Beckley, West Virginia is the county seat of Raleigh County and was founded in 1838 as Raleigh Court House, later becoming known as Beckleyville and then Beckley. It is referred to as the "Gateway to Southern West Virginia." It is an area primed for tourism development, its location just south of the New River Gorge and along two major interstate highways. The town is home to the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and the Tamarack.
Bluefield, West Virginia is located in the extreme southern part of the Mountain State, located in Mercer County, and is known as the "Mile High City" due to its elevation.
Charleston, West Virginia is the capital and the largest city in the Mountain State. Located at the junction of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County, it has a population of over 51,000 with a metropolitan area of 304,000.
Clarksburg, West Virginia is the county seat of Harrison County in the north-central portion of the state. Considered a boom town in the 1910s and 1920s, the city has seen its population decline with the closing of major industries. Clarksburg lies at the southern end of the Interstate 79 High Tech Corridor.
Elkins, West Virginia, the county seat of Randolph County, is home to Davis and Elkins College and a growing tourism appeal on the western fringe of the Monongahela National Forest. Named after Stephen Benton Elkins, a U.S. Senator from the state, Elkins boasts a stable downtown, the Mountain State Forest Festival and scenic railroad excursions.
Fairmont, West Virginia is the county seat of Marion County and is nicknamed "The Friendly City." The city was located in the heart of the north-central coal mining region and boomed during the early 20th century.
Hinton, West Virginia is the county seat of Summers County and is located along the New River just north of its confluence with the Greenbrier River.
Huntington is a working-class city of nearly 50,000 in West Virginia, and is the second-largest municipality in the state. Home to a growing Marshall University, and a diverse and active downtown, Huntington has seen its share of losses over the years due to its position as a rust-belt community.
Lewisburg, West Virginia, located the rolling hills of the southeastern part of the state, is the county seat of Greenbrier County. The town has been voted “America’s coolest small town.”
Marlinton, West Virginia, the county seat of Pocahontas County, is named for Jacob Marlin. Marlinton today boasts a population just over 1,000.
Morgantown, West Virginia is the county seat of Monongalia County, and is located along the banks of the Monongahela River. The city of 29,000, the largest in north central West Virginia, is home to West Virginia University with an enrollment of 29,000 students.
Thomas, West Virginia is located in Tucker County in the highlands of the Mountain State, and was once a hub of activity as a company town for the Davis Coal & Coke Company. After the mines and mills closed by the 1950s, Thomas and the county refocused its efforts towards tourism, promoting Blackwater Falls State Park and later Canaan Valley and Dolly Sods.
Wheeling is a city of under 30,000 in the northern panhandle of West Virginia, and is the principal city in the region. Although its importance has declined as an industrial center, it still remains the largest city in the panhandle of the state.