Beckley, West Virginia#Metropolitan Statistical Area

File:Raleigh County Courthouse Beckley.jpg]]

The area surrounding Beckley was long home to many indigenous peoples. Early encounters describe the land as being an ancestral home of the Catawba-speaking Moneton people, who referred to the surrounding area as Okahok Amai, and were allies of the Monacan people.{{Cite thesis|url=https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/5543|title=Maopewa iati bi: Takai Tonqyayun Monyton "To abandon so beautiful a Dwelling": Indians in the Kanawha-New River Valley, 1500-1755|first=Isaac J.|last=Emrick|date=2015|type=PhD dissertation |publisher=West Virginia University |access-date=October 24, 2021|doi=10.33915/etd.5543|doi-access=free}} The Moneton's Catawba speaking neighbors to the south, the Tutelo (since absorbed into the Seneca-Cayuga Nation{{Cite journal|jstor=4138803|last1=Vest|first1=Jay Hansford C.|title=An Odyssey among the Iroquois: A History of Tutelo Relations in New York|journal=American Indian Quarterly|year=2005|volume=29|issue=1/2|pages=124–155|doi=10.1353/aiq.2005.0072|s2cid=201754013}}) may have absorbed surviving Moneton communities, and claim the area as ancestral lands. Cherokee and Shawnee and Yuchi peoples also claim the area as included in their traditional lands.{{cite web|url=https://native-land.ca/|title=Welcome|website=Native-Land.ca|access-date=October 24, 2021}} Conflicts with European settlers resulted in various displaced Indian tribes settling in West Virginia, where they were known at Mingo, meaning "remote affiliates of the Iroquois Confederacy".{{cite journal |last1=Jennings |first1=Francis |title=Review of A Country Between: The Upper Ohio Valley and Its Peoples, 1724-1774 by Michael N. McConnell. |journal=The Journal of American History |date=December 1993 |volume=80 |issue=3 |page=1056 |doi=10.2307/2080440|jstor=2080440 }}

Beckley was named in honor of John James Beckley, who was the first Clerk of the House of Representatives and the first Librarian of Congress. It was founded by his son, Alfred Beckley (US Army lieutenant and brigadier general of Virginia militia), who was from the District of Columbia.

Although founded in 1838, Beckley existed only on paper at that time. Alfred Beckley said he "was frequently jeered and laughed at for his Paper Town..."Wood, p.77 Early in its history, the town was known as Beckley, Raleigh Court House, and, occasionally, Beckleyville.

The town was originally located in Fayette County, Virginia. In 1850 the act of the Virginia legislature creating Raleigh County named Beckley the county seat. The city is sometimes called the "Smokeless Coal Capital", "The City of Champions" and the "Gateway To Southern West Virginia."{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

During the presidential primaries of 1960, the vehicles of rivals John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey stopped at the same streetcorner in Beckley. Recognizing each other, the two men got out and chatted briefly.{{cite web | last = Boothe | first = Dallas | title = Stoplight Meeting | publisher = West Virginia Division of Culture and History | date = April 12, 1960 | url = http://www.wvculture.org/history/1960presidentialcampaign/newspapers/19600412raleighregister.html}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|9.50|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|9.49|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.01|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=January 25, 2012 }}

The city sits atop the Allegheny Plateau, with the more steeply eroded Logan Plateau bordering to the west and the highland Allegheny Mountains lying to the east.{{Cite journal|title=The Logan Plateau, a Young Physiographic Region in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/1620/report.pdf|journal=U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1620}} Neighboring ridgelines include Flat Top Mountain to the south, Scott Ridge of Shady Spring Mountain to the southeast, Batoff Mountain to the northeast, and Lilly Mountain to the west.{{cite web|title=Raleigh County Mountains|url=https://peakvisor.com/adm/raleigh-county.html|access-date=February 16, 2021|website=PeakVisor|language=en}}

Beckley is mostly contained in the Piney Creek watershed, which flows into the New River National Park and Reserve. The city is roughly bordered by Piney Creek to the east, and to the south by its tributary Whitestick Creek. Cranberry Creek and its southern tributary Little Whitestick Creek flow through the northern part of the city. The northwestern corner of the city, around Tamarack, includes the headwaters of Paint Creek, another New River tributary. Neighboring watersheds include Glade Creek to the east, headwaters of the Coal River to the west, and headwaters of the Guyandotte River to the southwest.{{cite web|title=West Virginia Watersheds - WV DEP|url=https://dep.wv.gov/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Pages/Watersheds.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122105725/http://www.dep.wv.gov:80/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Pages/Watersheds.aspx |archive-date=November 22, 2011 }}

Due to its elevation, the climate of Beckley is humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa) bordering on both an oceanic (Köppen Cfb) and humid continental (Köppen Dfa/Dfb), and the city straddles the border between USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6B and 7A.{{cite web|url=http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/ZoneInfo.cfm?ZipCode=25801&submit=Look+it+up%21 |title=facebook-circle |publisher=Arborday.org |access-date=July 19, 2017}} Summers are warm and humid, usually a few degrees cooler than lower-elevation places within the state, with an average of only 1.3 days of a maximum at or above {{convert|90|°F|0}} annually. Winters are generally cold and snowy with occasional intervening milder periods and an average of 1.4 nights annually with a minimum of {{convert|0|°F|0}} or lower. Normal monthly daily mean temperatures range from {{convert|32.2|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|71.6|°F|1}} in July. Snowfall varies with an average of {{convert|55.9|in|cm|0}} per season and mostly occurs from December to March with an occasional snowfall in November of (usually) {{convert|2-3|in|cm|0}}. Record temperatures range from {{convert|-22|°F|0}} on January 21, 1985, up to {{convert|103|°F|0}} on July 21 and August 11, 1926; the extreme coldest daily maximum was {{convert|-3|°F|0}} on February 13, 1899, while, conversely, the extreme warmest daily minimum was {{convert|79|°F|0}} on July 7, 1924, and August 22, 1926. On average, the first and last occurrences of freezing temperatures in the cooler season are October 13 and April 30, respectively, allowing for a growing season of 165 days.

{{Weather box

|location = Beckley, West Virginia (Raleigh County Airport), 1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1896–present

|single line = Y

| Jan record high F = 74

| Feb record high F = 77

| Mar record high F = 85

| Apr record high F = 87

| May record high F = 92

| Jun record high F = 100

| Jul record high F = 103

| Aug record high F = 103

| Sep record high F = 97

| Oct record high F = 91

| Nov record high F = 80

| Dec record high F = 75

| year record high F = 103

| Jan avg record high F = 62.3

| Feb avg record high F = 64.5

| Mar avg record high F = 72.8

| Apr avg record high F = 80.8

| May avg record high F = 83.1

| Jun avg record high F = 86.1

| Jul avg record high F = 87.5

| Aug avg record high F = 86.5

| Sep avg record high F = 84.6

| Oct avg record high F = 78.5

| Nov avg record high F = 71.3

| Dec avg record high F = 63.6

| year avg record high F = 88.8

| Jan high F = 40.5

| Feb high F = 44.2

| Mar high F = 52.5

| Apr high F = 64.4

| May high F = 71.5

| Jun high F = 77.8

| Jul high F = 80.7

| Aug high F = 79.9

| Sep high F = 74.4

| Oct high F = 64.3

| Nov high F = 53.2

| Dec high F = 43.9

| year high F = 62.3

| Jan mean F = 32.2

| Feb mean F = 35.4

| Mar mean F = 42.8

| Apr mean F = 53.5

| May mean F = 61.3

| Jun mean F = 68.2

| Jul mean F = 71.6

| Aug mean F = 70.5

| Sep mean F = 64.7

| Oct mean F = 54.3

| Nov mean F = 44.0

| Dec mean F = 36.0

| year mean F = 52.9

| Jan low F = 24.0

| Feb low F = 26.6

| Mar low F = 33.1

| Apr low F = 42.6

| May low F = 51.1

| Jun low F = 58.7

| Jul low F = 62.4

| Aug low F = 61.1

| Sep low F = 55.0

| Oct low F = 44.2

| Nov low F = 34.7

| Dec low F = 28.0

| year low F = 43.5

| Jan avg record low F = 2.0

| Feb avg record low F = 6.5

| Mar avg record low F = 12.2

| Apr avg record low F = 24.7

| May avg record low F = 34.9

| Jun avg record low F = 45.5

| Jul avg record low F = 52.3

| Aug avg record low F = 50.8

| Sep avg record low F = 40.2

| Oct avg record low F = 27.5

| Nov avg record low F = 17.0

| Dec avg record low F = 9.1

| year avg record low F = -1.0

| Jan record low F = −22

| Feb record low F = −20

| Mar record low F = −7

| Apr record low F = 8

| May record low F = 21

| Jun record low F = 32

| Jul record low F = 38

| Aug record low F = 33

| Sep record low F = 23

| Oct record low F = 9

| Nov record low F = -1

| Dec record low F = −20

| year record low F = -22

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 3.13

| Feb precipitation inch = 3.12

| Mar precipitation inch = 4.03

| Apr precipitation inch = 3.58

| May precipitation inch = 4.68

| Jun precipitation inch = 4.30

| Jul precipitation inch = 5.00

| Aug precipitation inch = 3.68

| Sep precipitation inch = 3.20

| Oct precipitation inch = 2.73

| Nov precipitation inch = 2.80

| Dec precipitation inch = 3.29

| year precipitation inch = 43.54

| Jan snow inch = 15.5

| Feb snow inch = 15.2

| Mar snow inch = 8.9

| Apr snow inch = 1.5

| May snow inch = 0.0

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 0.0

| Oct snow inch = 1.4

| Nov snow inch = 2.3

| Dec snow inch = 11.1

| year snow inch = 55.9

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 15.0

| Feb precipitation days = 14.4

| Mar precipitation days = 16.2

| Apr precipitation days = 14.1

| May precipitation days = 15.0

| Jun precipitation days = 13.7

| Jul precipitation days = 13.5

| Aug precipitation days = 11.5

| Sep precipitation days = 10.0

| Oct precipitation days = 10.7

| Nov precipitation days = 11.8

| Dec precipitation days = 14.6

| year precipitation days = 160.5

| unit snow days = 0.1 in

| Jan snow days = 8.5

| Feb snow days = 7.2

| Mar snow days = 5.6

| Apr snow days = 1.5

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.3

| Nov snow days = 2.8

| Dec snow days = 6.6

| year snow days = 32.5

| Jan humidity = 74

| Feb humidity = 71

| Mar humidity = 67

| Apr humidity = 62

| May humidity = 70

| Jun humidity = 76

| Jul humidity = 78

| Aug humidity = 79

| Sep humidity = 79

| Oct humidity = 73

| Nov humidity = 70

| Dec humidity = 74

| year humidity = 73

|source 1 = NOAA (humidity 1981–2010){{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rlx

| title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = June 13, 2021}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00003872&format=pdf

| title = Station: Beckley Raleigh CO AP, WV

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = June 13, 2021}}{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210705140542/https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/lcd/annual/2018/01201813BKW.pdf

| archive-date = July 5, 2021

| url = https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/lcd/annual/2018/01201813BKW.pdf

| title = Local Climatological Data Annual Summary with Comparative Data for Beckley, West Virginia (KBKW)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = July 5, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1880= 144

|1890= 158

|1900= 342

|1910= 2161

|1920= 4149

|1930= 9357

|1940= 12852

|1950= 19397

|1960= 18642

|1970= 19884

|1980= 20492

|1990= 18274

|2000= 17254

|2010= 17614

|2020= 17286

|estyear= 2024

|estimate= 16515

|estref={{cite web |title=QuickFacts: Beckley city, West Virginia |url= https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/beckleycitywestvirginia |website=Census QuickFacts |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=June 2, 2025}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 27, 2013}}

}}

As of the census{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 24, 2013}} of 2010, there were 17,614 people, 7,800 households, and 4,414 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1856.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 8,839 housing units at an average density of {{convert|931.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 72.3% White, 21.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 7,800 households, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.4% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.85.

The median age in the city was 41.6 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.9% were from 25 to 44; 28.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,254 people, 7,651 households, and 4,590 families living in the city.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }} The population density was {{convert|1,874.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|}}. There were 8,731 housing units at an average density of {{convert|948.8|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 73.64% White, 22.89% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.74% of the population.

There were 7,651 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,122, and the median income for a family was $38,110. Males had a median income of $35,780 versus $23,239 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,912. About 16.4% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

File:TamarackWV.jpg]]

The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is a preserved coal mine that offers daily tours and a history lesson on coal mining in Appalachia. Tamarack Marketplace, a showcase of Appalachian arts and crafts, was built in 1996 at a cost of $10 million and dedicated to former Governor Gaston Caperton.{{cite web |title = Homepage |url = https://www.tamarackwv.com/ |publisher = Tamarack Marketplace |access-date = September 23, 2021 }} The city also hosts the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia, which includes a planetarium, boxcars and a homestead with a weaver's shed.{{cite web|url=https://beckley.org/youth-museum/|title=Youth Museum|work=City of Beckley |access-date=October 24, 2021}}

File:WV- Erma Byrd Center front.JPG]]

Woodrow Wilson High School is Beckley's public high school.

Four universities are located in Beckley: West Virginia University Institute of Technology, University of Charleston-Beckley, and a branch campus of Concord University. Additionally, a branch campus of Valley College is located in Beckley;{{cite web|url=http://www.valley.edu/|title=Career Training Trade School in West Virginia | Valley College|date=June 20, 2014|publisher=Valley.edu|access-date=July 19, 2017}} New River Community and Technical College is in the nearby community of Beaver; and the nonprofit, nondenominational Appalachian Bible College is located just outside the city limits, in nearby Bradley.

The Register Herald, a six-day morning daily newspaper, serves Beckley and the surrounding area. It had a circulation of 19,237 in 2016 and is owned by Community Newspaper Newspaper Holdings.{{Cite book|url=https://wvpress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2016-directory-print-062916-small.pdf|title=2016 West Virginia Press Association Newspaper Directory|publisher=West Virginia Press Association|year=2016}} The newspaper traces its history to The Raleigh Register, the Raleigh Herald, and the Beckley Evening Post which were among a dozen weekly and monthly publications published in and around Beckley as early as the 1880s.

Radio stations based in Beckley include West Virginia Public Broadcasting's WVBY public radio, WJLS (AM), a talk radio and country music station that was a CBS affiliate from 1943 to 1990, WJLS-FM, which syndicates country music,{{cite news |author=Josephine Mendez |url=https://www.register-herald.com/news/money/celebrating-eight-decades-on-the-airwaves/article_d53b72c4-42e9-11e9-8be2-9732999409a0.html |title=Celebrating eight decades on the airwaves |newspaper=The Register-Herald |location=Beckley, West Virginia |date=March 9, 2019 |access-date=March 2, 2022 }} and WCIR-FM,{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://103cir.com/ |access-date=February 7, 2024 |website=103CIR |language=en-US}} a contemporary radio station based in Downtown Beckley. Internet based WIWS radio broadcasts 24 hours a day from Beckley to a worldwide audience playing a vintage AM radio style format.

Beckley shares a media market with Bluefield and Oak Hill. Stations in this market include ABC affiliate WOAY-TV, NBC affiliate WVVA, and CBS/FOX affiliate WVNS-TV.{{cite web|title=For the record: Actions of the FCC–New TV stations–Actions of FCC.|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/54-OCR/1954-11-08-BC-OCR-Page-0113.pdf|periodical=Broadcasting – Telecasting|page=113|date=November 8, 1954}}{{cite web|title=Digital TV Market Listing for WVNS|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WVNS#station|website=RabbitEars.Info|access-date=January 26, 2017}} Beckley is also served by West Virginia Public Broadcasting's station WSWP, which carries PBS programming.

The city is the regional hub for over 100,000 Southern West Virginia residents. It is the ninth-largest city in West Virginia, exceeded in population by Martinsburg and followed by Clarksburg.

Amtrak serves the Beckley area at Prince Station in Prince, a stop on the Cardinal service between Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Greater Beckley's only airport is Raleigh County Memorial Airport. Raleigh County Memorial Airport is served by Contour Airlines with service to Charlotte and Parkersburg.

{{main|List of people from Beckley, West Virginia}}

• Beckley is a location in Fallout 76.{{cite web|title=Insider's Guide to Real-World WV Locations in Fallout 76|date=November 14, 2018 |url=https://wvtourism.com/insiders-guide-to-real-world-wv-locations-in-fallout-76/|access-date=August 9, 2024|website=West Virginia Tourism}}

• List of mayors of Beckley, West Virginia

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.beckley.org/ City of Beckley Website]

{{Beckley, West Virginia}}

{{Raleigh County, West Virginia}}

{{West Virginia municipalities}}

{{West Virginia}}

{{West Virginia county seats}}{{Subject bar|book=|portal1=West Virginia|portal2=|portal3=Cities|portal4=United States|portal5=North America|portal6=Geography|commons=yes|n=n|wikt=yes|b=n|q=n|s=n|v=n|voy=yes|d=yes}}{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in West Virginia

Category:Cities in Raleigh County, West Virginia

Category:County seats in West Virginia

Category:Mining communities in West Virginia

Category:Micropolitan areas of West Virginia

Category:Populated places established in 1838

Category:Coal towns in West Virginia

Category:1838 establishments in Virginia