Crab Orchard, West Virginia
Crab Orchard is a community of 1,139 people in Raleigh County, West Virginia.
Why visit Crab Orchard
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 8 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Mountain State University, Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District, Sophia Historic District and Fitzpatrick Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 79°F; January lows average 19°F, and about 38 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Crab Orchard
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Crab Orchard
Crab Orchard is a census-designated place (CDP) in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,416 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Crab Orchard, West Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Mountain State University
School · 3.5 mi
University in Beckley, West Virginia, USA
Museums and landmarks4
Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Beckley, WV, listed on the NRHP in West Virginia
Sophia Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic district in West Virginia, United States
Wildwood
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic home
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Beckley Feed and Hardware Company
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes8
Arby's
Fast food · Sandwich · 1.3 mi
2001 Robert C Byrd, Macarthur
Mo-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-23:00; Su 10:00-22:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich
1428 Robert C Byrd Drive, Crab Orchard
Mo-Fr 07:00-22:00; Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 09:00-22:00
History
Crab Orchard is famous, historically, as the town in which Senator Robert Byrd organized a chapter for the Ku Klux Klan. After Byrd had collected the $10 joining fee and $3 charge for a robe and hood from every applicant, the Grand Dragon Joel L. Baskin for the mid-Atlantic states came down to Crab Orchard, to officially organize the chapter... "When it came time to choose the Exalted Cyclops, the top officer in the local Klan unit, Byrd won unanimously."
Crab Orchard was named for the many crab apple trees near the original town site.
From the History section of Crab Orchard, West Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Map of Crab Orchard
38 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 19°F | 3.1 in | 12.8 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 21°F | 2.9 in | 10.0 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 27°F | 3.8 in | 5.2 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 36°F | 3.8 in | 0.8 in |
| May | 71°F | 46°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 54°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 58°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 57°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 50°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 39°F | 2.6 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 29°F | 2.7 in | 1.2 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 23°F | 3.5 in | 7.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Beckley Va Hospital (3 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
Raleigh County has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-02-26: Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2015-03-31: Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2012-11-27: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Raleigh County Memorial Airport (BKW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Beckley 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Bradley 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Athens 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Ansted 28 mi north, about 45 min by car
- Bluewell 29 mi south, about 47 min by car
- Alderson 32 mi east, about 52 min by car
- Brush Fork 32 mi south, about 52 min by car
- Bluefield 33 mi south, about 53 min by car
- Bluefield 35 mi south, about 56 min by car
- Narrows 37 mi southeast, about 59 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
- Sophia West Virginia, Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5
- Wildwood Residence at Beckley, Coal town guy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Raleigh County Courthouse Beckley, Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 3.0 us
- Beckley McDonald's on RCB Drive, Nyttend, Public domain
- Martinsburg Mall (7566367038), Mike Kalasnik from Oakville, CT, CC BY-SA 2.0
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