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PhilippiWV1Philippi, #1 on this list · Photo: Valerius Tygart · CC BY-SA 3.0
West Virginia rankings · Outdoors

Best towns for the outdoors in West Virginia

Philippi ranks first on outdoors among West Virginia’s 61 towns of 2,500+; 10 of the 61 grade A− or better on outdoors nationally.

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. How grades work

#1

Philippi

Barbour County · 2,846 people
A+

Outdoors grade, better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #49 of 61 in WV

#2

Barboursville

Cabell County · 4,307 people
A+

Outdoors grade, better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #48 of 61 in WV

All 61 towns

Outdoors grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.

61 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGradeOverall
1PhilippiBarbour County · 2,846 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #49 of 61
2BarboursvilleCabell County · 4,307 peopleA+better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #48 of 61
3Shannondaleunincorporated, Jefferson County · 3,465 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #36 of 61
4MorgantownMonongalia County · 30,293 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #10 of 61
5ViennaWood County · 10,321 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #23 of 61
6Oak HillFayette County · 7,629 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #39 of 61
7MoundsvilleMarshall County · 7,659 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #24 of 61
8South CharlestonKanawha County · 13,072 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #52 of 61
9KenovaWayne County · 2,841 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #7 of 61
10RavenswoodJackson County · 3,790 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #18 of 61
11BluefieldMercer County · 9,158 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #55 of 61
12Point PleasantMason County · 3,869 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #43 of 61
13DunbarKanawha County · 7,050 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #38 of 61
14St. AlbansKanawha County · 10,210 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #45 of 61
15NitroKanawha County · 6,270 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #53 of 61
16ElkinsRandolph County · 6,622 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #51 of 61
17SummersvilleNicholas County · 3,297 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #28 of 61
18New MartinsvilleWetzel County · 5,039 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #34 of 61
19FayettevilleFayette County · 2,721 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #46 of 61
20HuntingtonCabell County · 44,815 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #56 of 61
21ClarksburgHarrison County · 15,562 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #30 of 61
22PrincetonMercer County · 5,578 peopleBbetter than 64% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #44 of 61
23WheelingOhio County · 25,680 peopleBbetter than 63% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #41 of 61
24FollansbeeBrooke County · 2,668 peopleBbetter than 57% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #25 of 61
25WilliamstownWood County · 2,922 peopleBbetter than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #2 of 61
26Cheat Lakeunincorporated, Monongalia County · 10,902 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #1 of 61
27CharlestonKanawha County · 46,117 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #58 of 61
28HurricanePutnam County · 7,367 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #5 of 61
29BethlehemOhio County · 2,520 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #3 of 61
30BridgeportHarrison County · 9,427 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #6 of 61
31WilliamsonMingo County · 2,753 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #61 of 61
32Charles TownJefferson County · 9,329 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #8 of 61
33BuckhannonUpshur County · 5,054 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #47 of 61
34MoorefieldHardy County · 2,655 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #57 of 61
35MartinsburgBerkeley County · 19,211 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #35 of 61
36RipleyJackson County · 3,038 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #13 of 61
37FairmontMarion County · 18,035 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #21 of 61
38KeyserMineral County · 4,777 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #17 of 61
39WestoverMonongalia County · 4,086 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #14 of 61
40ParkersburgWood County · 28,593 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #32 of 61
41BeckleyRaleigh County · 16,373 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #54 of 61
42MadisonBoone County · 2,678 peopleCbetter than 31% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #20 of 61
43Inwoodunincorporated, Berkeley County · 2,794 peopleCbetter than 31% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #31 of 61
44WeirtonHancock County · 18,133 peopleCbetter than 30% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #26 of 61
45WelchMcDowell County · 3,389 peopleCbetter than 30% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #60 of 61
46Ranson corporationJefferson County · 6,853 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #11 of 61
47WestonLewis County · 3,736 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #40 of 61
48LewisburgGreenbrier County · 3,721 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #59 of 61
49GraftonTaylor County · 4,529 peopleC−better than 19% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #19 of 61
50Pinchunincorporated, Kanawha County · 4,037 peopleC−better than 19% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #33 of 61
51MiltonCabell County · 2,792 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #50 of 61
52Pleasant ValleyMarion County · 3,457 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #12 of 61
53Teays Valleyunincorporated, Putnam County · 14,151 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #4 of 61
54KingwoodPreston County · 2,937 peopleC−better than 17% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #29 of 61
55Brookhavenunincorporated, Monongalia County · 6,212 peopleDbetter than 12% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #9 of 61
56Cullodenunincorporated, Cabell County · 3,040 peopleDbetter than 7% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #22 of 61
57Pea Ridgeunincorporated, Cabell County · 6,988 peopleDbetter than 6% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #27 of 61
58Sissonvilleunincorporated, Kanawha County · 3,593 peopleD−better than 4% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #42 of 61
59Blennerhassettunincorporated, Wood County · 3,282 peopleD−better than 3% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #16 of 61
60Cross Lanesunincorporated, Kanawha County · 9,671 peopleD−better than 2% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #15 of 61
61Shady Springunincorporated, Raleigh County · 3,381 peopleD−better than 2% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #37 of 61
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which West Virginia town is best for the outdoors?

Philippi (Barbour County) ranks first on outdoors among 61 towns, with an A+; Barboursville and Shannondale follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a outdoors grade (61 in West Virginia). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the West Virginia page.

Go deeper

More West Virginia lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All West Virginia rankings →
Best places to live61 towns · #1 Cheat LakeBest small towns46 towns · #1 WilliamstownMost affordable towns61 towns · #1 FollansbeeSafest towns29 towns · #1 KenovaTowns with the best schools61 towns · #1 Hurricane and Teays ValleyHealthiest towns61 towns · #1 Cheat LakeBest towns for jobs & income61 towns · #1 Teays ValleyMost walkable towns61 towns · #1 KenovaTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk61 towns · #1 FayettevilleMost historic towns61 towns · #1 WheelingTowns with the most civic life48 towns · #1 LewisburgTowns with the least snow61 towns · #1 KenovaDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns61 towns · #1 ElkinsDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters59 towns · #1 WilliamsonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers59 towns · #1 MoorefieldDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers59 towns · #1 Shady SpringDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes61 towns · #1 Cheat LakeDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes61 towns · #1 GraftonDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns50 towns · #1 Charles TownDescribed, no letters
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