Wheeling is a city in

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

and

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...

counties in the U.S. state of

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Ohio County, it lies along the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

in the foothills of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

within the state's Northern Panhandle. It is the fifth-most populous city in West Virginia and the most populous city in the Northern Panhandle with a population of 27,062 at the 2020 census. 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 ...

had 139,513 residents in 2020. Wheeling is located about west of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

and east of

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...

via

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, Baltimo ...

. Wheeling was settled in 1769 on land contested between colonial

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

and

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

, and later grew to become Virginia's largest city west of the Appalachians. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Wheeling was the host of the

Wheeling Convention The 1861 Wheeling Convention was an assembly of 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 of its t ...

s that led to the separation of West Virginia from Virginia and served as the state capital from 1861 to 1870, and again from 1875 to 1885. It became a manufacturing center in the late nineteenth century 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. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...

, and the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

. After the decline of heavy industry and substantial population loss following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Wheeling's major industries now include healthcare, education, law and legal services, entertainment and tourism, and energy.

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 (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historical territory included present-day northeastern Dela ...

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

. Earlier sources say that the head was that of a Native American prisoner, not a settler. 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 family of officers and colonial administrators, who notably played a role in New France beginning in the 17th century. One member, Pierre Joseph Céloron de Blainville, is the subject of a folk song by Robert Sc ...

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 (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

surveyed the land, in 1751 and 1770, respectively.

Establishment of European settlement

During the fall of 1769,

Ebenezer Zane Ebenezer Zane (October 7, 1747 – November 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 se ...

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

girdling Girdling, also called ring-barking, is the circumferential removal or injury of the bark (consisting of cork cambium or "phellogen", phloem, cambium and sometimes also the xylem) of a branch or trunk of a woody plant. Girdling prevents th ...

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). 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 part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

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

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. 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 on 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, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...

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, 1736 ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. May 18, 1736une 6, 1799) was an American politician, planter and orator who declared to the Virginia Conventions, Second Virginia Convention (1775): "Give me liberty or give m ...

. In 1777, Native Americans of the

Shawnee The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...

Wyandot Wyandot may refer to: Native American ethnography * Wyandot people, who have been called Wyandotte, Huron, Wendat and Quendat * Wyandot language, an Iroquoian language * Wyandot Nation of Kansas, an unrecognized tribe and nonprofit organization ...

, 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, a ...

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 British 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 ...

. 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. 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 McColloch's Leap 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 woman involved in the American Revolutionary War on the American frontier. She was the daughter of William Andrew Zane and Nancy Ann (née Nolan) Zane, and the sister ...

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 ...

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, United States. The 2000 census showed a resident population of 3,142 people on the island, which has a land area ...

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

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a 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. It w ...

. Rail transportation reached Wheeling in 1853 when the

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, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,870 at the 2020 census, having peaked in 1920. It is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area. The Bellaire Brid ...

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

Anti-slavery sentiment

Much of the area had been settled by

yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of Serfdom, servants in an Peerage of England, English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in Kingdom of England, mid-1 ...

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

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 join ...

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. From the acceptance of the new state of West Virginia into the union until the Restored Government of Virginia's move to

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

in August of the same year, Wheeling was the state capital of both West Virginia and Virginia. 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 revolutions throughout Europe over the course of more than one year, from 1848 to 1849. It remains the most widespre ...

, 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 w ...

(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 and undesired eleme ...

. 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 History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

gift of a free library, because of the industrialist's labor record, especially the notorious Homestead Strike 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 Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 18,773 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making Martinsburg the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia a ...

, reached Wheeling and spread nationwide. In 1897,

Eugene Debs Eugene Victor Debs (November 5, 1855 – October 20, 1926) was an American socialist, political activist, trade unionist, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and five-time candidate of the Socialist Party o ...

, Mother Jones, and

Samuel Gompers Samuel Gompers (; January 27, 1850December 11, 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 and revitalization efforts

The

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, 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 with the Downtown Wheeling Streetscape project. Additionally, the city has been redeveloping the historic 1400 Market Street, just one block east of 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) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

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

and only west of

. 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 river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its mouth on the Mississippi River in Cairo, ...

". 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

Neighborhoods

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

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

* Center Wheeling * Clator * Dimmeydale * Downtown * East Wheeling * Echo Point * Edgwood * 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)

Climate

Wheeling lies at the boundary between the

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...

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 cold ...

zones (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

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

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 27,052 people and 11,737 households residing in the city. There were 14,407 housing units in Wheeling. The racial makeup of the city was 86.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 5.5%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% from other races, and 6% from

two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...

. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.7% of the population. Of the 11,737 households, 34.5% were married couples living together, 37.4% had a female householder with no spouse present, 23% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 3.16. The median age in the city was 43.6 years with 20.2% of the city's population under 18. The median income for a household in the city was $43,483 and the poverty rate was 16.5%

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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 (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

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

, 5.1%

, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.16% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races.

or Latino 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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

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

Arts and culture

West Virginia Independence Hall from southwest

The city of Wheeling has a rich and varied history. West Virginia Independence Hall 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 American Civil War, by which each seceding slave-holding Southern state or territory formally Secession in ...

. 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 are ...

, built in 1798. Center Market Square Historic District

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 (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, 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.

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 organizationCapitol 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 singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...

, and

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bring a ...

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

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

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

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Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...

. Other past performers include

Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version ...

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

. The

Wheeling Symphony Orchestra The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra is a regional orchestra based in Wheeling, West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of th ...

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, the first radio station in West Virginia and a 5 ...

program from 1933 to 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 to 2007, making it the second-longest-running country radio program and variety show in the country, after the "

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" in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

. 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 (United States), county located in the eastern end of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 66,497. Its county seat is St. Clairsville, Ohio, St. Clairsville, while its larges ...

Jamboree In The Hills Jamboree in the Hills was an annual festival of country music in Morristown, Ohio (about 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.

Sports

Wheeling, known as Nail City, is home to the

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 family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...

team and the

Wheeling Miners The Wheeling Miners are an indoor football team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. They are former members of the American Arena League 2 and have played their home games at the WesBanco Arena since 2024. They replaced the now-defunct West ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

. 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 Wheeling Miners indoor footba ...

(formerly the Wheeling Civic Center), and are part of the North division of the Eastern Conference of the ECHL. And the Miners are in the National Arena League. Formerly home to the Ohio Valley Greyhounds, Wheeling became home to a second team in 2009. The team, known as the Wheeling Wildcats, played in the Continental Indoor Football League but folded after the 2009 season. High school American football, football and soccer are played at Wheeling Island Stadium. Wheeling is also home of the Mountain East Conference basketball championship tournament, an NCAA Division II 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.

Parks and recreation

Wheeling features several municipal parks, including Oglebay Park, Oglebay Resort & Conference Center and Wheeling Park. Ohio County has six golf courses, including designs by renowned golfer Arnold Palmer and architect Robert Trent Jones. In October 2007 the City of Wheeling opened the state's first concrete skateboard park. The facility was designed and built by world-renowned skatepark builder Grindline, of Seattle, Washington. 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.

Live racing and gaming

Wheeling is the home of Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, located on

. Formerly known as Wheeling Downs, the facility features live greyhound racing, slot machine, slots, poker games, and casino-style Casino game#Table games, table games. In accordance with House Bill 271, adopted on March 8, 2007, Ohio County and Jefferson County, West Virginia, 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, West Virginia, Hancock County on June 30, 2007.

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 Denny Magruder, and the current city manager is Robert Herron. The current members of the City Council are Tony Assarro (1st Ward), Ben Seidler (2nd Ward), Connie Cain (3rd Ward), Vice-Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis (4th Ward), Ty Thorngate (5th Ward), and Dave Palmer (6th Ward). City elections were held on May 14, 2024, and the current term began on July 1, 2024. City elections will be held again on May 14, 2028.

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. 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.

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. Several parochial and private schools, including Wheeling Central Catholic High School, the Linsly Military Institute, Linsly School, and Wheeling Country Day School are located in the city.

Postsecondary

Wheeling is the hub of higher education in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Wheeling University, 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 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 (formerly West Liberty State College), a four-year university, and private Bethany College (West Virginia), Bethany College, giving area residents a wide variety of educational options.

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 and the Pittsburgh-centric news/talk channel PCNC 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 Channel 7, PBS member station West Virginia Public Broadcasting, W30CO-D Channel 30, and NBC/FOX affiliate WTOV-TV Channel 9 in nearby Steubenville, Ohio. Cable television provider Comcast serves the city, parts of which Centre TV also services. Wheeling is home to WWVA (AM), WWVA 1170 AM, the state's only 50,000-watt AM station, which can be heard throughout the East Coast of the United States, East Coast at night. WVLY 1370 AM and WKKX 1600 AM provide local news, sports, and talk. On the FM dial, WVKF 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 Radio, Pacifica affiliate. Media in Pittsburgh#Radio, Pittsburgh's radio stations provide Wheeling with coverage. Several translators and repeater stations provide NPR and American Family Radio networks. Wheeling also has a student-run radio station, WPHP 91.9, operated by Wheeling Park High School students. WPHP plays top 40 songs and also covers all of the Wheeling Park Patriots' football and basketball games. The city is home to ''The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register, The Intelligencer'' and the ''Wheeling News-Register'' newspapers, owned by Wheeling-based Ogden Newspapers Inc. ''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, 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

and its spur Interstate 470 (Ohio – West Virginia), 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 in West Virginia, U.S. Route 40/

links downtown with residential neighborhoods to the east. West Virginia Route 2 connects Wheeling with Moundsville, West Virginia, Moundsville to the south and Weirton, West Virginia, Weirton to the north. U.S. Route 250 in West Virginia, U.S. Route 250 also runs through the city. The Fort Henry Bridge and Interstate 470 Bridge, 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.

Bus

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

The city is served by the Wheeling Ohio County Airport for general aviation and by Pittsburgh International Airport for Airline, passenger service.

Popular culture

* The second track in Freekstyle took place in Wheeling. * The majority of the film The Gun on Second Street, was shot in Wheeling.

Notable people

* Austin E. Renforth, Major General, USMC * Jodi Applegate, TV news anchor * Chu Berry, Leon "Chu" Berry, jazz saxophonist * Thais Blatnik, West Virginia journalist and politician * John Bluem, soccer player and coach * Leo Brady, playwright, novelist, and director * Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington, Adelbert R. Buffington, U.S. Army general * Jesse Burkett, Hall of Fame baseball player * Bobby Campo, actor * Jack Canfield, motivational speaker * John Corbett, actor * Billy Cox, bassist * Jesse Cox (YouTuber), Jesse Cox, internet personality * Henrietta Crosman, actress * Belle Caldwell Culbertson, author and philanthropist * Annie Sinclair Cunningham (1832–1897), religious worker, Wheeling Hall of Fame * Faith Daniels, network broadcaster * Rebecca Harding Davis, author * Joseph M. Devine, Governor of North Dakota, 1898–1899 * Joyce DeWitt, actress * Joanne Dru, actress * William Lukens Elkins, William L. Elkins, 19th-century business tycoon * Doug Fetherling, writer * Walter L. Fisher, U.S. Secretary of the Interior * Mike Florio, sportswriter * Kelsey Fowler, Broadway actress * Virginia Fox, actress * Gene Freese, baseball player * Rosemary Front, disability rights advocate * Rob Garrison, actor * Cynthia Germanotta, philanthropist and businesswoman, mother of Lady Gaga * Jack Glasscock, Major League Baseball player * Michael Grove, baseball player * George Herbig, astronomer * Chuck Howley, NFL linebacker for Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys * Lois Kibbee, actress * Everett Lee, orchestral conductor * Slim Lehart, country music singer * Alvan Macauley, president of Packard 1916–1939 * Keith Maillard, writer * Bill Mazeroski, Hall of Fame second baseman * William J. Mitsch, Stockholm Water Prize laureate, ecology professor and author * Cy Morgan, Major League Baseball pitcher * Marion Moses, physician, labor activist * Bob Ney, U.S. Representative from Ohio * Robert Nutting and family, principal owners of the Pittsburgh Pirates * Mollie O'Brien, Grammy-winning bluegrass singer * Tim O'Brien (musician), Tim O'Brien, Grammy-winning bluegrass musician, brother of Mollie O'Brien * Joe Pettini, former shortstop for the San Francisco Giants. * Mark Prosser, college basketball coach * Jesse L. Reno, Civil War general; namesake of Reno, Nevada * Walter Reuther, labor leader * Rick Schneider-Calabash, animation producer, writer, and director * Eleanor Steber, operatic soprano associated with Metropolitan Opera * Chris Stirewalt, digital politics editor for the Fox News Channel * Robert E. L. Strider, President of Colby College * Andy Tonkovich, basketball player selected first in the 1948 BAA Draft * Edith Lake Wilkinson (1868–1957), artist * Dave Wojcik, college basketball coach * Doug Wojcik, college basketball coach * Nan Wynn, big band singer and actress * John Yarnall, 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 Wheeling, West Virginia, Cities in Marshall County, West Virginia Cities in Ohio County, West Virginia Cities in West Virginia County seats in West Virginia Former state capitals in the United States, West Virginia National Road Populated places established in 1769 West Virginia populated places on the Ohio River 1769 establishments in the Colony of Virginia

History

Arrival of early Europeans

Establishment of European settlement

Fort Henry

Role as transportation hub

Anti-slavery sentiment

Post-Civil War growth

Modern decline and revitalization efforts

Geography

Neighborhoods

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Arts and culture

Theater

Sports

Parks and recreation

Live racing and gaming

Government

City flag

Education

Primary and secondary

Postsecondary

Media

Transportation

Roads and bridges

Bus

Air

Popular culture

Notable people

See also

References

Further reading

External links