Stay West Virginia Rentals, Vacation Rentals in West Virginia

West Virginia's early history from 1609 until 1863 is largely shared with Virginia, of which it was a part until Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861. The delegates of the 40 western counties who opposed secession formed their own government, which was granted statehood in 1863. In 1731 Morgan established the first permanent white settlement on Mill Creek in present-day Berkeley County. Coal, a mineral asset that would figure significantly in West Virginia's history, was discovered in 1742. Other important natural resources are oil, natural gas, and hardwood forests, which cover about 75% of the state's area. The state's rapid industrial expansion began in the 1870s, drawing thousands of European immigrants and African Americans into the region. Miners' strikes between 1912 and 1921 required the intervention of state and federal troops to quell the violence. Today, the state ranks second in total coal production, with about 15% of the U.S. total. It is also a leader in steel, glass, aluminum, and chemical manufactures. Major agricultural commodities are poultry and eggs, dairy products, and apples.

The best of what the Mountain State has to offer in culture, heritage and arts can be seen at the Tamarack in Beckley. This complex houses a performing arts theater, a fine arts gallery and food court managed by the Greenbrier, where you can sample that tastes of West Virginia. West Virginia is more than coalmines and mountains. Within the Appalachians is a land filled with a unique and diverse culture that includes Bluegrass music, Civil War re-enactments and numerous museums. Visitors to Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park can experience what it was like to live in the region two centuries ago. The island is accessible only by sternwheeler from Point Park in Parkersburg, and the island features the reconstructed 18th century mansion of Harman Blennderhassett, who had been an alleged conspirator with former Vice President Aaron Burr to establish a new nation in the Southwest. The museum is open year round, Monday through Saturday from 9am until 5pm, and Sunday from 1pm until 5pm. If you’re heading to Charleston, you can take a visit to the Cultural Center, which is located within the State Capitol Complex. This official showcase for the arts includes the West Virginia State Museum, State Theater and State Archives, which houses the history and genealogy library.

West Virginia has a humid continental climate, with hot summers and cools to cold winters. The climate of the eastern panhandle is influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic slope and is similar to that of nearby coastal areas. Mean annual temperatures vary from 13°C in the southwest to 9°C at higher elevations. The yearly average is 12°C. The highest recorded temperature, 44°C, was at Martinsburg on 10 July 1936; the lowest, –38°C, at Lewisburg on 30 December 1917. Prevailing winds are from the south and west and seldom reach hurricane or tornado force. In Charleston, average annual precipitation (1971–2000) was 44 inches annually and is slightly heavier on the western slopes of the Alleghenies. Accumulations of snow may vary from about 20 inches in the western sections to more than 50 inches in the higher mountains.

Charleston: Charleston is the capital city of West Virginia. It is also the largest city in West Virginia. It is home to the Yeager Airport.

Lewisburg: This small town of less than 4,000 populations was begun early on but destroyed twice by natives, but finally established in 1782.

Harpers Ferry: Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where the U.S. states of Maryland, Virginia.

Tourism is increasingly popular in mountainous West Virginia. More than a million acres have been set aside in 37 state parks and recreation areas and in 9 state forests and 2 national forests. Major points of interest include Harpers Ferry and New River Gorge National River, The Greenbrier and Berkeley Springs resorts, the scenic railroad at Cass, and the historic homes in the Eastern Panhandle.

Highways form the backbone of transportation systems in West Virginia, with over 37,300 miles of public roads in the state. Airports, railroads, and rivers complete the commercial transportation modes for West Virginia. Commercial air travel is facilitated by airports in Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Beckley, Lewisburg, Clarksburg, and Parkersburg. The cities of Charleston, Huntington, Beckley, Wheeling, Morgantown, Clarksburg, and Fairmont have bus-based public transit systems.

West Virginia University in Morgantown boasts the personal rapid transit system, the state's only single rail public transit system. Developed by Boeing, the WVU School of Engineering and the Department of Transportation, it was a model for low-capacity light transport designed for smaller cities. Recreational transportation opportunities abound in West Virginia, including hiking trails, rail trails, ATV off road trails, white water rafting rivers, and two tourist railroads (Cass Scenic Railroad, and the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad).

West Virginia is crossed by six interstate highways. I-64 enters the state near White Sulphur Springs in the mountainous east, and exits for Kentucky in the west, near Huntington. I-77 enters from Virginia in the south, near Bluefield. It runs north past Parkersburg before it crosses into Ohio. I-64 and I-77 are merged in a stretch of toll road known as the West Virginia Turnpike, on which construction began in 1952. It runs from just east of Charleston south to the exit for Princeton. I-68's western terminus is in Morgantown. From there it runs east into Maryland. At the I-68 terminus in Morgantown, it meets I-79, which enters from Pennsylvania and runs through the state to its southern terminus in Charleston. I-70 briefly runs through West Virginia, crossing the northern panhandle through Wheeling. I-81 also briefly runs in West Virginia through the Eastern Panhandle where it goes through Martinsburg.

An interstate quality road is currently being built that will eventually stretch from I-79 near Weston, WV to at least Wardensville, WV. The western stretch is complete to Kerens, West Virginia but is incomplete from there to Moorefield, WV. It is not certain whether the highway will eventually continue east past Wardensville to the Virginia state line and ultimately connect to I-81 just south of Winchester, VA.

Rail lines in the state used to be more prevalent, but many lines have been discontinued because of increased automobile traffic. Many old tracks have been converted to rail trails for recreational use, and the state is still served by a few commercial lines for hauling coal and by Amtrak. In 2006 Norfolk Southern along with the West Virginia and U.S. Government approved a plan to modify many of the rail tunnels in West Virginia, especially in the southern half of the state, to allow for double stacked cars (see inter-modal freight). This is expected to also help bring economic growth to the southern half of the state.