Coalwood, West Virginia

"Coalwood" redirects here. For the unincorporated community in Michigan, see Coalwood, Michigan.

Coalwood, West Virginia
Unincorporated community
Coalwood, West Virginia is located in West Virginia
Coalwood, West Virginia
Location of Coalwood, West Virginia
Coordinates: 37°23′14″N 81°39′09″W / 37.38722°N 81.65250°W / 37.38722; -81.65250
CountryUnited States United States
StateWest Virginia West Virginia
CountyMcDowell
Founded[1]1905
Elevation
[2]
1,450 ft (442 m)
Population
 (1990)
 • Total
900
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
24824
Area code304
GNIS feature ID1554166

Coalwood is an unincorporated coal town in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. The coal mine in Coalwood reached its peak in the 1950s and ceased production on October 1, 1986. As of the 1990 census—the last time the town was counted separately—the population was 900. The town is the setting of Homer Hickam's best-selling 1998 memoir Rocket Boys, as well as its 1999 film adaptation, October Sky.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference timeline was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Coalwood". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. June 27, 1980. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  3. ^ Hickam Jr., Homer (1998). Rocket Boys. Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-385-33320-X.