Morgantown



Morgantown is the third largest city in West Virginia, and is the county seat of Monongalia County. It is home to West Virginia University, the state's flagship public university and university with the largest student body in the state. The city proper has 30,347 residents (2020). Monongalia County has a population of 105,822 and the immediate Morgantown Metropolitan Area has a population of 138,176. As the largest city in the northern half of West Virginia, and sitting at the junction of I-79 and I-68, Morgantown serves as a major regional cultural center and hub for business, medicine, shopping and dining.

Understand
Morgantown is located on steeply rolling hills along the Monongahela River in North-Central West Virginia, also known as 'Mountaineer Country' and the 'I-79 High-Tech Corridor'. It is the largest city in a greater urban conglomeration including the smaller cities of Fairmont and Clarksburg, the smaller town of Grafton and their surrounding suburbs and smaller towns. The combined population of the greater Morgantown-anchored 6-county area is approximately 260,000 making this area the state's second largest urban conglomeration after the Charleston-Huntington area. West Virginia University is at the heart of Morgantown's identity, culture and economy. A classic college town, Morgantown has seen robust growth for decades and has one of the wealthiest, best-educated and most diverse populations in the state. The West Virginia University Mountaineers have a strong following across the state and region, and college sports games well-attended and lively.

Morgantown is a few miles to the west of the Allegheny Front. This long mountain ridge extending south from Pennsylvania has many protected parklands and its elevation change is often the difference between winter snow and ice in Preston County to the east while Morgantown itself sees rain. Morgantown's proximity to natural attractions including the adjacent Coopers Rock State Forest atop the Allegheny Front, and the various federal and state protected parklands and picturesque rural valleys of the high Alleghenies to the east make it a convenient base or stop for an extended trip through these more remote areas.

Drivers from flatter lands may be surprised at the steepness, narrowness and windy nature of the streets and roads around Morgantown, reminiscent of famously hilly San Francisco and Pittsburgh; and the fearless ease of the locals driving up, down and around this steep topography. The manner in which the hills separate the city into many small neighborhoods has necessitated the establishment of several disjointed campuses as WVU grew over the decades; the necessity of connecting the disparate campuses without overwhelming the street network resulted in the creation of the Morgantown PRT, opened in 1975.

Neighborhoods [and immediate suburbs]

 * Downtown: Central Business District, High Street shops and restaurants. WVU Downtown Campus occupies the northern end of downtown.
 * Sunnyside: North of the WVU downtown campus along the riverfront; some retail along Beechurst Av. and housing occupied mostly by WVU students.
 * Woodburn: East of the WVU downtown campus, steep streets with a variety of housing, the portions closer to the campus are populated heavily by students.
 * Wiles Hill / Highland Park: A quiet, mostly residential neighborhood on the hill above Sunnyside, student population increases on blocks closer to the WVU campuses.
 * Greenmont: Just south of downtown across bridges over Deckers Creek. Historic homes, neighborhood coffee shops.
 * South Park: Immediately south of downtown, blends in with Greenmont; slightly larger homes, get increasingly newer and more opulent with elevation.
 * Hopecrest: Newer large homes in a small residential neighborhood between South Park and First Ward
 * First Ward: A mix with mostly older middle-class homes south of South Park and Hopecrest.
 * South Hills: Large homes on steep hills southeast of Greenmont with excellent views.
 * Sabraton: East of Woodburn and Downtown; contains a residential portion with an older housing stock, and a stretch of Earl L Core Rd. with a plethora of big box retail and fast food.
 * Jerome Park: East of Woodburn and north of Sabraton, a residential neighborhood with a mix of housing ages and styles.
 * Evansdale: Primarily occupied by the expansive WVU Evansdale Campus and JW Ruby Memorial Hospital; desirably convenient housing and a small retail strip along University Av.
 * Suncrest: A small, wealthy residential neighborhood west of Evansdale
 * North Hills: A wealthy residential neighborhood north of Evansdale.
 * Westover: Independent municipality directly across the Monongahela River from downtown; nice, modest older homes on steep streets. Morgantown Mall is on the west side of I-79, just outside municipal limits.
 * Granville: Independent municipality adjacent to Westover to the north. A small older portion along the river and a newer portion with many big-box suburban developments along University Town Centre Dr.
 * Star City: Independent municipality between Suncrest and the Monongahela River, once home to many glass factories.
 * Osage: A small, unincorporated community across the river from Star City and north of Granville with a historic business district undergoing some revitalization.
 * Brookhaven: An unincorporated suburban residential area across I-68 from Sabraton
 * Van Voorhis: An unincorporated suburban residential area north of North Hills
 * Cheat Lake: An unincorporated portion of eastern Monongalia County surrounding a man-made lake on the Cheat River. One of the wealthiest communities in West Virginia. Contains the West Virginia Botanic Garden.

By car
Major routes in and out of Morgantown include:
 * I-79, which runs in a north-south fashion through the western side of Morgantown
 * I-68, which runs in an east-west fashion through the southern side of Morgantown
 * WV 43, a section of the Mon-Fayette Expressway connecting the Morgantown area to Fayette County, Pennsylvania
 * US 119, which runs in a north-south fashion through downtown
 * US 19, which runs through downtown
 * WV 7
 * WV 705

Morgantown is:
 * 77 miles (120 km) south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
 * 385 miles (615 km) north of Charlotte, North Carolina;
 * 528 miles (845 km) east of Chicago, Illinois;
 * 218 miles (350 km) west of Washington, D.C.

Get around
Downtown Morgantown has a lot of things to do, and it is definitely possible to see it by walking around. Other areas around Morgantown are similarly dense with fun activities and are easy to walk around. Certain places are further away from the center of town and will likely require a bicycle or a car to visit them. Morgantown is very hilly and steep, areas close on a map may be separated by a significant change in elevation, and the winding nature of routings can be disorienting to those unfamiliar with navigating mountainous terrain.

Morgantown's interstate highways skirt the edges of town, forming a sort of partial bypass/beltway; I-79 runs north-south along the western fringe and I-68 begins at an interchange with I-79 southwest of the city center and heads east, skirting the southern and eastern suburbs. The part of Morgantown north of downtown is the most populous, and crossing this area roughly west to east, connecting I-79 to I-68 is a large, busy suburban arterial route consisting of portions of other routes strung together. A small part of Chaplin Hill Rd. (exit 155 to WV-7) connects to US-19/WV-7 crossing the Monongahela River to WV-705 (Patteson Dr., Van Voorhis Rd., Chestnut Ridge Rd., 201st INF/FA Memorial Way), US-119 (Mileground Rd) and WV-857 (Cheat Rd.) connecting with I-68 at exit 7.

US-19 follows an indirect route, entering the Morgantown area from the southwest and traveling east through Westover into downtown Morgantown; then turning north and following the river to cross it again in Star City, from where it parallels I-79 north into Pennsylvania. US-119 enters Morgantown from the south and travels northeast from downtown, entering Pennsylvania near the small town of Point Marion Pa. WV-7 enters Morgantown from the northwest and is twinned with US-19 until downtown where it travels east, crossing I-68 and going up the Allegheny Front and through small rural mountain towns.

There is plenty of parking all around Morgantown. There are four parking garages with a total of 1,600 parking spots in Morgantown. They are at University Avenue and Chestnut Street, Pleasant Street, Spruce Street and Wharf Street. It is possible to rent a car for several days from Hertz in Morgantown Municipal Airport, or to rent a car for several hours from Zipcar. Alternatively, just call a taxi through Motown Taxi, Uber, or Lyft.

West Virginia University Mountaineers
West Virginia University's sports teams are undoubtedly Morgantown's highest-profile attraction and loved by almost everyone in the state. The Mountaineers have teams in seven men's sports, ten women's sports, and one coeducational sport (rifle shooting), mostly as members of the Big 12 Conference. As at most other big schools, the football and men's basketball teams have the most attendees at games. Notably, when Milan Puskar Stadium is filled for football games, the stadium becomes the largest "city" in the state by a large amount. While a small number of WVU fans aren't totally friendly to opposing fans, violence is essentially nonexistent, and neutral visitors should have no trouble. For fun, try to wear dark blue and golden yellow. Different sports are played at different venues.

Glass
The Morgantown area has been home to over 30 glass factories over the past 100 years, including Seneca Glass, Monongahela Valley Cut Glass, Mississippi Glass, Pressed Prism Glass, Beaumont Glass, and others. There are only two glass factories left in the area:



General Amenities

 * Kroger, large regional grocery chain. 3 Morgantown locations:
 * 1851 Earl L Core Rd, Sabraton
 * 350 Patteson Dr. Evansdale
 * 500 Suncrest Towne Centre Dr.
 * Giant Eagle, large regional grocery chain. 2 Morgantown locations:
 * 130 Green Bag Rd. First Ward
 * 208 Giant St. University Town Centre, Granville
 * Aldi, nationwide discount grocery chain. 2 Morgantown locations:
 * 1351 Earl L Core Rd. Sabraton
 * 3519 Monongahela Blvd. Star City
 * Price Cutter, discount grocery chain. 889 Venture Dr
 * Walmart, 2 Morgantown locations:
 * 75 Retail Cir. off Hornbeck Rd at the interchange of US-119 and I-68 (exit 1)
 * 5065 University Town Centre Dr.
 * 3519 Monongahela Blvd. Star City
 * Price Cutter, discount grocery chain. 889 Venture Dr
 * Walmart, 2 Morgantown locations:
 * 75 Retail Cir. off Hornbeck Rd at the interchange of US-119 and I-68 (exit 1)
 * 5065 University Town Centre Dr.

Drink
Because Morgantown is home to a major university, downtown Morgantown nightlife thrives for those in their twenties to early thirties. High Street is the main center for bar activity. Similar student activity can be found adjacent to the main West Virginia University campus in the Sunnyside area. The summer months are much quieter because many of the students leave town. State law does not allow anyone less than 21 years old to purchase alcohol.



Sleep

 * Maple Leaf Motel, corner of Morgantown Street and Main Street off I-68, Bruceton Mills, 33 km east of MorganTtown on I-68. . 12 rooms. Country decor with quilts on each bed.
 * Maple Leaf Motel, corner of Morgantown Street and Main Street off I-68, Bruceton Mills, 33 km east of MorganTtown on I-68. . 12 rooms. Country decor with quilts on each bed.
 * Maple Leaf Motel, corner of Morgantown Street and Main Street off I-68, Bruceton Mills, 33 km east of MorganTtown on I-68. . 12 rooms. Country decor with quilts on each bed.
 * Maple Leaf Motel, corner of Morgantown Street and Main Street off I-68, Bruceton Mills, 33 km east of MorganTtown on I-68. . 12 rooms. Country decor with quilts on each bed.
 * Maple Leaf Motel, corner of Morgantown Street and Main Street off I-68, Bruceton Mills, 33 km east of MorganTtown on I-68. . 12 rooms. Country decor with quilts on each bed.
 * Maple Leaf Motel, corner of Morgantown Street and Main Street off I-68, Bruceton Mills, 33 km east of MorganTtown on I-68. . 12 rooms. Country decor with quilts on each bed.
 * Maple Leaf Motel, corner of Morgantown Street and Main Street off I-68, Bruceton Mills, 33 km east of MorganTtown on I-68. . 12 rooms. Country decor with quilts on each bed.
 * Maple Leaf Motel, corner of Morgantown Street and Main Street off I-68, Bruceton Mills, 33 km east of MorganTtown on I-68. . 12 rooms. Country decor with quilts on each bed.
 * Maple Leaf Motel, corner of Morgantown Street and Main Street off I-68, Bruceton Mills, 33 km east of MorganTtown on I-68. . 12 rooms. Country decor with quilts on each bed.

Learn

 * West Virginia University is home to more than 30,000 students. The annual tuition for residential students is about $5,500 versus an out-of-state student whose tuition is approximately $17,000. WVU has 13 colleges and schools offering over 190 degrees. There are three campuses within WVU: Downtown, Evansdale, and the Health Sciences. They also offer a study abroad program for students who are interested. The football and basketball teams promote a lot of school spirit to their fellow "mountaineers" when they are playing.

Go next

 * Cooper's Rock State Forest — A West Virginia State Forest Managed cooperatively by West Virginia State Parks and the West Virginia Division of Forestry. Located 12 miles (19 km) east of Morgantown on I-68.
 * Fairmont - 20 minutes south on I-79. Home to Fairmont State University and Prickett's Fort State Park.
 * Clarksburg - 40 minutes south on I-79
 * Grafton - 35 minutes south on US-119
 * Cumberland - 1 hr 15 minutes east on I-68
 * Pittsburgh - 1 hr 15 minutes north on I-79. The closest large city.
 * Wheeling - 1 hr 15 minutes northwest; I-79 north to i-70 west
 * Buckhannon - 1 hr 10 minutes south. Home of West Virginia Wesleyan University.
 * Elkins - 1 hr 30 minutes south. Home of Davis & Elkins College.
 * Thomas and Davis - 1 hr 45 minutes southeast. Tiny high elevation towns, alpine landscapes. Blackwater Falls State Park; Monongahela National Forest.
 * Seneca Rocks / Spruce Knob National Recreation Area - 2 and a half hours southeast, within Monongahela National Forest, contains the highest peak in West Virginia.