Wheeling is a city in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

, it lies along the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

in the foothills of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

and also contains a tiny portion extending into Marshall County. Wheeling is located about 60 miles (96 km) west of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

and is the principal city of the

Wheeling metropolitan area The Wheeling, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia and one in eastern Ohio, anchored by the city of Wheeling. As of th ...

. As of the 2020 census, the metro area had a population of 145,205, and the city itself had a population of 27,062. Wheeling was originally a settlement in the British

colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

, and later the second-largest city in the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United Stat ...

. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Wheeling was the host of the

Wheeling Convention The 1861 Wheeling Convention was an assembly of Virginia Southern Unionist delegates from the northwestern counties of Virginia, aimed at repealing the Ordinance of Secession, which had been approved by referendum, subject to a vote. The first ...

s that led to the formation of West Virginia, and it was the first capital of the new state. Due to its location along major transportation routes, including the Ohio River,

National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the Federal Government of the United States, federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Pot ...

, and the

B&O Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

, Wheeling became a manufacturing center in the late nineteenth century. After the closing of factories and substantial population loss following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Wheeling's major industries now include healthcare, education, law and legal services, entertainment and tourism, and energy. From the acceptance of the new state of West Virginia into the union on June 20, 1863, until the

Restored Government of Virginia The Restored (or Reorganized) Government of Virginia was the Unionist government of Virginia during the American Civil War (1861–1865) in opposition to the government which had approved Virginia's seceding from the United States and joini ...

's move to

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

in August of the same year, Wheeling was the state capital of both West Virginia and Virginia.

History

Arrival of early Europeans

The origins of the name "Wheeling" are disputed. One of the more credible explanations is that the word comes from the

Lenni-Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...

phrase ''wih link'' or ''wee lunk'', which meant "place of the head" or "place of the skull." This name supposedly referred to a white settler who was scalped and decapitated. His severed head was displayed at the confluence of Wheeling Creek and the

. Native Americans had inhabited the area for thousands of years. In the 17th century, the Iroquois from present-day New York state conquered the upper Ohio Valley, pushing out other tribes and maintaining the area as their hunting ground. Originally explored by the French, Wheeling still has a lead plate remnant that the explorer

Céloron de Blainville Céloron de Blainville is a French people, French family of officers and colonial administrators, who notably played a role in New France beginning in the 17th century. He is the subject in a folk song by Robert Schmertz (artist) , Robert Schertz e ...

buried in 1749 at the mouth of Wheeling Creek to mark his claim. Later,

Christopher Gist Christopher Gist (1706–1759) was an explorer, surveyor, and frontiersman active in Colonial America. He was one of the first white explorers of the Ohio Country (the present-day states of Ohio, eastern Indiana, western Pennsylvania, and nort ...

and

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

surveyed the land, in 1751 and 1770, respectively.

Establishment of European settlement

During the fall of 1769,

Ebenezer Zane Ebenezer Zane (October 7, 1747 – Nov. 19, 1811) was an American pioneer, soldier, politician, road builder and land speculator. Born in the Colony of Virginia (possibly near what became Moorefield, West Virginia), Zane established a settle ...

explored the Wheeling area and established claim to the land via " tomahawk rights", the practice of

girdling Girdling, also called ring-barking, is the complete removal of the Bark (botany), bark (consisting of cork cambium or "phellogen", phloem, cambium and sometimes going into the xylem) from around the entire circumference of either a branch or tru ...

a few trees at a prominent site and marking the bark with the initials or name of the person making the claim. He returned the following spring with his wife Elizabeth and his younger brothers, Jonathan and Silas; they established the first permanent European settlement in the Wheeling area, naming it Zanesburg. Other families joined the settlement, including the Shepherds (see Monument Place), the Wetzels, and the McCollochs (see

McColloch's Leap McColloch's Leap was a feat performed during a September 1777 attack by Native Americans on Fort Henry, site of present-day Wheeling, West Virginia, during the American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – S ...

). In 1787, the United States gave Virginia this portion of lands west of the Appalachians, and some to Pennsylvania at its western edge, to settle their claims. By the Northwest Ordinance that year, it established the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...

to cover other lands north of the Ohio River and west to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. Settlers began to move into new areas along the Ohio. In 1793, Ebenezer Zane divided the town into lots, and Wheeling was officially established as a town in 1795 by legislative enactment. The town was incorporated January 16, 1805. On March 11, 1836, the town of Wheeling was incorporated into the city of Wheeling. By an act of the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...

on December 27, 1797, Wheeling was named the county seat of Ohio County.

Fort Henry

Originally dubbed ''Fort Fincastle'' in 1774, the fort was later renamed Fort Henry in honor of Virginia's American governor,

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first an ...

. In 1777, Native Americans of the

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

Wyandot Wyandot may refer to: Native American ethnography * Wyandot people, also known as the Huron * Wyandot language * Wyandot religion Places * Wyandot, Ohio, an unincorporated community * Wyandot County, Ohio * Camp Wyandot, a Camp Fire Boys and ...

, and

Mingo The Mingo people are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans, primarily Seneca and Cayuga, who migrated west from New York to the Ohio Country in the mid-18th century, and their descendants. Some Susquehannock survivors also joined them, and ...

tribes joined to attack pioneer settlements along the upper

, which were illegal according to the Crown's

Proclamation of 1763 The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued by King George III on 7 October 1763. It followed the Treaty of Paris (1763), which formally ended the Seven Years' War and transferred French territory in North America to Great Britain. The Procla ...

. They hoped an alliance with the British would drive the colonial settlers out of their territory. Local men defended the fort, later joined by recruits from Fort Shepherd (in Elm Grove) and Fort Holliday. The native force burned the surrounding cabins and destroyed livestock. McColloch's Leap

During the first attack of the year, Major Samuel McColloch led a small force of men from Fort Vanmetre along Short Creek to assist the besieged Fort Henry. Separated from his men, McColloch was chased by attacking natives. Upon his horse, McColloch charged up Wheeling Hill and made what is known as

down its eastern side. In 1782, a native army along with British soldiers attempted to take Fort Henry. During this siege, Fort Henry's supply of ammunition was exhausted. The defenders decided to dispatch a man to secure more ammunition from the Zane homestead.

Betty Zane Elizabeth Zane McLaughlin Clark (July 19, 1765 – August 23, 1823) was a heroine of the Revolutionary War on the American frontier. She was the daughter of William Andrew Zane and Nancy Ann (née Nolan) Zane, and the sister of Ebenezer Zane ...

volunteered for the dangerous task. During her departing run, she was heckled by both native and British soldiers. After reaching the Zane homestead, she gathered a tablecloth and filled it with gunpowder. During her return, she was fired upon but was uninjured. As a result of her heroism, Fort Henry remained in American control.

Role as transportation hub

The

arrived in Wheeling in 1818, linking the Ohio River to the Potomac River, and allowing goods from the Ohio Valley to flow through Wheeling and on to points east. As the endpoint of the National Road, Wheeling became a gateway to early westward expansion. In 1849 the

Wheeling Suspension Bridge The Wheeling Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the main channel of the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia. It was the largest suspension bridge in the world from 1849 until 1851. Charles Ellet Jr. (who also worked on the Niag ...

crossed the Ohio River and allowed the city to expand onto

Wheeling Island Wheeling Island is the most populated island in the Ohio River. It lies within the city of Wheeling in Ohio County, West Virginia, in the United States. The 2000 census showed a resident population of 3,142 people on the island, which has a la ...

. Lessons learned in constructing the bridge were used in the construction of the

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...

. Rail transportation reached Wheeling in 1853 when the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

connected Wheeling to Pennsylvania, Maryland, and markets in the Northeast. A new bridge connected the city to

Bellaire, Ohio Bellaire is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Belmont County, Ohio, Belmont County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area, and Wheeling is across the Ohio ...

, just across the river, and to western areas of the U.S.

Anti-slavery sentiment

Much of the area had been settled by yeoman farmers, few of whom owned slaves. With the railroad, a larger industrial or mercantile middle class developed that depended on free labor; it felt either disinterest or hostility to slavery. The ''Wheeling Intelligencer'' newspaper expressed the area's anti-secession sentiment as tensions rose over slavery and national issues. The city became part of the movement of western areas to secede from Virginia after the beginning of the Civil War, hosting the

of 1861. It served as the provisional capital of the

from 1861 to 1863, and became the first capital of West Virginia after the state seceded from Virginia and was admitted to the Union in its own right in 1863. The growing German population, which included immigrants after the

1848 Revolutions The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europe ...

, was firmly anti-slavery. The Germans of Wheeling organized the "First West Virginia Artillery" to oppose the Confederacy and played a role in the initial movement to separate from Virginia. The Germans' culture influenced the city, such as their "German Singing Societies", the first of which began in 1855.

Post-Civil War growth

Wheeling West Virginia 1920 Automobile Blue Book

Although Wheeling lost its position as state capital in 1865, it continued to grow. In the late nineteenth century, Wheeling was the new state's prime industrial center. One early nickname (until an 1885 strike) was "Nail City", reflecting the iron manufacture in several mills, which dated from the 1840s. Mills transformed pig iron into sheets that could be cut, and some mills also produced boiler plates, stoves, barrel rings, and/or ornamental ironwork. Noted businesses of the era included the

Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company The Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company (formerly the Helme Tobacco Company) of Wheeling, West Virginia was a tobacco company founded by brothers Aaron and Samuel Bloch in 1879. It was best known for its Mail Pouch chewing tobacco. Mail Pouch was ...

(owned by state senator Jesse A. Bloch, who would in 1913 introduce legislation that became the state's Workmen's Compensation Act), and later steel concerns after development of the

Bessemer process The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron before the development of the open hearth furnace. The key principle is steelmaking, removal of impurities from the iron by ox ...

. Wheeling Steel Corporation was created in 1920 and grew after a 1927 strike caused J.P. Morgan and other investors to sell National Tube Company, which had been created in 1899, six years after local owners had consolidated five plants in the area as Wheeling Steel & Iron Company. In 1866, Lincoln School opened in Wheeling to serve African American students. Lincoln High School was taught by Laura Grayson-Morison. A new building for Lincoln High School opened in the early 1940s; the school closed with desegregation in 1954. Wheeling had considerable associations with the American labor movement. In 1904 it became the first city in the country to refuse a proposed

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

gift of a free library, because of the industrialist's labor record, especially the notorious

Homestead Strike The Homestead strike, also known as the Homestead steel strike, Homestead massacre, or Battle of Homestead, was an industrial lockout and strike that began on July 1, 1892, culminating in a battle in which strikers defeated private security agent ...

of 1892. By contrast, cigar tycoon Augustus Pollack (despite once rousing controversy by a plan to use convict labor) left many bequests to the labor movement, which erected a memorial statue. The city's earliest union was the United Nailers (1860, which later merged into the

Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers (AA) was an American labor union formed in 1876 to represent iron and steel workers. It partnered with the Steel Workers Organizing Committee of the CIO, in November 1935. Both organizations di ...

), followed by the cigar makers in 1862. The 1877 railroad strike at

Martinsburg, West Virginia Martinsburg is a city in and the seat of Berkeley County, West Virginia, in the tip of the state's Eastern Panhandle region in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Its population was 18,835 in the 2021 census estimate, making it the largest city in the E ...

, reached Wheeling and spread nationwide. In 1897,

Eugene Debs Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...

Mother Jones Mary G. Harris Jones (1837 (baptized) – November 30, 1930), known as Mother Jones from 1897 onwards, was an Irish-born American schoolteacher and dressmaker who became a prominent union organizer, community organizer, and activist. She h ...

, and

Samuel Gompers Samuel Gompers (; January 27, 1850December 13, 1924) was a British-born American cigar maker, labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and served as the organization's ...

were among the speakers at a national labor convention in Wheeling to discuss a nationwide coal strike. With industry, Wheeling reached its peak of population in 1930. As the city grew, prosperous Wheeling residents built fine houses, especially on

, but slums also expanded. As a result of that growth, an ordinance was passed regulating personal cesspools, including a ban on pipe communications with other homes and businesses unless offensive smells were properly trapped.

Modern decline

The

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, and later changes and restructuring in heavy industry following World War II, led to a loss of working-class jobs and population. Capitalizing on its rich architectural heritage, Wheeling has worked to revive its Main Street.

Geography

Wheeling is located at (40.070348, -80.698604). The city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Wheeling is located in northern West Virginia, on what is known as the Northern Panhandle. The area lies within the

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

of the Western Allegheny Plateau. The city is directly across the river from the state of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and only west of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. It is a part of the tri-state area of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, which is commonly referred to as the Ohio River Valley Region or "The

Ohio Valley The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinoi ...

". Wheeling Creek flows through the city, and meets the

in downtown Wheeling. The city is located both on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River, and on an island in the middle of the river called

Climate

Wheeling lies at the boundary between the

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

and

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

zones (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Cfa/Dfa'', respectively). The annual precipitation is about inches, distributed evenly throughout the year.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 28,486 people, 12,816 households, and 6,949 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 14,661 housing units, at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 5.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.9%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

people of any race were 0.9% of the population. There were 12,816 households, of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.8% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 45.2 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.8% were from 25 to 44; 29.8% were from 45 to 64; and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, 31,419 people, 13,719 households, and 7,806 families resided in the city. The

was 2,258.4 people per square mile (872.1/km²). 15,706 housing units were present, at an average density of 1,128.9 per square mile (436.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.72%

, 4.99%

, 0.10% Native American, 0.91%

, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.16% from

, and 1.09% from two or more races.

people of any race were 0.58% of the population. There were 13,719 households, of which 23.4% included children under the age of 18, 41.8% were

living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was at least 65 years of age. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 42 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% at least 65 years old. For every 100 females 84.1 males were present, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males. The median household income was $27,388, and the median family income was $38,708. Males had a median income of $30,750 versus $22,099 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,923. About 13.1% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 23.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those at least 65 years old.

Government

Under West Virginia law, cities may adopt a form of government called the Manager-Mayor Plan, under which Wheeling operates. The elected mayor presides over meetings of the Wheeling City Council, which has six members elected from geographic wards. City Council members serve four-year terms. The City Council also confirms executive nominations for members to various boards, which have limited regulatory authority, including the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals, and the Traffic Commission. The City Manager serves as Chief Executive and Administrative Officer for the city. The current mayor of Wheeling is Glenn Elliott, and the current city manager is Robert Herron. The current members of the City Council are Vice-Mayor Chad Thalman (1st Ward), Ben Seidler (2nd Ward), Rosemary Ketchum (3rd Ward), Jerry Sklavounakis (4th Ward), Ty Thorngate (5th Ward), and Dave Palmer (6th Ward). City elections were held on June 9, 2020, and the current term began on July 1, 2020. City elections will be held again on May 14, 2024.

City flag

The current flag for the city was adopted on September 4, 2018, in conjunction with the celebration of the city's 250th anniversary the following year. Its design and symbolism are credited to the Wheeling Committee on Retention and the Wheeling 250 subcommittee. Flag of Wheeling, West Virginia

The flag features two horizontal blue bars to represent Wheeling Creek and the Ohio River, with a white bar in between. The three bars also symbolize the three major modes of transportation found in Wheeling history: river, road, and rail. Representing five distinct eras of Wheeling history, five stars are centered in a row in the white bar: The Indigenous Star, The Frontier Star, The Transportation Star, The Statehood Star, and The Industrial Star.

Attractions

West Virginia Independence Hall from southwest

Historical buildings

The city of Wheeling has a rich and varied history.

West Virginia Independence Hall West Virginia Independence Hall is a historic government building at 1528 Market Street in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia, United States. It was built in 1860 under the supervision of architect Ammi B. Young for the federal government as a custo ...

was the site of the

, two meetings held in 1861 that ultimately reversed Virginia's

Ordinance of Secession An Ordinance of Secession was the name given to multiple resolutions drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861, at or near the beginning of the Civil War, by which each seceding Southern state or territory formally declared secession from the United ...

. 26 counties in Virginia's north and west voted against secession from the Union and created the new state of West Virginia, which the United States quickly admitted. Later in 1861 and continuing to 1863, the building was the site of many heated debates during the First Constitutional Convention of West Virginia, including the name of the new state. The oldest building in the area is

Shepherd Hall (Monument Place) Shepherd Hall, also known as Monument Place and formerly as Stone Mansion, is a historic house listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the city of Wheeling in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located in the Elm Grove area ...

, built in 1798. Wheeling is home to Centre Market, formerly Wheeling's market house. Built in 1853, the market house and the surrounding area have been adapted for use as retail shops and restaurants. The first official memorial monument in the state of West Virginia, dedicated specifically to men killed in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, was dedicated in Wheeling, with full military honors, in a Memorial Day 1986 ceremony. The monument was erected in front of the flagpole near the main shelter of Bethlehem Community Park in the village of Bethlehem, just southeast of Wheeling. The roughly 6-foot-high granite memorial consists of a large bronze dedication plaque with the names of KIAs from the Wheeling/Ohio County region. Below the dedication plaque is a bronze map of South Vietnam, complete with names of 28 major cities.

Parks and recreation

Wheeling features several municipal parks, including Oglebay Resort & Conference Center and Wheeling Park. Ohio County has six

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

courses, including designs by renowned golfer

Arnold Palmer Arnold Daniel Palmer (September 10, 1929 – September 25, 2016) was an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history. Dating back to 1955, he won numerous ev ...

and architect

Robert Trent Jones Robert Trent Jones Sr. (June 20, 1906 – June 14, 2000) was a British–American golf course architect who designed or re-designed more than 500 golf courses in 45 U.S. states and 35 countries. In reference to this, Jones took pride in sayi ...

. In October 2007 the City of Wheeling opened the state's first concrete

skateboard A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks. The skateboarde ...

park. The facility was designed and built by world-renowned skatepark builder Grindline, of

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

. The park consists of 60% bowls and 40% street elements; it is located within the Chambers Ballfield Complex in the Elm Grove section of the city. An addition to the street section of the park was completed by Grindline in November 2009. A covered shelter, restrooms, and webcam are installed. The park is lighted and open 24/7.

Education

Primary and secondary

As elsewhere in West Virginia, K–12 schools are organized at the county level of government. The public school system, Ohio County Schools, consists of 14 schools: nine elementary schools; four middle schools, which include Triadelphia Middle, nominated for the blue ribbon school award; and the nationally recognized

Wheeling Park High School Wheeling Park High School is a public high school in Wheeling, West Virginia, United States. It is the only public high school in the Ohio County School District. Athletic teams compete as the Wheeling Park Patriots in the WVSSAC Class AAA, as we ...

. Several parochial and

private schools An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

, including

Wheeling Central Catholic High School Central Catholic High School is a parochial, Roman Catholic high school in Wheeling, West Virginia. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Central Catholic High School has been educating young men and women since 1865. ...

and the

Linsly School The Linsly School, formerly known as the Linsly Military Institute, is a boarding and day school located in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was founded in 1814 by Noah Linsly and chartered by the State of Virginia in the same year. The school is the ...

, are located in the city.

Postsecondary

Wheeling is the hub of higher education in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Wheeling University Wheeling University (WU, formerly Wheeling Jesuit University) is a private Roman Catholic university in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was founded as Wheeling College in 1954 by the Society of Jesus (also known as the Jesuits) and was a Jesuit inst ...

, a private university and the only Catholic college in the state of West Virginia, is located here. The main campus of

West Virginia Northern Community College West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC) is a public community college with its main campus in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia. Established in 1972, WVNCC serves all six counties in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle. It is part of the We ...

has recently been expanding with centers in downtown Wheeling; it focuses on job training and community development. Also located in close proximity to the city are

West Liberty University West Liberty University (WLU) is a public university in West Liberty, West Virginia. It is West Virginia's oldest institution of higher education. It offers more than 70 undergraduate majors plus graduate programs, including a master's degree ...

(formerly West Liberty State College), a four-year

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, and private Bethany College, giving area residents a wide variety of educational options.

Entertainment

Music

Wheeling has a long tradition of live musical performance and radio broadcasting. With over 2,500 seats, The Capitol Theatre is the largest theatre in West Virginia. Opened in 1928, The Capitol was home to ''It's Wheeling Steel'', a popular radio program in the early 1940s featuring musical performances by workers at a local steel plant. The Capitol has welcomed musical performances of all types, from

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...

, and

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...

, to

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...

, and

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

. Other past performers include

Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing a Jerry Seinfeld (character), semi-fictionalized version of himself in the sitcom ''Seinfeld'', which he ...

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

, and

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...

The

Wheeling Symphony Orchestra The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra is a regional orchestra based in Wheeling, West Virginia. Since its founding in 1929, the orchestra has performed at the historic Capitol Music Hall. Temporary Relocation In May 2007, the "Capitol" closed its door ...

is housed at the Capitol Theatre and performs a range of contemporary, classical, and seasonal arrangements. Wheeling is also home to the Victoria Theater, the oldest theater in West Virginia. The 700-seat Victorian-style theater was home to the

WWVA Jamboree The ''Wheeling Jamboree'' is the second oldest country music radio broadcast in the United States after the ''Grand Ole Opry''. The Jamboree originated in 1933 in Wheeling, West Virginia on WWVA (AM), WWVA, the first radio station in West Virginia ...

program from 1933–1936. More recently, it has been the site for the "Wheeling Jamboree", a local initiative started in 2009 and modeled after the original WWVA Jamboree (which changed its name in the 1960s to Jamboree U.S.A.). The original WWVA Jamboree ran from 1933–2007, making it the second-longest-running country radio program and variety show in the country, after the "

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

" in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

. Live music emanates from the amphitheatre at the Wheeling Heritage Port several nights per week from mid-spring through late fall. The waterfront park area hosts festivals, concerts, movie nights, celebrations, a regatta, and numerous visits from the ''Delta'', ''Mississippi'' and ''American Queen'' riverboats. The Port holds over 8,000 spectators and has become a city focal point. Formerly held in nearby

Belmont County, Ohio Belmont County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 66,497. Its county seat is St. Clairsville. The county was created on September 7, 1801, and organized on November 7, 1801.McKelvey, ...

Jamboree In The Hills Jamboree in the Hills was an annual festival of country music in Morristown, Ohio (about 1½ hours west of Pittsburgh, and 20 minutes west of Wheeling, West Virginia) in Belmont County, Ohio until Live Nation officially canceled it on November 7 ...

draws over 100,000 country music fans to the Wheeling area every July.

Theater

Fans of theater have several options in Wheeling. The Capitol Theatre hosts numerous touring musical performances. The

Oglebay Institute Oglebay Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Wheeling Nailers The Wheeling Nailers are a professional ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. They are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey Lea ...

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

team. The Nailers play in the

WesBanco Arena WesBanco Arena (originally Wheeling Civic Center) is a multi-purpose arena located in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was built in 1977 at a cost of $7 million. It is home to the Wheeling Nailers ice hockey team, the West Virginia Roughriders ind ...

(formerly the Wheeling Civic Center), and are part of the Central division of the Western Conference of the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The E ...

. Formerly home to the

Ohio Valley Greyhounds The Ohio Valley Greyhounds were a professional indoor football team. They began play in 1999 as the Steel Valley Smash, a charter member of the IFL. After the league folded, they moved to the NIFL, became a charter member, and renamed themse ...

, Wheeling became home to a second team in 2009. The team, known as the

Wheeling Wildcats The Wheeling Wildcats were a professional indoor football team located in Wheeling, West Virginia. The team began play in the Continental Indoor Football League during the 2009 season as an expansion team. The Wildcats were the second indoor foo ...

, played in the

Continental Indoor Football League The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIF ...

but folded after the 2009 season. High school

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

are played at

Wheeling Island Stadium Wheeling Island Stadium is a stadium used mostly for American football and soccer located on Wheeling Island in Wheeling, West Virginia. The original portion of the stadium was dedicated on June 10, 1927, but a large concrete seating section was ad ...

. Wheeling is also home of the

Mountain East Conference The Mountain East Conference (MEC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level and officially began competition on September 1, 2013. It consists of 12 schools, mo ...

basketball championship tournament, an

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

conference that launched in the 2013–14 school year. Wheeling University and West Liberty are both charter members of the new conference, an offshoot of the now-disbanded

West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) was a collegiate athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but briefly had one Kentucky member in its early years, and expanded into Pe ...

Live racing and gaming

Wheeling is the home of

Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack (formerly Wheeling Downs) is a greyhound racino located on Wheeling Island in the middle of the Ohio River, which is a part of the city of Wheeling, West Virginia. It is located just off the Wheeling Island e ...

, located on

. Formerly known as Wheeling Downs, the facility features live

greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...

racing, slots,

poker Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...

games, and casino-style table games. In accordance with House Bill 271, adopted on March 8, 2007, Ohio County and Jefferson County held special elections on June 9, 2007, to approve the legalization of table games within the respective counties. The Ohio County measure passed, but the Jefferson County one failed. A similar measure was successfully adopted in Hancock County on June 30, 2007.

Media

Located close to

, Wheeling is heavily influenced by its broadcast media outlets, which are easily received in the area. Besides broadcast stations, Wheeling's cable providers carry

AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh is an American regional sports network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit as part of the AT&T SportsNet brand of networks and is an affiliate of Bally Sports. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the chann ...

and the Pittsburgh-centric news/talk channel

PCNC The Pittsburgh Cable News Channel (PCNC) is a regional United States cable news, cable news television channel serving the Western Pennsylvania area. It is owned by Cox Media Group, which also owns WPXI, another Pittsburgh-area station from which ...

as its "home" sports and information sources. In addition to the Pittsburgh outlets, the Wheeling television market is served by ABC/CBS affiliate

WTRF-TV WTRF-TV (channel 7) is a television station licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, United States, serving the Wheeling, West Virginia–Steubenville, Ohio market as an affiliate of CBS, MyNetworkTV, and ABC. The station is owned by Nexstar Me ...

Channel 7, PBS affiliate W30CO-D Channel 30, and NBC/FOX affiliate

WTOV-TV WTOV-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Steubenville, Ohio, United States, serving the Wheeling, West Virginia–Steubenville, Ohio market as an affiliate of NBC and Fox. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains s ...

Channel 9 in nearby

Steubenville, Ohio Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from Fort Steuben, a 1 ...

. Cable television provider

Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...

serves the city, parts of which Centre TV also services. Wheeling is home to WWVA 1170 AM, the state's only 50,000-watt AM station, which can be heard throughout the

East Coast East Coast may refer to: Entertainment * East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop * East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017 * East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004 * East Coast FM, a ra ...

at night. WVLY 1370 AM and WKKX 1600 AM provide local news, sports, and talk. On the FM dial,

WVKF WVKF (95.7 FM, "Kiss 95.7") is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary hit radio format. Licensed to Shadyside, Ohio, United States, the station serves the Wheeling, West Virginia, area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. History WV ...

95.7, WKWK 97.3, WOVK 98.7, and WEGW 107.5 provide the area with various music genres. The Wheeling area is the home of WDUQ-LP, a listener-supported commercial-free station, which also serves as the local Pacifica affiliate. Pittsburgh's radio stations provide Wheeling with coverage. Several translators and repeater stations provide

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

and

American Family Radio American Family Radio (AFR) is a network of more than 180 radio stations broadcasting Christian Conservative Christianity, Christian-oriented programming to over 30 states.The Intelligencer'' and the ''

Wheeling News-Register ''The Intelligencer'' and ''Wheeling News Register'' are combined daily newspapers under common ownership in Wheeling, West Virginia, and are the flagship publications of Ogden Newspapers. The ''Intelligencer'' is published weekday mornings and ...

'' newspapers, owned by Wheeling-based

Ogden Newspapers Inc. Ogden Newspapers Inc. is a Wheeling, West Virginia based publisher of daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, telephone directories, and shoppers guides. The company was founded by H.C. Ogden in 1890, and is currently run by the family of his gra ...

''The Intelligencer'' is published weekday mornings and Saturdays, while the ''News-Register'' is published weekday afternoons and Sundays. ''The Times-Leader'' of

Martins Ferry, Ohio Martins Ferry is a city in Belmont County, Ohio, Belmont County, Ohio, United States, on the Ohio River across from Wheeling, West Virginia. It is the largest city in Belmont County. The population was 6,915 as of the United States Census 2010, 201 ...

, another Ogden Newspapers Inc. paper, also covers Wheeling issues. ''In Wheeling'' magazine is published quarterly and covers society and events in the city. Two local websites, ''Weelunk'' and ''Dateline: Wheeling,'' serve as independent news sources for the city.

Transportation

Roads and bridges

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 in ...

and its spur Interstate 470 run through the city east-west and link it with suburban

, Pennsylvania, to the east and Ohio to the west. U.S. Route 40/

links downtown with residential neighborhoods to the east.

West Virginia Route 2 West Virginia Route 2 is a state highway in the US state of West Virginia. It generally parallels the Ohio River along the western border of the state, from U.S. Route 60 in Huntington (just west of the East End Bridge) northeasterly to U.S. R ...

connects Wheeling with

Moundsville Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia metropolitan area. The population was 8,122 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. T ...

to the south and

Weirton Weirton () is a city in Brooke and Hancock counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located primarily in Hancock County, the city lies in the northern portions of the state's Northern Panhandle region. As of the 2020 census, the city's popu ...

to the north.

U.S. Route 250 U.S. Route 250 (US 250) is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Richmond, Virginia to Sandusky, Ohio. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. ...

also runs through the city. The

Fort Henry Bridge The Fort Henry Bridge is a crossing of the Ohio River main channel in Wheeling, West Virginia. The tied-arch bridge carries two lanes in each direction of Interstate 70 (I-70), U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 250. The bridge opened a ...

and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge carry I-70 and I-470, respectively, over the Ohio River. The historic

, completed in 1849, which was part of National Road, connects downtown and Wheeling Island; currently it is closed for safety reasons, by order of the state highway department, to vehicular traffic. I-70 passes under Wheeling Hill through the

Wheeling Tunnel The Wheeling Tunnel is a set of twin tunnels named for and located in Wheeling, West Virginia. The tunnels are long each, cutting through Wheeling Hill, and each carries two lanes of Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 250. The tunnels originally to ...

Bus transportation

Bus transportation to points throughout North America is available from Wheeling through

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and pac ...

. The bus terminal, the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center, was built with $11.1 million in federal funds. The East Ohio Authority and the Ohio Valley Regional Transit Authority (OVRTA), which share the Intermodal Transportation Center as the hub for hub-and-spoke routes, provide regional transportation through West Virginia and Eastern Ohio. Wheeling operated streetcars from the 1880s until 1943 under the Wheeling Traction Company and Co-operative Transit Company. Buses replaced streetcar operations due to operating costs.

Air transportation

The city is served by the

Wheeling Ohio County Airport Wheeling Ohio County Airport is a public airport serving Wheeling and Ohio County, West Virginia, United States. It is eight miles (13 km) northeast of downtown Wheeling and is owned by the Ohio County Commission.general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

and by

Pittsburgh International Airport Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, is a civil–military international airport in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Located about 10 miles (15 km) west of downtown Pittsbur ...

for passenger service.

Neighborhoods

The following neighborhoods lie within the city limits: *Arbordale * Benwood (mostly in Marshall County) *

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

*Center Wheeling *Clator *Dimmeydale *Downtown *East Wheeling *Echo Point *Egewood * Elm Grove *Elm Terrace *Fulton * Glenova/North Warwood *Glenwood *Goosetown * Greggsville *Leatherwood * Loveland/South Warwood *Morningside *Mozart (partially in Marshall County) *Mount Olivet (mostly in Marshall County) *North Park *North Wheeling *Oakmont *Oakmont Hills *Oak Park *Oglebay *Overbrook *Park View *Pleasanton *Pleasant Valley/“Silk Stocking Row” * Richietown (northern South Wheeling) *Rio Vista (accessible only through the Village of Bethlehem) * Roney’s Point * Sherrard (in Marshall County) *South Wheeling *Springdale * Warwood * Triadelphia *Wheeling Heights (Grandview Heights) *

*Woodsdale (formerly Woodlawn)

Notable people

* Austin E. Renforth, Major General, USMC *

Jodi Applegate Jodi Applegate (born May 2, 1964)"Anchor Jodi Applegate Shares a ...

, TV news anchor * Leon "Chu" Berry, jazz saxophonist *

Thais Blatnik Thais F. O'Donnell Shuler Blatnik (November 20, 1919 – December 9, 2015) was an American journalist and politician who served in both chambers of the West Virginia Legislature. Early life and education Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Bl ...

, West Virginia journalist and politician * Robert Boury, classical pianist *

Leo Brady Leo Brady (January 23, 1917 – November 18, 1984) was a multidimensional American writer and theater artist who also achieved great success as a teacher of young playwrights. After writing some well-received plays as an undergrad at Catholic Uni ...

, playwright, novelist, and director *

Adelbert R. Buffington Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington (November 22, 1837 – July 10, 1922) was a United States Army Brigadier General who served as the 10th Chief of Ordnance for the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps. Biography Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington was born in Wheeling ...

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

general *

Jesse Burkett Jesse Cail Burkett (December 4, 1868 – May 27, 1953), nicknamed "Crab", was an American professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1890 to 1905 for the New York Giants, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfe ...

, Hall of Fame baseball player *

Bobby Campo Robert Joseph Camposecco (born March 9, 1983) known professionally as Bobby Campo, is an American actor. He is known for playing the lead role as Nick O'Bannon in the horror film ''The Final Destination''. Life and career Campo was born in Wheel ...

, actor *

Jack Canfield Jack Canfield (born August 19, 1944) is an American author, motivational speaker, corporate trainer, and entrepreneur. He is the co-author of the ''Chicken Soup for the Soul'' series, which has more than 250 titles and 500 million copies in print ...

, motivational speaker *

John Corbett John Joseph Corbett Jr. (born May 9, 1961) is an American actor and country music singer. On television, he is best known for his roles as Chris Stevens on '' Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), Aidan Shaw on ''Sex and the City'' (2000–2003 ...

, actor *

Billy Cox William Cox (born October 18, 1941) is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix. Cox is the only surviving musician to have regularly played with Hendrix: first with the experimental group that backed Hendrix at Woodstoc ...

, bassist * Jesse Cox, internet personality *

Henrietta Crosman Henrietta Foster Crosman (September 2, 1861 – October 31, 1944) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Crosman was born in Wheeling, Virginia, to George Crosman Jr. a Civil War Major, and Mary B. Wick, a niece of composer Step ...

, actress *

Belle Caldwell Culbertson Belle Caldwell Culbertson (, Caldwell; February 23, 1857 – August 4, 1934) was an American author and philanthropist, active in social and religious reforms. She served as president, Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Presbytery of Washi ...

, author and philanthropist * Annie Sinclair Cunningham (1832–1897), religious worker, Wheeling Hall of Fame *

Faith Daniels Faith Daniels (born March 9, 1957) is an American television news anchor, reporter, and talk show host. Early life Daniels was born to an unwed mother and lived eight months in a Catholic orphanage before being adopted by Steven A. Skowronski, a ...

, network broadcaster *

Rebecca Harding Davis Rebecca Blaine Harding Davis (June 24, 1831 – September 29, 1910) was an American author and journalist. She was a pioneer of literary realism in American literature. She graduated valedictorian from Washington Female Seminary in Pennsylvania ...

, author * Joseph M. Devine,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

, 1898–1899 *

Joyce DeWitt Joyce Anne DeWitt (born April 23, 1949) is an American actress and comedian known for playing Janet Wood on the ABC sitcom ''Three's Company'' from 1977 to 1984. Early life Joyce DeWitt was born April 23, 1949, in Wheeling, West Virginia, and g ...

, actress *

Joanne Dru Joanne Dru (born Joan Letitia LaCock;Known as Joan Lacock in th1930 United States census/ref> January 31, 1922 – September 10, 1996) was an American film and television actress, known for such films as '' Red River'', ''She Wore a Yellow Ribbo ...

, actress * William L. Elkins, 19th-century business tycoon * Doug Fetherling, writer * Walter L. Fisher, U.S. Secretary of the Interior *

Mike Florio Michael James Florio (born June 8, 1965) is an American sportswriter, author, radio host, and television commentator. He writes for '' Profootballtalk.com'' which he created and owns. He also hosts the daily NFL talk show ''PFT Live'' on Peacock ...

, sportswriter *

Kelsey Fowler Kelsey Fowler (born September 6, 1996) is an American stage and film actress. She began her professional acting career at the age of ten, performing on Broadway, and acting in television commercials and film. Kelsey has appeared on Broadway for s ...

, Broadway actress *

Virginia Fox Virginia Oglesby Zanuck ( Fox; April 19, 1899 or 1902 or 1903 or 1906 – October 14, 1982) was an American actress who starred in many silent films of the 1910s and 1920s. Life and career Fox was born as Virginia Oglesby Fox in Wheeling, West ...

, actress *

Gene Freese Eugene Lewis "Gene" Freese (January 8, 1934 – June 18, 2013), was an American professional baseball third baseman, who was widely noted as a journeyman. Freese played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates (twice), St. Louis Card ...

, baseball player * Rosemary Front, disability rights advocate *

Rob Garrison Robert Scott Garrison (January 23, 1960 – September 27, 2019) was an American actor known for his role as Tommy in the 1984 film ''The Karate Kid'' and the second season of its spinoff ''Cobra Kai''. Garrison started his acting career in the ...

, actor *

Cynthia Germanotta Cynthia Louise Germanotta (née Bissett; born August 30, 1954) is an American philanthropist, activist and entrepreneur. She is the president of the Born This Way Foundation, which she co-founded with her daughter Lady Gaga in 2012. Early lif ...

, philanthropist and businesswoman, mother of

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

Jack Glasscock John Wesley "Jack" Glasscock (July 22, 1857 – February 24, 1947) was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for several teams from 1879 to 1895. Nicknamed "Pebbly Jack", he was the top player at his position in the 1880s durin ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player *

Michael Grove Michael Grove (born December 18, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2018 MLB draft out of West Virginia Universi ...

, baseball player *

George Herbig George Howard Herbig (January 2, 1920 – October 12, 2013) was an American astronomer at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy. He is perhaps best known for the discovery of Herbig–Haro objects. Background Born in 1920 in Wheeling ...

, astronomer *

Chuck Howley Charles Louis Howley (born June 28, 1936) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Howley spent his first two seasons with the Chicago Bears, who ...

, NFL linebacker for Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys *

Lois Kibbee Lois Kibbee (July 13, 1922 – October 18, 1993) was an American actress. Kibbee was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. The daughter of actor Milton Kibbee and the niece of actor Guy Kibbee, Kibbee played in a number of television and film roles. ...

, actress *

Everett Lee Everett Astor Lee (August 31, 1916 – January 12, 2022) was an American symphonic conductor, opera music director, violinist and music scholar. He was the first African American to conduct a Broadway musical, the first to "conduct an establishe ...

, orchestral conductor *

Alvan Macauley James Alvan Macauley Sr. was the president of Packard Motor Company from 1916 until 1939. Early life and education Alvan, as he preferred to be called, was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, to James A. Macauley and Rebecca Jane Mills. Macauley' ...

, president of

Packard Packard or Packard Motor Car Company was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana in 1958. One of the "Thr ...

1916–1939 *

Keith Maillard Keith Maillard (born 28 February 1942 in Wheeling, West Virginia) is a Canadian-American novelist, poet, and professor of creative writing at the University of British Columbia. He moved to Canada in 1970 (due to his opposition to the Vietnam ...

, writer *

Bill Mazeroski William Stanley Mazeroski (born September 5, 1936), nicknamed "Maz" and "The Glove", is an American former second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1956 to 1972. A 7-time All-S ...

, Hall of Fame second baseman * William J. Mitsch, Stockholm Water Prize laureate, ecology professor and author *

Darvin Moon Darvin Moon (October 1, 1963 – September 19, 2020) was an American self-employed logger and amateur poker player who was the runner-up of the 2009 World Series of Poker, (WSOP) US$10,000 no-limit Texas hold'em Main Event. It was his first tim ...

2009 World Series of Poker The 2009 World Series of Poker was the 40th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP). It was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 27 to July 15. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No- ...

finalist *

Cy Morgan Harry Richard "Cy" Morgan (November 10, 1878 – June 28, 1962) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds between 1903 and 1913. Morgan batted and threw ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

* Marion Moses, physician, labor activist *

Bob Ney Robert William Ney (born July 5, 1954) is an American politician from Ohio. A Republican, Ney represented Ohio's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 until November 3, 2006, when he resigned. Ney's resignatio ...

, U.S. Representative from Ohio *

Robert Nutting Robert Nutting (born March 29, 1962) is a businessman and sports team owner. He is currently the principal owner and chairman of the board of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. His other business activities include serving as presi ...

and family, principal owners of the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

Mollie O'Brien Mollie O'Brien (born October 25, 1952) is an Americana, bluegrass, R&B, and folk singer from Wheeling, West Virginia. She has released a number of Americana albums with her brother, Grammy-winner Tim O'Brien. She has also released five pos ...

, Grammy-winning bluegrass singer * Tim O'Brien, Grammy-winning bluegrass musician, brother of Mollie O'Brien *

Joe Pettini Joseph Paul Pettini (born January 26, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball player and the former bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros. Playing career Pettini attended Brooke High School in Wellsburg, West Virginia and Mer ...

, former shortstop for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

. *

Mark Prosser Mark Prosser is an American college basketball coach and current head coach of the Winthrop Eagles men's basketball team. Playing career Prosser played one season of basketball at Marist before injuries stopped a playing career. He continued on ...

, college basketball coach *

Jesse L. Reno Jesse Lee Reno (April 20, 1823 – September 14, 1862) was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican–American War, in the Utah War, on the western frontier and as a Union General during the American Civil War from West Virg ...

, Civil War general; namesake of

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

Walter Reuther Walter Philip Reuther (; September 1, 1907 – May 9, 1970) was an American leader of Labor unions in the United States, organized labor and Civil rights movements, civil rights activist who built the United Automobile Workers (UAW) into one of ...

, labor leader * Rick Schneider-Calabash, animation producer, writer, and director *

Eleanor Steber Eleanor Steber (July 17, 1914October 3, 1990) was an American operatic soprano. Steber is noted as one of the first major opera stars to have achieved the highest success with training and a career based in the United States. Biography Eleanor ...

, operatic

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

associated with

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

Chris Stirewalt Christopher W. Stirewalt is an American political analyst who presently is the politics editor for NewsNation and is a contributing editor for ''The Dispatch''. Previously he had worked for the Fox News Channel, which he joined in July 2010. H ...

, digital politics editor for the

Fox News Channel The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...

Robert E. L. Strider Robert E. L. Strider (April 8, 1917 – November 28, 2010) was the 17th President of Colby College, Maine, United States, from 1960 to 1979. Early life Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Strider was the son of the Rev. Robert E.L. Strider, later t ...

, President of

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanthr ...

Andy Tonkovich Andrew Edward Tonkovich (November 1, 1922 – September 2, 2006) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1948 BAA draft by the Providence Steamrollers. He played college basketba ...

, basketball player selected first in the

1948 BAA Draft The 1948 BAA draft was the second annual draft of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which later became the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 10, 1948, before the 1948–49 season. In this draft, eight BAA ...

Edith Lake Wilkinson Edith Lake Wilkinson (August 23, 1868 – July 19, 1957) was an artist who lived and painted in Provincetown, Massachusetts during the early decades of the 20th century until she was committed to an asylum for the mentally ill in 1924. Wilkinson's ...

(1868–1957), artist *

Dave Wojcik David Edward Wojcik (born December 12, 1968) is an American college basketball coach who was most recently head men's basketball coach at San Jose State. His brother, Doug, was also a head coach at the NCAA Division I men's level for basketball ...

, college basketball coach *

Doug Wojcik Frederick Douglas Wojcik (pronounced WO-jick) (born April 12, 1964) is an American college basketball coach, former player, and former Naval officer. Currently, he is an assistant coach for Tom Izzo at Michigan State University. An NCAA Divisi ...

, college basketball coach *

Nan Wynn Nan Wynn, born Masha VatzNew York Times & Arno Press ''The New York Times biographical service, Volume 2'', p. 1013; 1971 (May 8, 1918 – March 21, 1971) was an American big-band singer, and Broadway and film actress. She sang and recorded thro ...

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

singer and actress *

John Yarnall John Joliffe Yarnall (1786–1815) was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812 and the Second Barbary War. Biography Yarnall was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Wheeling, Virginia (later West Virginia), Yarnall was appoin ...

, naval officer during War of 1812

References

External links

Official website of the City of Wheeling, West Virginia

Wheeling Convention and Visitor's Bureau
{{Authority control Cities in Marshall County, West Virginia Cities in Ohio County, West Virginia Cities in West Virginia County seats in West Virginia

National Road Populated places established in 1769 West Virginia populated places on the Ohio River

History

Arrival of early Europeans

Establishment of European settlement

Fort Henry

Role as transportation hub

Anti-slavery sentiment

Post-Civil War growth

Modern decline

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

2000 census

Government

City flag

Attractions

Historical buildings

Parks and recreation

Education

Primary and secondary

Postsecondary

Entertainment

Music

Theater

Live racing and gaming

Media

Transportation

Roads and bridges

Bus transportation

Air transportation

Neighborhoods

Notable people

See also

References

Further reading

External links