West Virginia is a landlocked state included in both Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States. It’s also located entirely in the Appalachian Region. West Virginia is surrounded by 5 other states: Pennsylvania on the north and east, Maryland on the northeast and east, Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest and Ohio on the northwest. The nickname of West Virginia is the Mountain State because the state is almost entirely mountainous. This article will talk about interesting West Virginia facts to give us more knowledge about this Mountain State.
1. West Virginia was Originally Part of Virginia
As we can easily guess from its name, West Virginia was originally part of Virginia. West Virginia was splitting from Virgnia and admitted on June 20, 1863 to the Union and becomes the only two states admitted during the American Civil War (the other was Nevada from Nevada Territory). West Virginia was separated from Virginia because of the issue of secession from the Union. It was one of five border states during the American Civil War. The others were Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri.
2. Charleston is the Capital City of West Virginia and also Its Largest
The capital city of West Virginia is Charleston. It’s also the largest city in West Virginia. Charleston Metropolitan Area is the largest metropolitan area entirely located in the state while Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan area located in West Virginia and two other states (Kentucky and Ohio). It’s locally called Tri-State area that lies along the banks of the Ohio River.
3. West Virginia is the Largest Coal Producing State East of Mississippi
West Virginia is the state east of Mississippi with the largest coal production. It’s also the second largest coal producing state in the United States behind Wyoming. But when it comes to bituminous coal, West Virginia is the largest producer. West Virginia produces around 13-14% of the coal produced in the United States. 43 out of 55 counties of West Virginia have economically recoverable reserves of coal.
4. The New River Gorge Bridge is the Longest Steel Arch Bridge in the Western Hemisphere
The New River Gorge Bridge is a 3,030 feet (924 m) long steel arch bridge over New River Gorge located near Fayetteville, West Virginia. It was the longest steel arch bridge in the world until 2003 with the opening of China’s Shanghai’s Lupu Bridge. The New River Gorge Bridge is still the longest steel arch bridge in the United States and the Western Hemisphere.
5. Wheeling Suspension Bridge was the Longest Suspension Bridge in the World
With 308 meters (1,010 ft) longest span, Wheeling Suspension Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world between 1864–1866 until the construction of John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. Wheeling Suspension Bridge is a bridge spanning the main channel of the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia. It’s designed by Charles Ellet Jr that also designed Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge.
6. Weirton is the Only City in the United States that Touches Two Other State Borders
Weirton is a city in West Virginia that lies in the Northern Panhandle region. Weirton is primarily located in Hancock County but extended to Brooke County. With its location in the Northern Panhandle region, Weirton becomes a unique city as it’s the only city in the United States that touches two other state borders, Ohio in the west and Pennsylvania in the east.
7. West Virginia is the State with the Second Lowest Median Household Income
West Virginia is still lower than the national average when it comes to median household income. It ranks the second lowest from 50 states of the United States only above Mississippi as the state with the lowest median household income. West Virginia also ranks as one of the lowest when it comes to the Human Development Index (HDI). The lower median household income and Human Development Index are partly because of less economic and education opportunity in the mountainous area of West Virginia.
8. Spruce Knob is the Highest Natural Point of West Virginia
With 4,863 ft (1,482 m) elevation, Spruce Knob is the highest natural point of West Virginia. Spruce Knob is the summit of Spruce Mountain in Pendleton County, eastern West Virginia. Most of Spruce Mountain lies within the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area within the Monongahela National Forest. Spruce Knob is the highest point of Allegheny Mountain that spans four states.
9. The Northern Cardinal is the State Bird of West Virginia
The Cardinal, the prior name of the northern cardinal, was adopted as the official state bird of West Virginia on March 7, 1949. The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) mid-sized songbird with 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) body length. The northern cardinal is the most popular state bird as It’s a state bird of 7 states. Besides West Virginia, it is also the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.
10. Rhododendron is the State Flower of West Virginia
On January 29, 1903, the Rhododendron was designated as the official state flower of West Virginia. The Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) can grow to 4-10m tall with 2.5–3 cm (0.98–1.18 in) flower diameter. Rhododendron maximum is a species of genus Rhododendron that native to The Appalachian Mountains from Nova Scotia in the north to Alabama in the south. Rhododendron is also the state bird of Washington state but it’s different in species (Rhododendron macrophyllum).
Do you know other interesting facts about West Virginia? It’s surely welcome if you know other interesting West Virginia facts with us here since there are many facts that we haven’t talked about.