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Wheeling, West Virginia

Wheeling, West Virginia
City
Downtown Wheeling as viewed from above 22nd Street in 2012.
Downtown Wheeling as viewed from above 22nd Street in 2012.
Official seal of Wheeling, West Virginia
Seal
Nickname(s): The Friendly City
Location in Ohio County in the State of West Virginia
Location in Ohio County in the State of West Virginia
Coordinates: 40°4′13″N 80°41′55″W / 40.07028°N 80.69861°W / 40.07028; -80.69861Coordinates: 40°4′13″N 80°41′55″W / 40.07028°N 80.69861°W / 40.07028; -80.69861
Country United States
State West Virginia
Counties Ohio, Marshall
Settled 1769
Established 1806
Incorporated 1836
Government
 • Mayor Glenn Elliott (2016-)
 • City Manager Robert Herron (2002-)
 • Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger (2012-)
 • Fire Chief Larry Helms (2007-)
Area
 • City 16.01 sq mi (41.47 km2)
 • Land 13.79 sq mi (35.72 km2)
 • Water 2.22 sq mi (5.75 km2)  13.87%
Elevation 687-1,300 ft (209-396 m)
Population (2010)
 • City 28,486
 • Estimate (2015) 27,648
 • Density 2,065.7/sq mi (797.6/km2)
 • Urban 81,249 (US: 353th)
 • Metro 145,205 (US: 283th)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-4)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 26003
Area code(s) 304
FIPS code 54-86452
GNIS feature ID 1548994
Website http://www.wheelingwv.gov/

Wheeling is a city in Ohio County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Wheeling was originally a settlement in the British colony of Virginia and later an important city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Wheeling was the first state capital of West Virginia. Due to its location along major transportation routes, including the Ohio River, National Road, and the B&O Railroad, Wheeling became a manufacturing center in the late nineteenth century. After experiencing the closing of factories and substantial population loss following World War II, Wheeling's major industries now include healthcare, education, law and legal services, entertainment and tourism, and energy.

Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the Wheeling, WV MSA had a population of 147,950, and the city had a population of 28,486.

The origins of the name "Wheeling" are disputed. One of the more credible explanations is that the word comes from the Lenni-Lenape phrase wih link, which meant "place of the head." This supposedly referred to a white settler who was scalped and decapitated. His severed head was displayed at the confluence of Wheeling Creek and the Ohio River. The area had been inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years. In the 17th century, the Iroquois from present-day New York state conquered the upper Ohio Valley, pushing out other tribes and maintaining the area as their hunting ground.


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