Alternative History
State of West Virginia
State of the United States
Flag of West Virginia Coat of Arms of West Virginia
Flag Seal

Image of West Virginia

Location of West Virginia within the United States
Nickname(s): "The Mountain State"
Motto(s): Montani Semper Liberi (Latin)
"Mountaineers Are Always Free"
State Anthem: "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
Official Language(s) English
Demonym West Virginian, Mountaineer, 'Eer
Capital Charleston
Largest City Centreville
Largest Metro Washington Metropolitan Area
Area Ranked 41st
 – Total 64,661 mi2
Population Ranked 26th
 – Total 1.07 million
Before statehood Part of Virginia
Admission to the Union 20 June 1863 (38th)
Governor Jay Rockerfeller (D)
Legislature West Virginia State Legislature
Senators TBD
Time zone Eastern Standard Time (UTC -4)
Abbreviations WV

West Virginia (WV) is a state located in the Appalachian Region of the United States. Admitted to the Union as the 38th state on June 20, 1863, it is largely rural, with a population of just over 1.8 million, and most of that population living in cities like the state capital of Charleston (pop. 131,000), Wheeling, Morgantown, Huntington, Beckley, and Martinsburg.

West Virginia shares borders with Pennsylvania and Maryland to the north, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the Northwest. It is frequently referred to by locals as "the Mountain State".

[WIP Section]

Counties[]

West Virginia is subdivided into 55 counties, of which, the ten largest in the state are listed below by population.

No flag

Map of counties in West Virginia.

Rank Name County Seat Population
1 Vandalia County Charleston 183,279
2 Ohio County Wheeling 151,221
3 Berkeley County Martinsburg 115,329
4 Monongalia County Morgantown 105,474
5 Cabell County Julesburg 94,339
6 Wood County Parkersburg 84,960
7 Raleigh County Beckley 75,252
8 Harrison County Clarksburg 67,908
9 Mercer County Lewisburg 59,919
10 Putnam County Winfield 56,610

In Popular Culture[]

  • The John Denver song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" received an enthusiastic response from West Virginians. The song is the theme song of West Virginia State University and it has been performed during every home football pregame show since 1972.