Wheeling, West Virginia

Wheeling, West Virginia
City
Downtown Wheeling West Virginia Independence Hall Wheeling Station WesBanco Arena Chapline Street
Flag Seal
Nickname:  The Friendly City
Interactive map of Wheeling
Wheeling Show map of West Virginia Wheeling Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°4′13″N 80°41′55″W / 40.07028°N 80.69861°W / 40.07028; -80.69861
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Ohio, Marshall
Settled	1769
Established	1806
Incorporated	1836
Government
• Mayor	Glenn Elliott (D)[1]
• City Manager	Robert Herron
• Police Chief	Shawn Schwertfeger
• Fire Chief	Jim Blazier
Area [2]
• City	16.00 sq mi (41.43 km2)
• Land	13.78 sq mi (35.68 km2)
• Water	2.22 sq mi (5.76 km2)  13.87%
Elevation	687–1,300 ft (209–396 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• City	27,062
• Density	1,700/sq mi (650/km2)
• Urban	81,249 (US: 353rd)
• Metro	145,205 (US: 288th)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	26003
Area code	304
FIPS code	54-86452
GNIS feature ID	1548994[4]
Website	www.wheelingwv.gov

Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat,^[5] it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending into Marshall County. Wheeling is located about 60 miles (96 km) west of Pittsburgh and is the principal city of the Wheeling metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 27,062, and the metro area had a population of 139,513.^[3] It is the fifth most populous city in West Virginia, and the most populous in the state’s Northern Panhandle.

Wheeling was originally a settlement in the British Colony of Virginia, and later the second largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. During the American Civil War, Wheeling was the host of the Wheeling Conventions 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, and the B&O Railroad, Wheeling became a manufacturing center in the late nineteenth century. After the closing of factories and substantial population loss following World War II, 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's move to Alexandria in August of the same year, Wheeling was the state capital of both West Virginia and Virginia.