Parkersburg, West Virginia
Parkersburg is a city of 29,240 people in Wood County, West Virginia, founded in 1810.
Why visit Parkersburg
Townapedia lists 50 museums and landmarks, 23 parks and trails, 125 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Parkersburg Bridge, Memorial Bridge, Avery Street Historic District and Blennerhassett Hotel.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Parkersburg
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Parkersburg
Parkersburg is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-most populous city and the center of the Parkersburg–Vienna metropolitan area. The city's population was 29,738 at the 2020 census, and its metro population was 89,490.
From the Wikipedia article Parkersburg, West Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do12
Parkersburg Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Railway bridge across the Ohio River
Memorial Bridge
Bridge · 1.8 mi
Bridge in West Virginia and Belpre, Ohio
Parkersburg–Belpre Bridge
Bridge · 1.4 mi
Highway bridge across the Ohio River
West Virginia University at Parkersburg
School · 3.7 mi
Public college in Parkersburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Wards Farm Market
Farm and orchard · 1.5 mi
Open Spring summer and fall, closed in winter
Museums and landmarks50
Avery Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Parkersburg, West Virginia
Blennerhassett Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Hotel in Parkersburg, United States of America
Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic building in Parkersburg, West Virginia, United States
Cook House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
Jackson Memorial Fountain
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Cast iron water feature in City Park, Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Julia-Ann Square Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in Parkersburg, West Virginia, United States
Oakland
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic home located at Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia
Smoot Theatre
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Theater and former movie theater in Parkersburg, West Virginia, United States
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
Plantation
Captain Jonathan Stone House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic house in Belpre, Ohio, United States
Case House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic house in West Virginia, United States
Charles Rice Ames House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
United States historic place
38 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds23
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11 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes125
J.P. Henry's
Restaurant · American, Burger, Pizza, Sandwich, Steak House · 3.1 mi
5106 Emerson Avenue, Parkersburg
Su-Sa 11:00-22:00
Parkersburg Brewing Company
Brewery and winery · 0.9 mi
707 Market Street
Tu-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-22:00
Shortys Pizzeria
Restaurant · Italian, Pizza · 2.4 mi
Wood fired pizza oven, chef trained in Italy
3601 Murdoch Avenue, Parkersburg
Belair’s Bistro & Catering
Restaurant · Sandwich, Burger, Dessert · 2.7 mi
1500 Washington Boulevard, Belpre
Mo-Tu 11:00-15:00; We-Th 11:00-17:00; Fr 11:00-18:30
113 more on the map.
History
Settlers at first named the city Newport when they settled it in the late 18th century following the American Revolutionary War. A town section was laid out on land granted to Alexander Parker for his Revolutionary War service. Virginia made grants of land to veterans for their war service. The title conflicts between Parker and the city planners of Newport were settled in 1809 in favor of his heirs. The town was renamed Parkersburg in 1810. It was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1820. It was rechartered as a city in 1860.
The town was the western terminus of both the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and the Northwestern Turnpike. In 1857, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built a branch line south to the town from Wheeling, West Virginia. Travelers wanting to connect with the Ohio Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad, one of the east–west lines along the Ohio River, had to take a steamboat 14 miles north to Marietta, Ohio. Jacob Linville designed the railroad bridge planned by the B&O. It was constructed in 1868–1870 between Parkersburg and Belpre, Ohio, as part of the B&O's main line from Baltimore to St. Louis, Missouri. This drew traffic and trade from Marietta. Today the structure is known as the Parkersburg Bridge.
From the History section of Parkersburg, West Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Red Roof Inn Parkersburg
Motel and hotel · 2.2 mi
3714 East 7th Street, Parkersburg
Churches and places of worship86
First Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Trinity Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Bethel AME Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
First Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Henry Logan Memorial AME Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
St. Francis Xavier Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Trinity Episcopal Church Rectory
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Shopping37
Gas and EV charging24
Schools, colleges and libraries50
Caperton Center For Applied Technology
School · 3.7 mi
212 Technology Dr, Parkersburg
Healthcare20
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Parkersburg
Hospital · 3.1 mi
3 Western Hills Drive, Parkersburg
McCarter Health Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.2 mi
4315 Emerson Avenue, Parkersburg
Map of Parkersburg
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 24°F | 3.4 in | 5.5 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 26°F | 3.0 in | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 32°F | 4.0 in | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 42°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 76°F | 53°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 62°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 66°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 64°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 57°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 45°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 35°F | 2.8 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 29°F | 3.4 in | 1.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Parkersburg (2 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
Wood County has had 12 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)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-04-17: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Mud/Landslide)
- 2015-08-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport (PKB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Belpre 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- Vienna 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Lubeck 4 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- North Hills 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Blennerhassett 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Mineralwells 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Marietta 12 mi northeast, about 20 min by car
- Athens 30 mi west, about 48 min by car
- Cambridge 53 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Zanesville 54 mi northwest, about 1 h 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
- Boreman view, Mgoudy85 ( talk ), Public domain
- Bethel AME Church site in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Parkersburg Carnegie Library, Nyttend, Public domain
- Parkersburg Women's Club, Nyttend, Public domain
- Parkersburg First Presbyterian Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- Greetings from Parkersburg, West Virginia - Large Letter Postcard (8648252316), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Parkersburg Masonic Temple, Nyttend, Public domain
- Oeldorf Building in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Parkersburg First Baptist Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- Union Trust National Bank in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Parkersburg CSA memorial, Nyttend, Public domain
- St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Smoot Theater in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Case House site in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Mather Building in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Parkersburg News and Sentinel offices, Nyttend, Public domain
- Citizens National Bank in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Trinity Episcopal Church in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Trinity Episcopal Church in Parkersburg, rectory, Nyttend, Public domain
- Smith Building site in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Federal courthouse in Parkersburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- Jackson Memorial Fountain Parkersburg, Wdzinc, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blennerhassett Hotel - Parkersburg, West Virginia - DSC05584, Daderot, CC0
- The Peter Van Winkle House, Jstewall at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Stephenson House, Parkersburg, West Virginia, Archie A. Biggs, Public domain
- Cook House in Parkersburg WV, Wdzinc, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Capt. Jonathan Stone House, Bwsmith84 ( talk )., CC BY 3.0
- Dr. W. W. Monroe House, Wdzinc, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sixth Street Railroad Bridge, William E. Barrett, Public domain
- W.H. Smith Hardware Company Building, Nyttend, Public domain
- George Neale, Jr., House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Blennerhassett Mansion retouched, WVhybrid, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fort Boreman, Wdzinc, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Parkersburg High School, Jstewall at en.wikipedia, Public domain
- Wood County Courthouse Parkersburg West Virginia, Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5
- Gould House Parkersburg, Wdzinc, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tavenner House Parkersburg, Wdzinc, CC BY-SA 3.0
- W. H. BICKEL ESTATE, PARKERSBURG, WOOD COUNTY, WV, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charles Rice Ames House, Bwsmith84 ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- St. John's Lutheran Church on Avery Street, Nyttend, Public domain
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