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5 Best Cities to visit in West Virginia

West Virginia is located in the incomparable Appalachian Mountains, the only state completely within the Appalachian Mountain range, rightly given the nickname the Mountain State. It is famously known for its enchanting forests, with 80% of the state being covered by forests. Did you know that the Monongahela National Forest covers nearly a million acres of land and spans across 10 counties?

West Virgin is a gem for all people with its wide range of attractions ranging from incredible natural scenery, historical sites, and fun outdoors activities. Below is a list of the 5 best cities to visit in West Virginia 

1. Charleston

Charleston – Unsplash

Charleston is located in the Allegheny Mountains, at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The first permanent settlement, Fort Lee, was built in 1788 by Colonel George Clendenin. The city was first named Charles Town, after Clendenin鈥檚 father, it was renamed Charleston in 1819. It was nominated as the state capital in 1870, but it took seven years and a popular vote before the capital moved there permanently.

This historical, capital and largest city has a rich history that is well portrayed from prehistoric times to the present in the West Virginia State Museum. Did you know that Charleston鈥檚 history dates back to the Revolutionary War and can attribute its growth to the coal, natural gas, and railroad industries? Enjoy the green city in the 9,300-acre Kanawha Forest, which is home to more than 19 species of wood warblers. Visit the Charleston State Capitol, rises majestically above the banks of the Kanawha River, with a dome five feet higher than that of the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.

In addition to a rich history, enchanting landscape and classical architecture all around the city, Charleston also offers a wide range of cuisines in its brilliant world-class restaurants, bars, caf茅s and hotels.  

We included Charleston on this list because it is a beautiful riverfront city that offers the perfect background for your pictures.

2. Parkersburg

Parkersburg – Flickr

Parkersburg, West Virginia is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia, United States. Settlers at first named the city Newport when they settled it in the late 18th century following the American Revolutionary War. The town was renamed Parkersburg in 1810. It was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1820. It was rechartered as a city in 1860.

The city was pivotal in the birth of the nation’s oil and gas industry and the creation of the State of West Virginia and his rich history is well depicted in the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History in Blennerhassett Island – a national historical site located just off the city’s shoreline in the heart of the Ohio River. Additional museums in the region are the Henry Cooper House, the Oil and Gas Museum, the Sumnerite African-American History Museum, the Artcraft Studio and the Veterans Museum of Mid-Ohio Valley.

Enjoy the beautiful landscape of the city in the different parks in the city that include Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, Bicentennial Park, Corning Park, Point Park, Southwood Park, Quincy Park, City Park, Johnson T. Janes Park, Friendship Park, Fort Boreman Historical Park, Mountwood Park and Fries Park. Enjoy the rich culture of Parkersburg in its annual cultural events that are spread throughout the year.

Parkersburg was included in the list because of the Blennerhassett Museum of Reginal History. The museum offers you an insight of the region鈥檚 history and families that lived there.

3. Wheeling

Wheeling – Flickr

Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia that lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The site was settled in 1769 by the Zane family. In 1795 the site was chartered as a town called Zanesburg. Two years later, the county seat was moved from West Liberty to Zanesburg, which was renamed Wheeling in 1806. The name Wheeling supposedly is derived from a Delaware Indian term meaning 鈥渉ead鈥� or 鈥渟kull,鈥� a reference to the beheading of a party of settlers.

The city of Wheeling was where the creation of West Virginia was planned, and it was the first capital of the new state. The city grew into prominence particularly for the manufacture of cut iron nails, thus being referred to 鈥淭he nail capital of the world鈥�. It became the richest city per capita in America at the end of the 19th century.

The city is covered with so much history such as the West Virginia Independence Hall which was the site of the Wheeling Convention, two meetings held in 1861 that ultimately reversed Virginia’s Ordinance of Secession, the first official memorial monument in the state of West Virginia, dedicated specifically to men killed in the Vietnam War and the oldest building in the area is Shepherd Hall (Monument Place), built in 1798.

Enjoy your day out in the Centre Market, which was built in 1798 and originally known as Wheeling’s market house. Built in 1853.

Wheeling made its way on the list because of its world-renowned zoo, the Oglebay Park. It was the first zoo ever built as a natural area.

4. Princeton

Princeton – Flickr

Princeton, is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The site was settled in 1826 and named after the American Revolutionary War general Hugh Mercer, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. In 1905, the Virginian Railroad developed a shop and yards in Princeton. This contributed to the growth of the town, which was chartered as a city in 1909.

The city of Princeton is home to one of the town鈥檚 biggest tourist attractions, the Princeton Railroad Museum. The museum is housed in a replica of the former Virginian Railway Station. This museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the Virginian Railway, the “Richest Little Railroad in the World.”

The city often referred to as the Jewel of the South, hosts the Princeton WhistlePigs baseball club of the Appalachian League, is home to Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, one of the scariest abandoned places and The Bronz Look, LLC, is a one-stop shop for buying and selling precious metals, gemstones and fine art. The city also features a lot of other activities.

We can鈥檛 miss to include the city that was named by WV Living Magazine as the 鈥淏est up-And-Coming Town鈥� in West Virginia.

5. Huntington

Huntington – Flickr

Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia on the southern bank of the Ohio River, at the confluence with the Guyandotte River. The city is at the southwestern corner of West Virginia on the border with the state of Ohio and near the border of both states with Kentucky. This site was selected by Collis Potter Huntington as ideal for the western terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, the predecessor of what would become CSX Transportation. The city was incorporated in 1871.

It is home to the Port of Huntington Tri-State, the second-busiest inland port in the United States. The port is centered on the Ohio River and is the largest river port in the state of West Virginia and the largest inland port in the United States.

Huntington has a spectacular scenery as it sits at the foothill of the Appalachian Mountains and at the base of the Ohio River and numerous parks that offer recreation and an escape into the serenity of nature.

Huntington made it on the list because it is home to the second-busiest inland port in the United State.