Benwood, West Virginia
Benwood is a city of 1,230 people in Marshall County, West Virginia.
Why visit Benwood
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 3 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Bellaire Bridge, Belleview Heights and Chapline Street Row Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Benwood
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Benwood
Benwood is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area. The population was 1,269 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Benwood, West Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks11
Belleview Heights
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Building in Ohio, United States
Chapline Street Row Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic district in West Virginia, United States
Imperial Glass Company
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Manufacturer of glasswares, and company museum
McMechen Lockmaster Houses on the Ohio River
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
Zweig Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Building in Ohio, United States of America
B & O Railroad Viaduct
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Donald B.
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
La Belle Iron Works
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes3
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 0.8 mi
2544 Belmont Street, Bellaire
Mo-Fr 05:30-22:00; Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 07:00-22:00
McDonald's
Fast food · Burger · 0.9 mi
300 28th Street, Bellaire
Mo-Th 05:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-24:00; Su 05:00-23:00
History
Benwood was chartered in 1853 and incorporated in 1895. The name of the city is derived from "Ben's Woods", as Benjamin McMechen inherited that portion of land from the estate of his father, William McMechen, and built his homestead upon it. The neighboring city of McMechen is named after William McMechen and his family, who were among the earliest settlers of this area.
Benwood was the location of the third worst mine disaster to occur in the state of West Virginia. At approximately 7:05 AM EST on Monday, April 28, 1924, the coal mine of the Wheeling Steel Corporation's mill located in Benwood exploded, killing all 119 men who were working in the coal mine at the time. The majority of the miners killed were recent immigrants of Polish, Italian, Greek, Croatian, Serbian, Hungarian, Russian, Ukrainian and Lithuanian descent.
Eighteen years after the devastating 1924 explosion at the Wheeling Steel mine, Benwood was once again the location of another tragic coal mining disaster. On Monday, May 18, 1942, the coal mine of the Hitchman Coal & Coke Company exploded, killing 5 men.
From the History section of Benwood, West Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship24
Rock Hill Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Saint James Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.8 mi
326 Logan Street, McMechen
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries35
Map of Benwood
80 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 22°F | 3.4 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 23°F | 2.7 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 30°F | 3.8 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 40°F | 3.5 in |
| May | 74°F | 50°F | 4.2 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 59°F | 4.3 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 4.1 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 63°F | 3.2 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 56°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 44°F | 2.9 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 34°F | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 27°F | 3.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wheeling (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Marshall County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2024-05-22: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-04-17: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Mud/Landslide)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Glendale Fokker Field (GWV) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Bellaire 1 mi northwest, about 2 min by car
- Shadyside 2 mi southwest, about 4 min by car
- Bridgeport 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Wheeling 5 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Wolfhurst 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Martins Ferry 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- St. Clairsville 10 mi northwest, about 17 min by car
- Tiltonsville 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Bethesda 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Brilliant 19 mi north, about 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Imperial glass, Bwsmith84 ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- Rhpc, Bwsmith84 ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- Belleview Heights, Bwsmith84 ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- McMechen Lockmaster Houses site, Nyttend, Public domain
- Zweig building, Bwsmith84 ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- Chapline Street Row HD in Wheeling, Nyttend, Public domain
- Bellaire viaduct 01, Bwsmith84 ( talk ) at en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
- La Belle Iron Works, Jack Boucher, Public domain
- Bellaire Bridge, Brian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia ), CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.