West Virginia

"WV" and "Mountain State" redirect here. For other uses, see Western Virginia, Mountain States, WV (disambiguation), and West Virginia (disambiguation).

West Virginia
State
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Mountain State
Motto:  Montani semper liberi (English: Mountaineers Are Always Free)
Anthem: Four songs
Location of West Virginia within the United States
Country	United States
Before statehood	Part of Virginia
Admitted to the Union	June 20, 1863 (1863-06-20) (35th)
Capital (and largest city)	Charleston
Largest county or equivalent	Kanawha
Largest metro and urban areas	Charleston–Huntington (combined) Huntington (metro and urban)
Government
• Governor	Patrick Morrisey (R)
• Lieutenant Governor	Randy Smith (R)
Legislature	West Virginia Legislature
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Delegates
Judiciary	Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
U.S. senators	Shelley Moore Capito (R) Jim Justice (R)
U.S. House delegation	1: Carol Miller (R) 2: Riley Moore (R) (list)
Area
• Total	24,230 sq mi (62,756 km2)
• Land	24,078 sq mi (62,361 km2)
• Water	152 sq mi (394 km2)  0.6%
• Rank	41st
Dimensions
• Length	239 mi (385 km)
• Width	130 mi (210 km)
Elevation	1,512 ft (461 m)
Highest elevation (Spruce Knob)	4,862 ft (1,482 m)
Lowest elevation (Potomac River at Virginia border)	240 ft (73 m)
Population  (2025)
• Total	1,766,147
• Rank	39th
• Density	77/sq mi (29.8/km2)
• Rank	29th
• Median household income	$55,900 (2023)
• Income rank	49th
Demonyms	West Virginian, Mountaineer
Language
• Official language	De jure: English
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation	WV
ISO 3166 code	US-WV
Traditional abbreviation	W.Va. and W.V.
Latitude	37°12′ N to 40°39′ N
Longitude	77°43′ W to 82°39′ W
Website	wv.gov

West Virginia is a mountainous, landlocked state in the Southern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. West Virginia is the 10th-smallest state by area and ranks as the 12th-least populous state, with 1,778,373 residents. The capital and most populous city is Charleston, with 49,055 residents.

West Virginia was admitted into the Union on June 20, 1863, as a slave state, and was a key border state during the American Civil War. It separated from Virginia and was one of two states (along with Nevada) admitted to the Union during the Civil War. Some of its residents held slaves, but most were propertied farmers, and the delegates provided for the gradual abolition of slavery in the new state constitution. The state legislature abolished slavery in the state, and at the same time ratified the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery nationally on February 3, 1865.

West Virginia's northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio to form a tri-state area, with Wheeling, Weirton, and Morgantown just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Huntington in the southwest is close to Ohio and Kentucky, while Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry in the eastern panhandle region are considered part of the Washington metropolitan area, between Maryland and Virginia. West Virginia is often included in several U.S. geographical regions, including the Mid-Atlantic, the Upland South, and the Southeastern United States. It is the only state entirely within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission; the area is commonly defined as "Appalachia".

The state is noted for its mountains and rolling hills, its historically significant coal mining and logging industries, and its political and labor history. It is also known for its tourism and a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and hunting. From the Great Depression to the 1990s, the state voted heavily for the Democratic Party due to its tradition of union-based politics. Since then, the state has become heavily Republican, and is considered a "deep red" state at the federal level. West Virginia consistently ranks among the lowest U.S. states in terms of health outcomes, life expectancy, education, and certain other economic factors. West Virginia ranks first in the nation in home ownership, and is ranked third in both affordability and equality by U.S. News & World Report.