Huntington, West Virginia

Not to be confused with Huntington, Virginia.
For other uses, see Huntington (disambiguation).

Huntington, West Virginia
City
Downtown Huntington
Ritter Park
Heritage Station
Pullman Square
Marshall University
Flag of Huntington, West Virginia
Flag
Official seal of Huntington, West Virginia
Seal
Official logo of Huntington, West Virginia
Logo
Nickname(s): 
The Jewel City, The River City, The River & Rail City, Train City
Location of Huntington in Cabell County, West Virginia.
Location of Huntington in Cabell County, West Virginia.
Map
Interactive map of Huntington
Coordinates: 38°25′9.30″N 82°26′42.55″W / 38.4192500°N 82.4451528°W / 38.4192500; -82.4451528
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
CountiesCabell, Wayne
First Settled1775 (Holderby's Landing)
Founded1871
Incorporated1799 (Guyandotte)
IncorporatedFebruary 27, 1871 (Huntington)
Founded byCollis P. Huntington,
Delos W. Emmons
Government
[1]
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorSteve Williams (D)
 • City Council
Members list
Area
[2]
 • City18.461 sq mi (47.814 km2)
 • Land16.219 sq mi (42.008 km2)
 • Water2.242 sq mi (5.808 km2)
Elevation
[4]
564 ft (172 m)
Population
 (2020)[5]
 • City46,842
 • Estimate 
(2023)[6]
45,325
 • RankUS: 886th
WV: 2nd
 • Density2,794.6/sq mi (1,079.0/km2)
 • Urban
200,157 (US: 191st)[3]
 • Metro
368,261 (US: 152nd)
 • Combined
643,394 (US: 81st)
DemonymHuntingtonian
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
25701–25729, 25755, 25770–25779[7]
Area code(s)304 and 681
FIPS code54-39460
GNIS feature ID1540605[4]
HighwaysUS-60, I-64, SR-101, SR-106, SR-152, and SR-527
Sales tax7.0%[8]
Websitecityofhuntington.com

Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia.[9] The seat of Cabell County, the city is located in SW West Virginia at the confluence of the Ohio and Guyandotte rivers. The population was 46,842 at the 2020 census.[5] According to 2023 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 45,325.[6] Huntington is the second-most populous city in West Virginia. Its metro area, the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, is the largest in West Virginia, spanning seven counties across three states (KY, OH, and WV) and having a population of 368,262 at the 2023 estimate.

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.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12]

  1. ^ "City Council Members". City of Huntington, West Virginia. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  2. ^ "2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Huntington, West Virginia
  5. ^ a b "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference USCensusEst2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Look Up a ZIP Code™". USPS. October 14, 2024.
  8. ^ "Huntington (WV) sales tax rate". Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  9. ^ City of Huntington. "Community Profile". Archived from the original on September 8, 2017.
  10. ^ Kercheval, Hoppy (August 27, 2021). "West Virginia's Population Decline Hits Cities Hard". WV MetroNews. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  11. ^ "CY 2016 Tonnage for Selected U.S. Ports by Port Names". Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  12. ^ Huntington in Bloom. "About Us" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 29, 2013.