West Virginia
Discover West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. It's often called the "Mountain State", being the only state in the USA to lie completely within a mountain range (the Appalachians), and having the highest mean elevation of any state in the east. With its small cities and tiny towns tucked among endless forested mountains and hills, beautiful West Virginia is wonderful for outdoor lovers. The residents of the counties that became West Virginia split from the State of Virginia in part due to a disagreement over the issues of slavery and secession. These counties elected to remain with the Union during the American Civil War, and the new state was born on June 20, 1863. The population of the state today is around 1.8 million people. The capital city is Charleston, and the state motto is "Mountaineers are always free."
What to Experience in West Virginia
Taste of West Virginia...
Traditional West Virginia cooking is broadly similar to Southern cuisine, but it's considered part of the Appalachian style of cooking, which was mostly subsistence-based, meaning that people ate what they could grow or catch themselves. This style of cooking emphasizes wild or cultivated plants, berries, nuts, wild game and corn. While this does mean that some West Virginians eat opossum, squirrel and raccoon, you won't find them on any restaurant menus (unless you visit the Roadkill Cook-off in Marlinton). Foods like fried chicken, sausage, cornbread, green and pinto beans, greens, squash casserole, mashed potatoes, fresh cucumbers and onions, ripe tomatoes, pickles and berry cobbler are commonly found throughout the state. In distribution throughout all or many areas of the state: West Virginia has a small but burgeoning coffee roasting industry consisting of many small roasters throughout the state that have quickly gained local recognition for very high quality beans. Some of the best and most widely distributed include: West Virginia as a whole has a wide variety of dining experiences from national chains and fast food to local hot dog drive-ins and small locally-owned restaurants, and in the larger towns and cities surprisingly diverse options for cuisine and the occasional fine dining experience. Dining in West Virginia is typically less expensive than more heavily populated parts of the country, through a wide range of price points can be encountered.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped West Virginia into what it is today.
West Virginia used to be part of Virginia until the American Civil War when the fact that slavery had taken less deep roots in the area and that Richmond often ignored demands from Western areas of the state led to a high number of unionists in the area who ultimately formed a rival state government and split away, gaining statehood in 1863. Given its position as a boundary state between the North and the South, your perception of the West Virginia dialect will probably depend on where you're from. People from the North think that West Virginians have a Southern accent, whereas people from the South perceive them as speaking a more Northern dialect. Nevertheless, most West Virginians do have at least a bit of a Southern twang, particularly if you venture into the more remote mountain communities. There is no single West Virginia dialect. In areas of the state which border Ohio and Pennsylvania, the pronunciations tend to be more northern, with the primary marker being the long "I" sound. Some will voice the diphthong "aye" in the northern style, while others make the "ah" sound. Those in the interior of the state speak in a manner more like people from Kentucky or southern Virginia. In the southern counties particularly, you will find a very pronounced southern twang. Variations in dialects can be traced to immigration patterns. The coal fields of the southeastern part of the state were the destination of miners immigrating from Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThere are three main interstates in West Virginia: I-64 crosses the lower third of the state from Kentucky into Huntington, through Charleston and Beckley, and then past Lewisburg into Virginia. I-77 moves up the western third of the state, from Virginia into Bluefield, through Charleston and then past Parkersburg into Ohio. I-79 begins in Charleston and continues through Morgantown into Pennsylvania. The best way to see the state is definitely by driving, as West Virginia is generally lacking in reliable statewide public transportation. Many towns are basically inaccessible except by car, as is some of the best scenery. But be careful — off the main highways, the roads often loop around the mountaintops, which makes for some stunning views but also requires careful driving. Hairpin curves around mountain roads are not to be taken at high speeds, and the smaller country roads don't always have guard rails....
Regions
Explore AreasOnce considered the southernmost of the North, the northernmost of the South, the easternmost of the West, and the westernmost of the East, West Virginia is nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains to…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The best way to see the state is definitely by driving, as West Virginia is generally lacking in reliable statewide public transportation. Many towns are basically inaccessible except by car, as is some of the best scenery. But be careful — off the main highways, the roads often loop around the mountaintops, which makes for some stunning views but also requires careful driving. Hairpin curves around mountain roads are not to be taken at high speeds, and the smaller country roads don't always have guard rails. Many such turns are also at steep inclines - make sure you engine brake and obey all speed limit signs. Do not follow too closely to coal trucks, lest your windshield be cracked by falling hunks of coal. Motorcyclists will tell you that the best way to see the state is definitely by motorcycle. The warnings about hairpin curves and smaller country roads do apply, but those roads are motorcycling nirvana - endless curves and elevation changes.
Where to Stay
Accommodation for all types of travelers can be found, including luxury hotels and resorts, national hotel and motel chains at interstate exits and in larger towns and cities, small bed and breakfasts in small towns, state park lodges, cabins and short-term rentals, and campgrounds of all sorts. Prices tend to be lower than other parts of the eastern US, but can fluctuate greatly with season and proximity to popular attractions. The southeastern part of West Virginia is inside the National Radio Quiet Zone, a huge area of land where radio transmissions are strongly restricted to protect the Green Bank Observatory. The result is that cell phone service is mostly nonexistent. Radio stations are limited, too, with just the Allegheny Mountain Radio network operating a handful of low-power FM rebroadcasting stations.
Money & Budget
Traditional West Virginia cooking is broadly similar to Southern cuisine, but it's considered part of the Appalachian style of cooking, which was mostly subsistence-based, meaning that people ate what they could grow or catch themselves. This style of cooking emphasizes wild or cultivated plants, berries, nuts, wild game and corn. While this does mean that some West Virginians eat opossum, squirrel and raccoon, you won't find them on any restaurant menus (unless you visit the Roadkill Cook-off in Marlinton). Foods like fried chicken, sausage, cornbread, green and pinto beans, greens, squash casserole, mashed potatoes, fresh cucumbers and onions, ripe tomatoes, pickles and berry cobbler are commonly found throughout the state.
Language & Talk
Given its position as a boundary state between the North and the South, your perception of the West Virginia dialect will probably depend on where you're from. People from the North think that West Virginians have a Southern accent, whereas people from the South perceive them as speaking a more Northern dialect. Nevertheless, most West Virginians do have at least a bit of a Southern twang, particularly if you venture into the more remote mountain communities. There is no single West Virginia dialect. In areas of the state which border Ohio and Pennsylvania, the pronunciations tend to be more northern, with the primary marker being the long "I" sound. Some will voice the diphthong "aye" in the northern style, while others make the "ah" sound.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Be careful when driving on mountain roads, especially in the winter. The roads can be very steep, hairpin turns are common, most roads outside main traffic routes are unpaved, and if you're driving in the mountains, you may find yourself on the edge of a very steep drop with at most a guardrail to protect you. In the winter, West Virginia is susceptible to fairly large snowfalls, which can make the roads treacherous if not impassable, particularly if your car doesn't have good traction on the inclines. As you're driving, you'll also notice road signs at certain locations advising you to be alert for rockfalls in the vicinity. Many of the roads in the state were cut right through the mountains, giving you interesting geological sights as you drive, but bad weather and erosion can lead to rocks coming loose and tumbling down onto traffic below. It's not at all common, but it does occur, so pay attention to the signs and keep alert.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of West Virginia
gray metal bridge over green trees under white clouds and blue sky during daytime
trees near cathedral and buildings
a winding road through a forest
buildings on island
an aerial view of a town surrounded by trees
Capturing fall colours in West Virginia
brown waterfalls near house and forest trees during daytime
a bridge over a river surrounded by trees
Mountain View
Photo by Sara L. Cottle
gray metal bridge over green trees under white clouds and blue sky during daytime
trees near cathedral and buildings
a winding road through a forest