Parkersburg, West Virginia
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- "Parkersburg" redirects here. For the town in Iowa, see Parkersburg, Iowa.
| City of Parkersburg, West Virginia | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | West Virginia | ||
| County | Wood | ||
| Incorporated | 1810 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Robert Newell | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 12.2 sq mi (31.6 km²) | ||
| - Land | 11.8 sq mi (30.6 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km²) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - City | 33,099 | ||
| - Density | 2,800.5/sq mi (1,081.2/km²) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Website: http://www.parkersburg-wv.com/ | |||
Parkersburg is a city located in Wood County, West Virginia, United States at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers. It is the county seat of Wood CountyGR6. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 33,099, making it the third-largest city in West Virginia, behind Charleston and Huntington. Parkersburg is the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The Bureau of the Public Debt, an agency of the U.S. Treasury Department, is located in Parkersburg.
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[edit] History
Parkersburg was originally named Newport when it was laid out in the late 1700s. A section of the land in the town was laid out over land granted to Alexander Parker for his Revolutionary War service. The title conflicts between Parker and the city planners of Newport were settled in 1809 in favor of Alexander Parker's 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 terminus of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and the Northwestern Turnpike. In 1857 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built a branch line to the town. The town was important as a transportation and medical center during the American Civil War. It then became a transportation hub in the gas and oil boom following that war.
Blennerhassett Island is a historical site located in Parkersburg.
[edit] Geography
Parkersburg is located at 39°15'58" North, 81°32'32" West (39.266175, -81.542139)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.6 km² (12.2 mi²). 30.6 km² (11.8 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.19% water.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,218 |
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| 1860 | 2,493 | 104.7% | |
| 1870 | 5,546 | 122.5% | |
| 1880 | 6,582 | 18.7% | |
| 1890 | 8,408 | 27.7% | |
| 1900 | 11,703 | 39.2% | |
| 1910 | 17,842 | 52.5% | |
| 1920 | 20,050 | 12.4% | |
| 1930 | 29,623 | 47.7% | |
| 1940 | 30,103 | 1.6% | |
| 1950 | 29,684 | -1.4% | |
| 1960 | 44,797 | 50.9% | |
| 1970 | 44,208 | -1.3% | |
| 1980 | 39,967 | -9.6% | |
| 1990 | 33,862 | -15.3% | |
| 2000 | 33,099 | -2.3% | |
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 33,099 people in the city, organized into 14,467 households and 8,767 families. The population density is 1,081.2/km² (2,800.5/mi²). There are 16,100 housing units at an average density of 525.9/km² (1,362.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 96.36% White, 1.75% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 14,467 households out of which 25.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% are married couples living together, 13.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% are non-families. 34.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.83.
The age distribution is 21.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,990, and the median income for a family is $33,081. Males have a median income of $30,516 versus $20,287 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,106. 19.8% of the population and 16.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 32.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
[edit] Famous people from Parkersburg
- Allen Appel
- Harman Blennerhassett
- Paul Dooley
- Paul Goldsmith
- Linda Goodman
- Tommy Hanlon Jr
- Cyrus Cotton "Cy" Hungerford
- Earle "Greasy" Neale
- Patsy Ramsey
- Morgan Spurlock
- Nick Swisher
- Harold Webster
- Deron Williams
- Zao
[edit] Education
Parkersburg is the home of the Parkersburg High School Big Reds, the Parkersburg South High School Patriots, and the Parkersburg Catholic High School Crusaders.
West Virginia University at Parkersburg is located several miles outside the city. Ohio Valley University is located nearby in Vienna, WV.
[edit] Film
- The Steven Soderbergh film Bubble, released in 2006, was filmed in Parkersburg and neighboring Belpre, Ohio, using an all-local cast.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Parkersburg's website
- The Parkersburg News (local newspaper)
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
