dead|title=WVgazette.com|archive-date=April 10, 2008}}</ref> Before coming to Charleston, Modarelli had conducted the [[Wheeling Symphony Orchestra]] and the [[Philadelphia Orchestra]], according to the orchestra's website.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wvsymphony.org/orchestra.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081106023605/http://www.wvsymphony.org/orchestra.php|url-status=dead|title=West Virginia Symphony Orchestra|archive-date=November 6, 2008}}</ref>

The [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning 20th-century composer [[George Crumb]] was born in Charleston and earned his bachelor's degree there before moving outside the state. There had also been a series of operatic-style concerts performed in Wheeling during mid-century as well.

====Musical innovation====

The West Virginia Cultural Center in Charleston<ref>[http://www.wvculture.org/agency/cultcenter.html West Virginia Cultural Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060118022112/http://www.wvculture.org/agency/cultcenter.html |date=January 18, 2006}}. Retrieved January 19, 2006.</ref> is home to the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History,<ref>[http://www.wvculture.org/ West Virginia Division of Culture and History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216093731/http://www.wvculture.org/ |date=February 16, 2008}}. Retrieved January 19, 2006.</ref> which helps underwrite and coordinate a large number of musical activities. The center is also home to ''[[Mountain Stage]]'', an internationally broadcast live-performance music radio program established in 1983 which is carried by many affiliates of [[National Public Radio]].<ref>In 2001, Mountain Stage debuted a television show featuring many of the radio program's guests. [http://www.mountainstage.org/ Mountain Stage] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091030234033/http://www.mountainstage.org/ |date=October 30, 2009}}. Retrieved January 20, 2006.</ref> The program also travels to other venues in the state such as the [[West Virginia University]] Creative Arts Center in Morgantown.<ref>[http://www.tourmorgantown.com/ Greater Morgantown Convention & Visitors Bureau] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060203191923/http://www.tourmorgantown.com/ |date=February 3, 2006}}. Retrieved January 20, 2006.</ref>

The center hosts concerts sponsored by the Friends of Old Time Music and Dance, which brings an assortment of acoustic roots music to West Virginians.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ballman |first=Stephen |url=http://www.footmad.org |title=Footmad |publisher=Footmad |date=October 30, 2002 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123063312/http://www.footmad.org/ |archive-date=January 23, 2011}}</ref> The center also hosts the West Virginia Dance Festival, which features classical and modern dance.<ref>[http://www.wvculture.org/dance/index.html West Virginia Dance Festival] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060103120203/http://www.wvculture.org/dance/index.html |date=January 3, 2006}}. Retrieved January 20, 2006.</ref>

Huntington's historic [[Keith-Albee Theatre]], built by brothers A.B. and S.J. Hyman, was originally opened to the public on May 7, 1928, and hosts a variety of performing arts and music attractions. The theatre was eventually gifted to [[Marshall University]] and is currently going through renovation to restore it to its original splendor.

Every summer [[Elkins, West Virginia|Elkins]] hosts the Augusta Heritage Festival, which brings folk musicians from around the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.augustaheritage.com |title=Augustaheritage.com |publisher=Augustaheritage.com |date=July 4, 2010 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722165028/http://www.augustaheritage.com/ |archive-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> The town of [[Glenville, West Virginia|Glenville]] has long been home to the annual West Virginia State Folk Festival.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.etc4u.com/folkfest/ |title=West Virginia State Folk Festival |publisher=Etc4u.com |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125231313/http://www.etc4u.com/folkfest/ |archive-date=January 25, 2011}}</ref>

The Mountaineer Opera House in [[Milton, West Virginia|Milton]] hosts a variety of musical acts.

[[John Denver]]'s hit song "[[Take Me Home, Country Roads]]" describes the experience of driving through West Virginia. The song mentions the [[Shenandoah River]] and the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]], both features traversing the easternmost extremity of the state's "eastern panhandle", in [[Jefferson County, West Virginia|Jefferson County]]. On March 8, 2014, West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed House Concurrent Resolution 40 naming "Take Me Home, Country Roads" the fourth official state song of West Virginia.

Symphony Sunday is an annual event hosted by the [[West Virginia Symphony Orchestra]] held in June. It is a day full of music by community groups, food, and family fun, culminating in a free performance by the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra with a fireworks display following. The event began in 1982 and is held on the front lawn of the [[University of Charleston]].

The [[Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival]] is West Virginia's longest-running music festival. It is for the eight public high schools in Kanawha County. The festival began in 1947. It is held at the [[University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field]] in downtown Charleston.

==See also==
{{portal|United States|West Virginia}}
* [[Index of West Virginia-related articles]]
* [[List of West Virginia archives]]
* [[List of West Virginia counties by socioeconomic factors]]
* [[Outline of West Virginia]]
* [[List of West Virginia State Fishing Records]]
* [[List of festivals in West Virginia]]

==References==
'''Informational notes'''
{{reflist|group=note}}

'''Citations'''
{{reflist}}

'''Further reading'''
{{refbegin}}
* Charles H. Ambler, ''A History of Education in West Virginia From Early Colonial Times to 1949 '' (1951)
* Charles H. Ambler and Festus P. Summers. ''West Virginia, the Mountain State'' (1958)
* Jane S. Becker, ''Inventing Tradition: Appalachia and the Construction of an American Folk, 1930–1940'' 1998.
* Richard A. Brisbin, et al. ''West Virginia Politics and Government'' (1996)
* James Morton Callahan, ''History of West Virginia'' (1923) 3 vol
* John C. Campbell, ''The Southern Highlander and His Homeland'' (1921) reissued 1969.
* {{EB1911 |wstitle = West Virginia |volume=28 |pages=560–564}}
* Elizabeth Cometti, and Festus P. Summers. ''The Thirty-fifth State: A Documentary History of West Virginia''. Morgantown: West Virginia University Library, 1966.
* Richard Orr Curry, ''A House Divided: A Study of Statehood Politics and Copperhead Movement in West Virginia'' (1964)
* Donald Edward Davis. ''Where There Are Mountains: An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians'' 2000.
* Ronald D, Eller. ''Miners, Millhands, and Mountaineers: Industrialization of the Appalachian South, 1880–1930'' 1982.
* Carl E. Feather, ''Mountain People in a Flat Land: A Popular History of Appalachian Migration to Northeast Ohio, 1940–1965''. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1998.
* Thomas R. Ford ed. ''The Southern Appalachian Region: A Survey''. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1967.
* Horace Kephart, ''[[Our Southern Highlanders]]''. Rev. ed. New York: Macmillan, 1922. Reprinted as ''Our Southern Highlanders: A Narrative of Adventure in the Southern Appalachians and a Study of Life among the Mountaineers''. With an Introduction by George Ellison. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1976.
* Gerald Milnes, ''Play of a Fiddle: Traditional Music, Dance, and Folklore in West Virginia.'' Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1999.
* Otis K. Rice, ''The Allegheny Frontier: West Virginia Beginnings, 1730–1830'' (1970),
* Otis K. Rice and Stephen W. Brown, ''West Virginia: A History'', 2d ed. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1993), standard
* Curtis Seltzer, ''Fire in the Hole: Miners and Managers in the American Coal Industry'' (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1985), conflict in the coal industry to the 1980s.
* John E. Stealey III, ''West Virginia's Civil War-Era Constitution: Loyal Revolution, Confederate Counter-Revolution, and the Convention of 1872.'' Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 2013.
* Joe William Trotter Jr., ''Coal, Class, and Color: Blacks in Southern West Virginia, 1915–32'' (1990)
* John Alexander Williams, ''West Virginia: A History for Beginners''. 2nd ed. Charleston, W.Virginia: Appalachian Editions, 1997.
* John Alexander Williams. ''West Virginia: A Bicentennial History'' (1976)
* John Alexander Williams. ''West Virginia and the Captains of Industry'' 1976.
* John Alexander Williams. ''Appalachia: A History'' (2002)
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links |voy = West Virginia}}

===State government===
* [http://www.wv.gov/ State of West Virginia government website]
* [http://www.wvcommerce.org/ West Virginia Department of Commerce] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817113409/http://www.wvcommerce.org/ |date=August 17, 2020}}
* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/westvirginia/index.html West Virginia State Guide, from the Library of Congress]
* [http://www.legis.state.wv.us/ West Virginia Legislature website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112101230/http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/WV_CON.cfm |date=January 12, 2018}}
* [http://www.state.wv.us/wvsca Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151005191819/http://www.legis.state.wv.us/wvcode/wv_con.cfm Constitution of West Virginia]
* [http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/masterfrm3Banner.cfm West Virginia Code] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223195012/http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/masterfrm3Banner.cfm |date=February 23, 2015}}

===U.S. government===
* [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=WV Energy Profile for West Virginia—Economic, environmental, and energy data] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101117133449/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=WV |date=November 17, 2010}}
* [https://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=WV USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of West Virginia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229200447/https://www2.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?state=wv |date=December 29, 2016}}
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=54&StateName=West%20Virginia#.U8JkV7GB85g West Virginia State Fact Sheet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205100242/http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=54&StateName=West%20Virginia#.U8JkV7GB85g |date=December 5, 2014 }} from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

===Other===
* [http://www.wvgov.org/ Governor Earl Ray Tomblin's website]
* [http://www.wvtourism.com/ West Virginia Division of Tourism]
* [http://www.westvirginia.com/ Visiting West Virginia]
* [http://www.wvculture.org/history West Virginia Archives and History]
* [http://wvde.state.wv.us/ West Virginia Department of Education] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231185210/http://wvde.state.wv.us/ |date=December 31, 2017}}
* [http://www.wvexplorer.com/ West Virginia Explorer]
* [http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/ West Virginia Encyclopedia]
* {{OSM relation|162068}}

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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of U.S. states by date of statehood]]|years=Admitted on June 20, 1863 (35th)}}
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