Where is West Virginia located?

West Virginia is a landlocked state near the East Coast, though West Virginia does not touch the coastline. Surrounded by five other states, West Virginia has easy access to diverse landscapes and geography. In the north, West Virginia shares a border Ohio in the northwest and Pennsylvania in the northeast. To the east, West Virginia is bordered by Virginia and Maryland. Virginia stretches along the southern border of West Virginia, as does Kentucky.

GPS Coordinates and Center Point of West Virginia

Located at a latitude of 38.5976° N and a longitude of 80.4549° W, West Virginia is situated in the Southern Region of the United States. As one of the Mid-Atlantic states, West Virginia is also part of the Appalachian Region of the U.S. The centermost point of West Virginia is located outside of the city of Sutton, in Braxton County.

Total Area, Population Size, and Density

The total area of West Virginia is approximately 24,231 square miles of land and water. West Virginia is the forty-first largest state in the U.S. based on total area alone. With 24,087 square miles of land and 145 square miles of water, West Virginia is 99.4% land areas and 0.6% water areas.

The Mountain State has a population of 1,800,000 people as of the 2018 census results. By dividing the population by the total area, it is possible to calculate the population density of West Virginia. In doing so, you will discover that West Virginia has a population density of 74.28, or approximately 75 people per square mile.

Elevation Levels of West Virginia

On average, West Virginia has an elevation of 4,863 feet above sea level. At its peak, West Virginia reaches as high as 4,863 feet above sea level at a point called Spruce Knob. This is a summit atop Spruce Mountain which is part of the Allegheny Mountain Range. The lowest point of elevation in West Virginia registers as 240 feet above sea level. This point is situated along the Potomac River.

Points of Extremity

The most extreme points of West Virginia are:

  • Northernmost: the point where the Ohio River crosses the border between West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
  • Easternmost: the point where the Potomac River crosses the border between Virginia and West Virginia.
  • Southernmost: along the Dry Fork River, just outside of the city of Amonate.
  • Westernmost: along the Tug Fork River, just outside of the city of Louisa in Kentucky.
State Name
West Virginia
Area
62,756 km2
Area Ranking
41
Capital
Charleston
Statehood Year
1863
Timezones
America/New_York
Postal Abbreviation
WV
FIPS #
54

Where is West Virginia located?

West Virginia Belongs to the South U.S. Census Region