Montgomery, West Virginia

City of Montgomery
City

Location in Kanawha County and state of West Virginia.
Coordinates: 38°10′48″N 81°19′36″W / 38.18000°N 81.32667°WCoordinates: 38°10′48″N 81°19′36″W / 38.18000°N 81.32667°W
Country  United States
State  West Virginia
Counties Fayette, Kanawha
Government
 • Mayor Chris Martin
Area[1]
 • Total 1.59 sq mi (4.12 km2)
 • Land 1.57 sq mi (4.07 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation 636 ft (194 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 1,638
 • Estimate (2012[3]) 1,630
 • Density 1,043.3/sq mi (402.8/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 25136
Area code(s) 304
FIPS code 54-55468[4]
GNIS feature ID 1555154[5]

Montgomery is a city in West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. Most of the city is in Fayette County, with the remainder in Kanawha County. The population was 1,638 at the 2010 census.

Montgomery was incorporated April 1, 1891 and named for James C. Montgomery, one of the city's first settlers. It is the home of West Virginia University Institute of Technology, popularly called WVU Tech. The city is also home to BridgeValley Community and Technical College – Montgomery Campus.

Geography

Montgomery is located at 38°10′48″N 81°19′36″W / 38.18000°N 81.32667°W (38.179918, -81.326722).[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.59 square miles (4.12 km2), of which 1.57 square miles (4.07 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.[1]

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,638 people, 645 households, and 302 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,043.3 inhabitants per square mile (402.8/km2). There were 838 housing units at an average density of 533.8 per square mile (206.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.3% White, 17.4% African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 645 households of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.0% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.2% were non-families. 43.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.71.

The median age in the city was 30.1 years. 12.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 31.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.2% were from 25 to 44; 22.5% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.3% male and 46.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 1,942 people, 725 households, and 326 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,237.5 people per square mile (477.6/km²). There were 869 housing units at an average density of 553.7 per square mile (213.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.47% White, 17.40% African American, 0.31% Native American, 3.76% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 725 households out of which 17.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.9% were non-families. 42.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.80.

The age distribution, which is strongly influenced by the presence of WVU Tech, is: 13.2% under the age of 18, 33.0% from 18 to 24, 17.9% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 107.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,606, and the median income for a family was $32,000. Males had a median income of $27,794 versus $25,139 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,663. About 25.7% of families and 37.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.4% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

Rail transportation

The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway used to stop in Montgomery all the way up until 1890. Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to Montgomery from the Cardinal route. CSX transportation's Kanawha Subdivision also services Montgomery.[7]

Trivia

The novel "Goodbye Miss 4th of July", written by Christopher Janus, is a biographical story of his Greek family's struggles while growing up in Montgomery. In 1988, a film version of "Goodbye Miss 4th of July" was produced by the Disney Channel.[8] In 1890 Montgomery was called Cannelton. But from 1876 to 1890, the town was called Coal Valley Post Office, because of the post office and it was also influenced by the Coal Valley Coal Company. The name then changed to Montgomery's Landing to Coal Valley. Stores did not start getting large in numbers until 1895. The growth was due to the construction of the Kanawha & Michigan Railroad across the river, the new bridge that crossed the water, and the connection of the Virginian Railway at Deepwater. Deepwater is only a couple of minutes from Montgomery. In the early 1910s Montgomery was the shipping center for 26 different coal operations. It was also the largest town in Fayette County at the time.[9]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
  3. ↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. ↑ "Montgomery, West Virginia". WVExp.com. Retrieved 2/4/13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ↑ "Goodbye Miss 4th of July". Internet Movie Database, retrieved 2011-06-03.
  9. ↑ "Montgomery, West Virginia". WVExp.com. June 17, 2012. p. 1. Retrieved 2/4/13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)