St. Marys, West Virginia

St. Marys, West Virginia
2nd Street in the central business district of St. Marys in 2006
2nd Street in the central business district of St. Marys in 2006
Location of St. Marys in Pleasants County, West Virginia.
Location of St. Marys in Pleasants County, West Virginia.
Coordinates: 39°23′28″N 81°12′11″W / 39.39111°N 81.20306°W / 39.39111; -81.20306
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
CountyPleasants
Area
 • Total1.03 sq mi (2.66 km2)
 • Land1.02 sq mi (2.65 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation633 ft (193 m)
Population
 • Total1,847
 • Estimate 
(2021)
1,830
 • Density1,730.47/sq mi (668.12/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
26170
Area code304
FIPS code54-71356[4]
GNIS feature ID2390658[2]
WebsiteOfficial website
Pleasants County Courthouse

St. Marys is a city in and the county seat of Pleasants County, West Virginia, United States.[5] The population was 1,847 at the 2020 census.[3] It is part of the Parkersburg–Vienna metropolitan area. St. Marys was established in 1849 by Alexander Creel, who is said to have had a vision of Mary while passing the townsite by boat on the Ohio River.[6]

Train tracks run down the middle of 2nd Street in St. Marys, and freight trains running through the middle of downtown St. Marys are a common sight. It is one of the few remaining towns in the United States where freight trains actually share city streets with automotive traffic.

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: St. Marys, West Virginia
  3. ^ a b "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ Kenny, Hamill (1945). West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains. Piedmont, WV: The Place Name Press. p. 550.