West Virginia (WV)

Quick Facts

Capital City: Charleston

Abbreviation:  WV

Population (2019):  1,854,304; Rank: 38 of 50 | Population Quick Facts

Region:  South

Admission to Statehood:  June 20, 1863 (35th State)

State Motto:  

State Nickname:  The Mountain State

Origin of State Name:  Named after England’s Queen Elizabeth I, the “Virgin Queen”

Area Codes:  304 681

Zip Codes:  West Virginia Zip Codes

 

 

State Symbols

West Virginia
Quarter
West Virginia
State Flag
West Virginia
State Seal
West Virginia
State Bird
West Virginia
State Tree
West Virginia
State Flower

Bird:  Cardinal | List of State Birds

Flag:  A white field is bordered in dark blue. West Virginia’s flag displays a rock containing the date June 20, 1863, the day West Virginia became a state. The two men represent farming and mining. Below them are two rifles with a “Liberty Cap” on top the rifles. A banner ribbon includes the state motto “Mountaineers Are Always Free”. Around the picture are a wreath of rhododendron and the name of the state on a red ribbon. Get this Flag

Flower:   Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) | Other State Flowers

Soil:  Monongahela

Song:  

    • “West Virginia Hills” | Words by: Ellen King | Music by: H.E. Engle
    • “West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home” | Words by: Col. Julian G. Hearne, Jr | Music by: Col. Julian G. Hearne, Jr
    • “This Is My West Virginia” | Words by: Iris Bell | Music by: Iris Bell
    • “Take Me Home Country Roads” | Words by: Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver | Music by: Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver
    • Other State Songs | Sheet Music

Tree: Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) | Other State Trees

Quarter: New River Gorge Bridge with the date 1863 West Virginia Quarter | List of State Quarters

 

 

Geography

West Virginia

 

Area:  

  • Area: 24,231 sq.mi (62,758 sq.km.), 41st
  • Land: 24,087 sq.mi. (62,385 sq.km.), 41st
  • Water: 145 sq.mi. (376 sq.km.), 50th

Largest Cities:  Charleston | Huntington| Morgantown | Wheeling | Weirton | Fairmont | Beckley | Martinsburg | Clarksburg

Border States:  Kentucky | Maryland | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Virginia | List of US Regions

Highest Point:  Spruce Knob ; 4,863 feet, (1,482 m.) 24th tallest

Lowest Point:  West Virginia; 240 feet, 30th lowest

Geographic Center:  Braxton, 4 miles east of Sutton

National Parks: Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Bluestone National Scenic River
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Gauley River National Recreation Area
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Location:  

 

 

State Government

Governor:  Jim Justice (R)

Senators:  Joe Manchin (D) Shelley Moore Capito (R)

Representatives:  House Senate

Constitution: West Virginia’s Constitution , 35th State

Electoral College Votes:  5 Votes

 

Economy

  • Economy:
    • Agriculture: Cattle, dairy products, poultry, apples.
    • Industry: Chemical products, mining, primary metals, stone, clay, and glass products, tourism.
  • White Pages:
    West Virginia White Pages

Education