Why Huntington
Huntington is West Virginia's second-most populous city, situated in the state's southwestern region along the southern bank of the Ohio River at its confluence with the Guyandotte River. Positioned in the western foothills of the Appalachian Mountains within the Western Allegheny Plateau, the municipality spans Cabell and Wayne counties, serving as the seat for Cabell County. The surrounding metropolitan area extends across seven counties into neighboring Kentucky and Ohio.
The area was first settled in 1775 as Holderby's Landing, located on land originally included in the Savage Grant. In 1871, railroad founder Collis Potter Huntington established and incorporated the modern planned city to serve as the western terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The new community rapidly expanded, absorbing the earlier 1799 town of Guyandotte in 1891. Huntington developed into a major industrial center focused on coal, oil, chemicals, and steel, though the postwar shutdown of these heavy industries led to significant population loss from its 1950 peak.
In the late twentieth century, the city shifted its economic base toward education, healthcare, biotechnology, and commercial services. Huntington remains a vital rail-to-river transfer hub, featuring the Port of Huntington Tri-State, which operates as the second-busiest inland port in the United States, as well as the headquarters of the CSX Transportation-Huntington Division. Redevelopment projects have refreshed the city center, notably at the Pullman Square Town Center, along the Fourth Avenue corridor, and on Ninth Street.
Visitors to Huntington can explore several cultural and recreational destinations. The city is home to Marshall University, the Huntington Museum of Art, and the Marshall Health Network Arena. Commercial options include the Huntington Mall and the Shops at Heritage Station, an artisan retail complex set in an 1887 Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Depot that hosts events like the Diamond Teeth Mary Blues Festival. Additionally, Camden Park has operated since 1903 as one of the world's oldest amusement parks.
Geographically, the city occupies an eighty-block section of the Ohio River floodplain alongside adjacent southern hills. Due to its position in the lowest and westernmost area of the state, Huntington features a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons, moderated by the Ohio River in contrast to West Virginia's higher, snowier continental elevations.
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