Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The county seat of Cabell County, the city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Guyandotte rivers. Huntington is the second-most populous city in West Virginia, with a population of 46,842 as of the 2020 census. Its metro area, the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, is the largest in West Virginia, spanning seven counties across three states and having a population of 376,155 at the 2020 census.
Huntington, West Virginia | |
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City | |
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Flag Seal Logo | |
| Nickname(s): The Jewel City, The River City, The River & Rail City, Train City | |
Interactive map of Huntington | |
Huntington Huntington | |
| Coordinates: 38°25′15″N 82°25′25″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| Counties | Cabell, Wayne |
| Settled | 1775 |
| Incorporated | 1799 (Guyandotte) |
| - | February 27, 1871 (Huntington) |
| Founded by | Collis P. Huntington, Delos W. Emmons |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Steve Williams (D) |
| • City Council | Councilmembers |
| Area | |
| • City | 18.46 sq mi (47.82 km2) |
| • Land | 16.22 sq mi (42.01 km2) |
| • Water | 2.24 sq mi (5.81 km2) |
| Elevation | 564 ft (172 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • City | 46,842 |
| • Density | 2,888.1/sq mi (1,115.1/km2) |
| • Urban | 200,157 (US: 193rd) |
| • Urban density | 1,553.1/sq mi (599.7/km2) |
| • Metro | 376,155 (US: 150th) |
| • Demonym | Huntingtonian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern Daylight Time) |
| ZIP Codes | 25701–25729, 25755, 25770–25779, 25704 |
| Area code | 304 & 681 |
| FIPS code | 54-39460 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1540605 |
| Website | cityofhuntington.com |
Surrounded by extensive natural resources, the area was first settled in 1775 as Holderby's Landing. Its location was selected as ideal for the western terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, which founded Huntington as one of the nation's first planned communities to facilitate transportation industries. The city quickly developed after the railroad's completion in 1871 and is eponymously named for the railroad company's founder, Collis Potter Huntington. The city became a hub for manufacturing, transportation, and industrialization, with an industrial sector based in coal, oil, chemicals and steel. After World War II, due to the shutdown of these industries, the city lost nearly 46% of its population, from a peak of 86,353 in 1950 to 54,844 in 1990.
Huntington is a vital rail-to-river transfer point for the marine transportation industry. It is home to the Port of Huntington Tri-State, the second-busiest inland port in the United States. Also, it is considered a scenic locale in the western foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The city is the home of Marshall University as well as the Huntington Museum of Art, Mountain Health Arena, Camden Park, one of the world's oldest amusement parks; and the headquarters of the CSX Transportation-Huntington Division.