Location, Location, Location!

George Washington took note in his diary of this 2,000-acre tract of fertile land near the mouth of the Little Kanawha River in 1770. He was surveying along the Ohio River and was awed by the area’s beauty, as well as its wealth of resources.

Where is the Mid-Ohio Valley? Click for a larger map and a mileage to major cities table.

Much has happened since that colonial period with a new national government, a Civil War, and a major oil and gas boom. Always, Wood County has flourished because of its resilience and resources.

This region in west-central West Virginia is a major intersection of waterways and highways. More than half of the nation’s population lives within an overnight drive.

However, being a strategic location for commerce has not compromised the area’s innate beauty with its wide quiet rivers, rolling hills and spacious
farmlands.

Elevations range from 629 feet above sea level in Parkersburg to 1,328 feet in a rural section of Wood County. Wild flower species which are not common along the East Coast, grow in abundance throughout the area.

Parkersburg, the county seat, has an estimated population of 34,000 within 11 square miles.

Immediately to the north is Vienna with more than seven square miles and approximately 10,000 people. The nearby residential community of North Hills has approximately 300 homes. Further up the Ohio is small, historic Williamstown with nearly 3,000 residents. Another rapidly growing area is Mineral Wells, located south at an interchange of I-77.

Spreading between the towns are agricultural and wooded regions with family-sized and dairy farms, small unincorporated villages, and undeveloped land. The overall population of Wood County is approximately 87,000.