West Virginia

West Virginia is a state located in the Appalachian region in the Southern United States and is also considered to be a part of the Middle Atlantic States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. West Virginia is the 41st largest state by area, and is ranked 38th in population. The capital and largest city is Charleston. Located in the Appalachian Mountain range, West Virginia covers an area of 24,229.76 square miles (62,754.8 km²), with 24,077.73 square miles (62,361.0 km²) of land and 152.03 square miles (393.8 km²) of water, making it the 41st-largest state in the United States. 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 381 miles, followed by Ohio at 243 miles, Maryland at 174 miles, Pennsylvania at 118 miles, and Kentucky at 79 miles. West Virginia is located entirely within the Appalachian Region, and the state is almost entirely mountainous, giving reason to the nickname The Mountain State and the motto Montani Semper Liberi ("Mountaineers are always free").

As shown in the given West Virginia location map that Virginia is located in the north-east part of the United States. West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian region. The state shares its border with Virginia in the south-east, Kentucky to the south-west, Ohio in the north-west, Pennsylvania in the north-east and Maryland in the east.

Charleston is the capital and largest city of West Virginia. Historically, West Virginia was the only state that formed by seceding from a Confederate state; it was also one of only two states that formed during the American Civil War.

Geographically, the state is noted for its mountains and diverse topography. Surprisingly, West Virginia is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world, which facilitates it as a choice area for recreational caving and scientific research. With the humid subtropical climate, it is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational activities including skiing, whitewater rafting, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and hunting.

Harpers Ferry National Historic Park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers - and it's stunning, especially in the spring and fall! Visit for guided tours, living history events and hikes.

The US State West Virginia occupies 62,267 m², about 0,68 % of the total territory of the USA of 9,148,020 m². The total population of the US State West Virginia with 1,815,857 inhabitants (in 2017) has already increased by 0,42 % in this millennium. Almost 40 years ago there were 133,787 more people. The capital Charleston alone has 134,385 inhabitants.

Charleston became the state’s capital in 1877. The first capital building stood for 36 years before a fire destroyed it in 1921. There was also ammunition stored on the top floor of the building. The fire set off the ammunition, causing a panic from the the onlookers. During the event, two men were arrested for stealing a fire truck. 

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 1,500 feet (460 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 ecosystems similar to those of northern New England and eastern Canada. The highest point in the state is atop Spruce Knob, at 4,863 feet (1,482 m), and is covered in a boreal forest of dense spruce trees at altitudes above 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Spruce Knob lies within the Monongahela National Forest and is a part of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.

West Virginia is known under different nicknames; aka Mountain State (previously used on license plates), or Panhandle State, or The Switzerland of America, or Almost Heaven and detailed official information about West Virginia can be found on the homepage at www.wv.gov.

Poverty and median household income estimates for 2021 in West Virginia, WV about 291,051 individuals poverty estimate - all ages, it's 16.8% estimated percent of the total resident population of all ages in poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Program Release date: December 2022. SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and was formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. Estimated SNAP benefits recipients in West Virginia are about 303,345 individuals, for July of the reference year 2020. With a estimate of median household income = $51,122 by each individual family, with a 90% confidence interval lower bound of estimate of median household income = $50,059, with a 90% confidence interval upper bound of estimate of median household income = $52,185 in 2021.

The Air Quality index is in West Virginia = 67.1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 54. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 86. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in West Virginia = 3.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

The annual rainfall in West Virginia = 43.9 inches and the annual snowfall = 29.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 139. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 164. 84.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 22.1 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 45, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

The most recent state population of 1,793,716 individuals with a median age of 40.4 age the population grows by 0.29% in West Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 77/sq mi (29.8/km²) - residents per square mile of area.. There are average 2.44 people per household in the 759,823 households with an average household income of $43,469 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.70% of the available work force and has dropped -5.77% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 20.76%. The number of physicians in West Virginia per 100,000 population = 202.8.

The percentage of housing units in West Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 64.99%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 36 years with median home cost = $88,700 and home appreciation of -1.22%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.19 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

The local school district spends $5,649 per student. There are 14.3 students for each teacher in the school, 1213 students for each Librarian and 167 students for each Counselor. 4.33% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.02% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.06% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).