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Kingwood, West Virginia
Kingwood, West Virginia
City
	James Clark McGrew House, September 2013
	Location of Kingwood in Preston County, West Virginia.
	Coordinates: 39°28.3′N 79°41.1′W / 39.4717°N 79.6850°W
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Preston
Settled	1807
Incorporated (town)	January 23, 1811
Incorporated (city)	1853
Named for	A grove of tall, stately trees
Area
• Total	2.43 sq mi (6.29 km2)
• Land	2.43 sq mi (6.29 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,814 ft (553 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	2,980
• Estimate (2021)	3,090
• Density	1,258.02/sq mi (485.73/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	26537
Area code	304
FIPS code	54-44044
GNIS feature ID	1541229
Website	www.kingwoodwv.org

Kingwood is a city in and the county seat of Preston County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,980 at the 2020 census.^[6] The city sits within the Allegheny Mountains above the Cheat River valley. It is the home of the Preston County Buckwheat Festival, a county fair known for making buckwheat pancakes,^[7] as well as Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo.

History

The site of Kingwood was once a forest owned partly by John Miller and Hugh Morgan. The Northwestern Turnpike leading from Winchester to Morgantown and Clarksburg passed through the area.^[8] Kingwood was settled sporadically in the 1790s and 1800s until it was formally established by the Virginia General Assembly on January 23, 1811. The town was made the county seat of the new Preston County in 1818 and chartered in 1853. It was named for a grove of tall, stately trees.^[9]

The James Clark McGrew House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993; the Kingwood Historic District was added in 1994.^[10]

Geography

Kingwood is located at 39°28.3′N 79°41.1′W / 39.4717°N 79.6850°W / 39.4717; -79.6850 (39.4713, -79.6848).^[11]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.43 square miles (6.29 km²), all land.^[12] It has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures range from 28.7 °F in January to 70.2 °F in July. [1] The local hardiness zone is 6a.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	365		—
1900	700		—
1910	800		14.3%
1920	1,417		77.1%
1930	1,709		20.6%
1940	1,676		−1.9%
1950	2,186		30.4%
1960	2,530		15.7%
1970	2,550		0.8%
1980	2,877		12.8%
1990	3,243		12.7%
2000	2,944		−9.2%
2010	2,939		−0.2%
2020	2,980		1.4%
2021 (est.)	3,090	^[3]	3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census^[13]

2010 census

As of the census^[14] of 2010, there were 2,939 people, 1,291 households, and 818 families living in the city. The population density was 1,209.5 inhabitants per square mile (467.0/km²). There were 1,454 housing units at an average density of 598.4 per square mile (231.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.3% White, 0.9% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.

There were 1,291 households, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.6% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the city was 43.8 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 2,944 people, 1,283 households, and 844 families living in the city. The population density was 1,192.9 people per square mile (460.2/km²). There were 1,417 housing units at an average density of 574.2 per square mile (221.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.69% White, 1.02% African American, 0.44% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.34% of the population.

There were 1,283 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,155, and the median income for a family was $36,313. Males had a median income of $30,658 versus $18,190 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,299. About 16.3% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

The annual Preston County Buckwheat Festival takes place in Kingwood over the last weekend of September. Farmers in the county grew buckwheat during the Great Depression to stimulate agricultural economic growth, with the festival starting in 1938 as an end-of-harvest celebration.^[15] The festival resembles a county fair, with livestock exhibitions and carnival rides. The festival also features three days of parades. Thousands of the namesake buckwheat pancake meals are prepared for the event.^[16]

Kingwood is home to Hovatter's Wildlife Zoo, also known as the West Virginia Zoo.