Why visit Nitro
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 58 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Regal Cinema Nitro 12, West Virginia State University, Bank of St. Albans Building and Canty House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Nitro
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Nitro
Nitro is a city in Kanawha and Putnam counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It takes its name from a World War I-era nitrocellulose plant. The population was 6,618 according to the 2020 census. It is part of the Charleston metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Nitro, West Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Regal Cinema Nitro 12
Cinema and theater · 0.4 mi
12 JW Drive, Nitro
Mo-Su unknown
West Virginia State University
School · 3.0 mi
Public, historically black, land-grant university in Institute, West Virginia
Museums and landmarks12
Bank of St. Albans Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Building in St. Albans, United States of America
Canty House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Kanawha County, West Virginia
Chilton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
East Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
James Weimer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in West Virginia, United States
St. Albans Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Railway station in St. Albans, the United States of America
St. Albans Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic district in West Virginia, United States
St. Albans Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
The Beeches
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
William E. Mohler House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in West Virginia, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes58
Guadalajara Modern Mexican
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.1 mi
3902 39th Street, Nitro
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Dragon Garden Buffet
Restaurant · Asian · 1.9 mi
1453 Maccorkle Avenue, Saint Albans
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Li'l Huskies
Restaurant · Ice Cream · 1.3 mi
5119 Washington Street West, Cross Lanes
Mar - Oct Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00
Mimi'S - Saint Albans Mall
Restaurant · French · 1.9 mi
1471 Maccorkle Avenue, Saint Albans
46 more on the map.
History
Nitro was incorporated in 1932 by Circuit Court. Its name was selected by the United States government because of the establishment there, during World War I, of a large federal plant for the manufacture of explosives. The name Nitro derives from nitrocellulose, the main ingredient in smokeless gunpowder. Daniel C. Jackling "supervised the construction and operation" of the plant, which by the time of the armistice "was producing one hundred thousand pounds of high explosives per day." The city is known as "a Living Memorial to World War I."
From the History section of Nitro, West Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship24
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
St. Paul Baptist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Cross Lanes United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 1.2 mi
5320 Frontier Drive, Cross Lanes
Grace Baptist Temple
Church · Baptist · 1.8 mi
1901 Maccorkle Avenue, Saint Albans
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries32
Healthcare3
Map of Nitro
157 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 23°F | 3.3 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 24°F | 3.2 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 31°F | 4.3 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 41°F | 3.9 in |
| May | 75°F | 52°F | 5.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 4.8 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 65°F | 5.1 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 63°F | 3.8 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 56°F | 3.4 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 43°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 32°F | 3.1 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 27°F | 3.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Saint Albans (2 mi away), rain and snow from St. Albans 5.1 Wsw, 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
Kanawha County has had 27 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-10-07: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 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)
- 2024-01-30: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2021-05-20: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Yeager Airport (CRW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- St. Albans 2 mi south, about 4 min by car
- Cross Lanes 3 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Dunbar 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Teays Valley 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- South Charleston 7 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Alum Creek 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Charleston 10 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Hurricane 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Eleanor 11 mi northwest, about 17 min by car
- Culloden 14 mi west, about 23 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
- Living Memorial Park, SuperDalio, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bank of St. Albans Building, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- New East Hall, Harper1040, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Mark's Episcopal Church, St. Albans, West Virginia, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Beeches (St. Albans, West Virginia, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canty House, Harper1040, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Albans Post Office WV1, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James Weimer House WV1, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chilton House, Harper1040, CC BY-SA 4.0
- William E. MohlerHouse, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Paul Baptist Church, St. Albans, West Virginia, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- C&O RW station Saint Albans WV1, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Alban Theater, St. Albans Main Street Historic District, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
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