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West Virginia Almanac: State Facts and Figures
Browse the state's symbols; state animal, state bird, state flower, state flag, state fossil, state insect, state motto, state seal, state tree, color, dance, fish, mammal, music, nut, reptile seal, and miscellaneous designations, emblems, and mascot of each state with pictures. Find origin of the state name. View the state almanacs, state timelines and peruse state facts and stats such as the capitol, location, and date admitted to the union.
West Virginia Almanac
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| Official Name |
West Virginia |
| Capital |
Charleston |
| Nick Name |
Mountain State |
| Motto |
Montani Semper Liberi (Mountaineers always free) |
| Location & Region |
38.35055 N, 081.63043 W |
Appalachia |
| Constitution Ratified |
1872 |
| Statehood |
June 20, 1863 |
35th state |
| Population |
1,808,344 |
78.08 sq mi. |
37th |
Largest City
(by population) |
Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, Wheeling, Morgantown |
| Bordering States |
Kentucky - Maryland - Ohio - Pennsylvania - Virginia |
| Number of Counties |
55 Counties in West Virginia |
Largest County
(by population) |
Kanawha County |
200,073 |
903 sq mi. |
| Time Zone |
Eastern Standard Time |
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West Virginia Climate and Weather |
| West Virginia has four distinct seasons. Its mountainous terrain means that there can be marked differences in the weather at any one time -- the mountains tend to be cooler than the rest of the state (and downright cold in winter). Summer is hot and rainy in most of the state, with highs in the upper 80s F/30 C (80 F/26 C in the mountains).
Opportunities for hiking, camping and white-water rafting begin in the spring and last until autumn. Spring temperatures range 43-76 F/5-24 C, with lots of runoff from the 60+ in/152+ cm of snow in the mountains. Summer thundershowers help keep river levels up.
The ski season usually runs November-February. Winter temperatures range 19 to 40 F/-7 to -4 C in the mountains, with occasional drops to 0 F/-18 C. Most attractions are open year-round. Except for those travelers interested in winter sports, we recommend visiting West Virginia in the spring for white-water rafting and in summer and fall for touring. |
| Highest Temperature |
112 degrees
July 10, 1936 -Martinsburg |
| Lowest Temperature |
-37 degrees
December 17, 1917 - Lewisburg |
| Avg Temp: High - Low |
85.6 degrees |
23.9 degrees |
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West Virginia Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations (Feet) |
| Mean Elevation |
1,500 |
| Highest Point |
Spruce Knob |
4,861 |
| Lowest Point |
Potomac River |
240 |
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West Virginia Land Area (Square Miles) |
| Geographic Center |
|
| Total Area |
24,229.76 |
41st |
| Land Area1 |
24,077.73 |
99.38% |
| Water Area2 |
152.03 |
0.62% |
| Forested Land Area3 |
78.5% |
Dimensions
(Length - Width) |
240 miles |
130 miles |
Source: (U.S. Census, April 1, 2000)
1. Dry land and land temporarily or partially covered by water, such as marshland, swamps, etc.; streams and canals under one-eighth statute mile wide; and lakes, reservoirs, and ponds under 40 acres.
2. Permanent inland water surface, such as lakes, reservoirs, and ponds having an area of 40 acres or more; streams, sloughs, estuaries, and canals one-eighth statute mile or more in width; deeply indented embayments and sounds, and other coastal waters behind or sheltered by headlands or islands separated by less than 1 nautical mile of water, and islands under 40 acres in area. Excludes areas of oceans, bays, sounds, etc. lying within U.S. jurisdiction but not defined as inland water.
3. 1997 |
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Almanac Provided by SHG Resources |
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