Parkersburg, West Virginia

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"Parkersburg" redirects here. For other uses, see Parkersburg (disambiguation).
City of Parkersburg, West Virginia
City
Downtown Parkersburg as viewed from the Belpre Bridge in 2006
Downtown Parkersburg as viewed from the Belpre Bridge in 2006
Official seal of City of Parkersburg, West Virginia
Seal
Location in Wood County in the State of West Virginia
Location in Wood County in the State of West Virginia
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
CountyWood
Incorporated1810
Government
 • MayorRobert Newell
Area
 • Total12.2 sq mi (31.6 km2)
 • Land11.8 sq mi (30.6 km2)
 • Water0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)  3.19%
Elevation
614 ft (187 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total33,099
 • Density2,800.5/sq mi (1,081.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
26101-26106
Area code304
FIPS code54-62140Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1544587Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.parkersburg-wv.com/

Parkersburg is a city located in Wood County, West Virginia, United States at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers. It is the county seat of Wood CountyTemplate:GR. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 33,099, making it the third-largest city in West Virginia, behind Charleston and Huntington. Parkersburg is the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Bureau of the Public Debt, an agency of the U.S. Treasury Department, is located in Parkersburg.

History

The Wood County Courthouse.

Parkersburg was originally named Newport when it was laid out in the late 1700s. A section of the land in the town was laid out over land granted to Alexander Parker for his Revolutionary War service. The title conflicts between Parker and the city planners of Newport were settled in 1809 in favor of Alexander Parker's heirs. The town was renamed Parkersburg in 1810. It was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1820. It was rechartered as a city in 1860.

The town was the terminus of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and the Northwestern Turnpike. In 1857 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built a branch line to the town. The town was important as a transportation and medical center during the American Civil War. It then became a transportation hub in the gas and oil boom following that war.

Blennerhassett Island is a historical site located in Parkersburg.

Geography

Parkersburg is located at 39°15'58" North, 81°32'32" West (39.266175, -81.542139)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.2 square miles (31.6 km²), of which, 11.8 square miles (30.6 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it is water. The total area is 3.19% water.

The city is situated at the confluence of the Ohio River and the Little Kanawha River. The Little Kanawha River divides the north and south sides of the city.

Climate

Parkersburg's climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 30's.

The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 85.80 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 22.30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 18 degrees Fahrenheit.

The annual average precipitation at Parkersburg is 40.69 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is July with an average rainfall of 4.58 Inches. [1]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18501,218—
18602,493104.7%
18705,546122.5%
18806,58218.7%
18908,40827.7%
190011,70339.2%
191017,84252.5%
192020,05012.4%
193029,62347.7%
194030,1031.6%
195029,684−1.4%
196044,79750.9%
197044,208−1.3%
198039,967−9.6%
199033,862−15.3%
200033,099−2.3%

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 33,099 people in the city, organized into 14,467 households and 8,767 families. The population density is 2,800.5 people per square mile (1,081.2/km²). There are 16,100 housing units at an average density of 1,362.2/sq mi (525.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 96.36% White, 1.75% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

An aerial view of downtown Parkersburg in 2005.

There are 14,467 households out of which 25.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% are married couples living together, 13.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% are non-families. 34.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.83.

The age distribution is 21.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $26,990, and the median income for a family is $33,081. Males have a median income of $30,516 versus $20,287 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,106. 19.8% of the population and 16.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 32.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Neighborhoods and surrounding areas

North Parkersburg

Beechwood, Downtown, East End, Fairview Heights, Grenada Hills, Julia-Ann Square, Meadowcrest, North End, Oakwood Estates, Quincy Hill, Riverside, Woodland Park

The Chancellor House in the Julia-Ann Square Historic District.

South Parkersburg (Southside)

Larkmead, Rockport, Marrtown, Pettyville, Tavennerville, Tygart, Tri-C, Washington

Media

The Parkersburg News and Parkersburg Sentinel are Parkersburg's two major daily newspapers. The same company also publishes the Marietta A.M..

There are many radio stations broadcasting from Parkersburg, including 106.1 Z106 (WRZZ),102.1 The River (WRVB), U.S. 107 WNUS, MIX 100 (WDMX), V96.9 (WVVV), WXIL, Froggy 99.1, and 103.1 The Bear.

WTAP, the local NBC affiliate, is the main television station.[2]

Education

Parkersburg High School

Parkersburg is the home of the Parkersburg High School Big Reds, the Parkersburg South High School Patriots, and the Parkersburg Catholic High School Crusaders.

Junior High Schools include Jackson Junior High School, Vandevender, Blennerhassett, Edison, and Hamilton.

Mountain State College is located in the city. West Virginia University at Parkersburg is located a few miles outside the city. Ohio Valley University is located nearby in Vienna.

Notable natives and residents

The Parkersburg Municipal Building
The Parkersburg floodwall

Film

See also

References

  1. ^ Parkersburg Weather | Parkersburg WV
  2. ^ www.wtap.com
  3. ^ King, Sharon R. (1999-01-27). "William M. Batten, Ex-Chief Of Stock Exchange, Dies at 89". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-04-08.

External links

Template:Geolinks-US-cityscale

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