West Virginia borders Ohio and Virginia to the southeast.
West Virginia -LSB- wɛst vərˈdʒɪnjə -RSB- is a state located in the Appalachian region of the Southern United States .. Virginia. Virginia. state. U.S. state. region. region. Southern. Southern United States. United States. United States. Southern United States. Southern United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the southeast , Kentucky to the southwest , Ohio to the northwest , Pennsylvania to the north -LRB- and , slightly , east -RRB- , and Maryland to the northeast .. Virginia. Virginia. Kentucky. Kentucky. Ohio. Ohio. Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania. Maryland. Maryland. West Virginia is the 9th smallest by area , is ranked 38th in population , and has the second lowest household income of the 50 United States .. Virginia. Virginia. United States. United States. 9th smallest by area. List of U.S. states and territories by area. ranked 38th in population. List of U.S. states and territories by population. household income. Household income in the United States#Income by state. 50 United States. List of U.S. states. The capital and largest city is Charleston .. Charleston. Charleston, West Virginia. West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions of 1861 , in which delegates from some Unionist counties of northwestern Virginia decided to break away from Virginia during the American Civil War , although they included many secessionist counties in the new state .. Virginia. Virginia. state. U.S. state. break away. West Virginia in the American Civil War. American Civil War. American Civil War. Wheeling. Wheeling, West Virginia. West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20 , 1863 , and was a key Civil War border state .. Virginia. Virginia. state. U.S. state. Union. Union ( American Civil War ). Civil War border state. Border states ( Civil War ). West Virginia was the only state to form by separating from a Confederate state , the first to separate from any state since Maine separated from Massachusetts , and was one of two states formed during the American Civil War -LRB- the other being Nevada -RRB- .. Virginia. Virginia. state. U.S. state. American Civil War. American Civil War. Confederate. Confederate States of America. Maine. Maine. Massachusetts. Massachusetts. Nevada. Nevada. The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States .. Virginia. Virginia. Southern. Southern United States. United States. United States. Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. Association of American Geographers. Association of American Geographers. Southern United States. Southern United States. The northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio , with the West Virginia cities of Wheeling and Weirton just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area , while Bluefield is less than 70 mi from North Carolina .. Virginia. Virginia. Ohio. Ohio. Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania. Wheeling. Wheeling, West Virginia. Weirton. Weirton, West Virginia. Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh. Bluefield. Bluefield, West Virginia. North Carolina. North Carolina. Huntington in the southwest is close to the states of Ohio and Kentucky , while Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry in the Eastern Panhandle region are considered part of the Washington metropolitan area , in between the states of Maryland and Virginia .. Huntington. Huntington, West Virginia. Eastern. Eastern Time Zone ( North America ). Virginia. Virginia. region. region. Kentucky. Kentucky. Ohio. Ohio. Maryland. Maryland. Martinsburg. Martinsburg, West Virginia. Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry. Eastern Panhandle. Eastern Panhandle. Washington. Washington, D.C.. The unique position of West Virginia means that it is often included in several geographical regions , including the Mid-Atlantic , the Upland South , and the Southeastern United States .. Virginia. Virginia. United States. United States. Mid-Atlantic. Mid-Atlantic states. Upland South. Upland South. Southeastern United States. Southeastern United States. It is the only state that is entirely within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission ; the area is commonly defined as `` Appalachia '' .. state. U.S. state. Appalachia. Appalachia. Appalachian Regional Commission. Appalachian Regional Commission. The state is noted for its mountains and rolling hills , its historically significant logging and coal mining industries , and its political and labor history .. state. U.S. state. logging. logging. coal mining. coal mining. labor history. labor history ( discipline ). It is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world , making it a choice area for recreational caving and scientific research .. The karst lands contribute to much of the state 's cool trout waters .. state. U.S. state. karst. karst. It is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities , including skiing , whitewater rafting , fishing , hiking , backpacking , mountain biking , rock climbing , and hunting .. skiing. skiing. whitewater rafting. whitewater rafting. fishing. fishing. hiking. hiking. backpacking. backpacking ( wilderness ). mountain biking. mountain biking. rock climbing. rock climbing. hunting. hunting