Beckley, West Virginia
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| Beckley, West Virginia | |
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| Motto: The Gateway to Southern West Virginia | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Raleigh |
| Area | |
| - Total | 9.2 sq mi (23.8 km²) |
| - Land | 9.2 sq mi (23.8 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 2,421 ft (738 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 17,254 |
| - Density | 1,874.9/sq mi (723.9/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 25801, 25802, 25926 |
| Area code(s) | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-05332[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1553831[2] |
Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, USA which was founded on April 4, 1838. The 2006 population was estimated to be 16,828 by the U.S. Census Bureau[3]. Early in its history, the town was known as Beckleyville and Raleigh Court House. The city is sometimes called the "Smokeless Coal Capital" "The City of Champions" and the "Gateway To Southern West Virginia." The population of the Beckley area is roughly 77,000 including Raleigh County and parts of Fayette County. It is the county seat of Raleigh County[4].
Beckley was named in honor of John James Beckley, who was the first Clerk of the House of Representatives and the first Librarian of Congress. It was founded by his son Alfred Beckley (US Army general and confederate militia commander, born in Washington, D.C.). The current mayor (2007) is Emmett S. Pugh, III.
Beckley is well known for two major tourist attractions: The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine (newly renovated opening to the public April 1, 2008) and Tamarack. The Exhibition Coal Mine is a preserved coal mine that offers daily tours and a history lesson on coal mining in Appalachia. Tamarack, originally built at a cost of $10 Million and dedicated to former Governor Gaston Caperton, is the home to many artisan crafts from around West Virginia and a dining area featuring meals prepared by chefs trained at The Greenbriar.
Beckley has been the subject of intense growth along Eisenhower Drive. This growth has led to increasing traffic problems which the city is attempting to alleviate by building the "Z" way, which would bypass major congestion. The amount of growth the city has experienced has also led to Beckley/Raleigh County considering the formation of a Metro Government which could potentially reduce government operation overhead. The city is the regional hub for over 200,000 Southern West Virginia residents. It is the eighth largest city in West Virginia, succeeded by Fairmont and followed by Clarksburg.
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[edit] Geography and Climate
Beckley is located at (37.779764, -81.183193)[5].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km²), all of it land.
Due to Beckley's geographical location in the higher elevations, the city is dominated by a Humid continental climate, with hot summers and cold, snowy winters.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 73 | 74 | 81 | 86 | 89 | 90 | 94 | 96 | 92 | 81 | 79 | 73 |
| Norm High °F | 38.8 | 42.8 | 51.9 | 62.5 | 70.6 | 77 | 80.2 | 78.9 | 72.6 | 63.1 | 52.4 | 43.1 |
| Norm Low °F | 22.1 | 24.9 | 32.4 | 40.6 | 49.2 | 57 | 61.1 | 59.8 | 53.5 | 42.4 | 34.4 | 26.5 |
| Rec Low °F | -22 | -16 | -5 | 11 | 23 | 32 | 41 | 36 | 30 | 18 | 4 | -18 |
| Precip (in) | 3.23 | 2.96 | 3.63 | 3.43 | 4.39 | 3.92 | 4.78 | 3.45 | 3.23 | 2.64 | 2.88 | 3.09 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [1] | ||||||||||||
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 17,254 people, 7,651 households, and 4,590 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,874.9 people per square mile (724.1/km²). There were 8,731 housing units at an average density of 948.8/sq mi (366.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.64% White, 22.89% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.74% of the population.
There were 7,651 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,122, and the median income for a family was $38,110. Males had a median income of $35,780 versus $23,239 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,912. About 16.4% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Highways
Beckley is a major hub in Southern West Virginia. Interstate 64 and Interstate 77 form a major crossroads South of Beckley. US 19 ,WV 10 ,WV 210 ,WV 3 ,and WV 16 also serve Beckley.
[edit] Air
Greater Beckley's only airport is Beckley Raleigh County Memorial Airport. Raleigh County Airport has two airlinesUS Airways(Washington-Dulles, Columbus),and United Airlines(Washington-Dulles, Shenandoah Valley).
[edit] Notable natives and residents of Beckley area
- Rob Ashford, choreographer.
- Tom Carper, U.S. Senator from Delaware.
- Little Jimmy Dickens, singer.
- Jon McBride, astronaut.
- Nick Rahall, United States Representative.
- Chris Sarandon, actor.
- Calvin Simon, musician.
- Tamar Slay, professional basketball player.
- Hulett C. Smith, West Virginia governor.
- Morgan Spurlock, filmmaker.
- Bill Withers, singer.
- Joesph Goddard, professional baseball player.
[edit] Educational Institutions
Two universities are located in Beckley: Mountain State University and a branch campus of Concord University. Also located in Beckley is New River Community and Technical College.
[edit] External links
- City of Beckley Website
- Beckley Local News
- Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce
- Beckley Register-Herald Newspaper
- History of Beckley and Raleigh County
- Beckley, West Virginia is at coordinates Coordinates:
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau Population Finder profile for Beckley, WV
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
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