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Buckhannon, West Virginia Population, Hospitals, Airports, and Schools

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Buckhannon, West Virginia is a charming small town located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It is the county seat of Upshur County and home to nearly 5,500 people. With its picturesque surroundings, Buckhannon has been referred to as “the gem of West Virginia” and is known for its vibrant downtown area with local shops, restaurants, and businesses.

The downtown area of Buckhannon has been around since the 1800s and features many historic buildings that are still standing today. One of these buildings, the old Upshur County Courthouse, was built in 1822 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Another notable landmark is The Bank Building which was built in 1889 and served as a bank until it closed in 1980. Today it houses a variety of small businesses including a restaurant and coffee shop.

Buckhannon also offers plenty of outdoor activities for those who enjoy nature. The town offers several parks such as Jawbone Park where visitors can enjoy hiking trails that take them to scenic waterfalls or kayaking on Hacker’s Creek. For those looking for more adventure there are nearby rock climbing spots including Seneca Rocks where visitors can experience some of West Virginia’s most beautiful scenery while challenging themselves on the rocks.

In addition to outdoor activities, Buckhannon also hosts several events throughout the year such as The West Virginia Strawberry Festival held each May which celebrates the strawberry harvest season with music, food vendors, and craft shows or The West Virginia Black Bear Festival held each October which celebrates this iconic animal with educational programs about bear safety and bear habitat conservation efforts.

Buckhannon is also home to several higher education institutions such as West Virginia Wesleyan College which offers degrees in business administration, education, nursing, music therapy and more or Alderson Broaddus University which provides degrees ranging from biology to psychology to nursing and physical therapy.

Overall Buckhannon is a great place to live with its friendly people who embrace their history while striving for progress towards a better future filled with opportunities for growth both economically and culturally. With its picturesque landscape surrounded by mountains that offer plenty of outdoor activities plus its historic downtown area filled with local businesses along with higher education institutions all within reach – Buckhannon truly embodies what it means to be “the gem of West Virginia”.

Population: 5,725. Estimated population in July 2024: 5,687 (-0.7% change)
Males: 2,568 (44.9%), Females: 3,157 (55.1%)

Upshur County

Zip code: 26201

Demographics

Median resident age: 31.4 years
Median household income: $23,421
Median house value: $71,400

Population by Race

Races in Buckhannon:

  • White Non-Hispanic (95.6%)
  • Black (2.0%)
  • Hispanic (1.0%)
  • Two or more races (0.6%)

Ancestries: German (20.8%), English (12.3%), United States (11.7%), Irish (11.4%), Italian (3.3%), Polish (2.0%).

Elevation: 1433 feet

Land area: 2.5 square miles

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in Buckhannon

  • High school or higher: 76.7%
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 23.3%
  • Graduate or professional degree: 11.7%
  • Unemployed: 6.2%
  • Mean travel time to work: 16.5 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Buckhannon city

  • Never married: 41.6%
  • Now married: 38.1%
  • Separated: 1.4%
  • Widowed: 9.5%
  • Divorced: 9.5%

1.2% Foreign born

Population change in the 1990s: -893 (-13.5%).

Hospitals

Hospital/medical center in Buckhannon:

  • ST JOSEPH HOSPITAL (AMALIA DRIVE)

Other hospitals/medical centers near Buckhannon:

  • STONEWALL JACKSON MEM HOSP (about 18 miles; WESTON, WV)
  • WILLIAM R SHARPE HOSPITAL AT WESTON (about 18 miles; WESTON, WV)
  • BROADDUS HOSPITAL (about 18 miles; PHILIPPI, WV)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Buckhannon:

  • HARRISON/MARION REGIONAL (about 21 miles; CLARKSBURG, WV; Abbreviation: CKB)
  • MORGANTOWN MUNI-WALTER L. BILL HART FLD (about 50 miles; MORGANTOWN, WV; Abbreviation: MGW)
  • GREENBRIER VALLEY (about 80 miles; LEWISBURG, WV; Abbreviation: LWB)

Other public-use airports nearest to Buckhannon:

  • UPSHUR COUNTY RGNL (about 4 miles; BUCKHANNON, WV; Abbreviation: W22)
  • SIMPSON (about 16 miles; PHILIPPI, WV; Abbreviation: 9W3)
  • PHILIPPI/BARBOUR COUNTY REGIONAL (about 17 miles; PHILIPPI, WV; Abbreviation: 79D)

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/Universities in Buckhannon:

  • WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 1,554; Location: 59 COLLEGE AVE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.wvwc.edu; Offers Master’s degree)
  • FRED W EBERLE TECHNICAL CENTER (Full-time enrollment: 275; Location: RTE 5 BOX 2; Public)
  • MOUNTAIN CAP OF WEST VIRGINIA INC (Location: 26 N KANAWHA ST; Public)
  • WEST VIRGINIA CANINE COLLEGE INC (Location: RT 5 EVUNBRETH ACRES RD; Private, for-profit)

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Buckhannon:

  • FAIRMONT STATE COLLEGE (about 34 miles; FAIRMONT, WV; Full-time enrollment: 5,317)
  • WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY (about 49 miles; MORGANTOWN, WV; Full-time enrollment: 19,666)
  • CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (about 78 miles; CALIFORNIA, PA; Full-time enrollment: 5,183)
  • WEST LIBERTY STATE COLLEGE (about 85 miles; WEST LIBERTY, WV; Full-time enrollment: 2,453)
  • WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY AT PARKERSBURG (about 93 miles; PARKERSBURG, WV; Full-time enrollment: 2,306)
  • WESTMORELAND COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 97 miles; YOUNGWOOD, PA; Full-time enrollment: 3,223)
  • WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY (about 98 miles; LEXINGTON, VA; Full-time enrollment: 2,063)

Schools

Public high schools in Buckhannon:

  • BUCKHANN UPSHUR HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,108; Location: 50 BUCKHANNON-UPSHUR DRIVE; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • FRED W EBERLE TECHNICAL CENTER (Location: RR 5 BOX 2; Grades: 09 – 12)

Public primary/middle schools in Buckhannon:

  • BUCKHANNON-UPSHUR MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 947; Location: RT.6,BOX 303; Grades: 06 – 08)
  • ACADEMY PRIMARY SCHOOL (Students: 336; Location: 2 COLLEGE AVE; Grades: PK – 02)
  • BUCKHANNON-UPSHUR INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL (Students: 314; Location: 18 COLLEGE AVE; Grades: 03 – 05)
  • TENNERTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 256; Location: ROUTE 6 BOX 513; Grades: KG – 05)
  • UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 236; Location: 20 HEAVNER GROVE ROAD; Grades: KG – 05)
  • HODGESVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 125; Location: RR 5 BOX 383; Grades: KG – 05)
  • WASHINGTON DISTRICT ELEMENTARY (Students: 102; Location: RT.7, BOX 234; Grades: PK – 05)
  • CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 53; Location: 5 BAXTER ST; Grades: 03 – 05)

Libraries

Libraries in Buckhannon:

  • UPSHUR COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY (Operating income: $220,156; Location: RR 6 BOX 480; 84,352 books; 1,190 audio materials; 1,835 video materials; 76 serial subscriptions)
  • CHARLES W GIBSON PUBLIC LIBRARY (Operating income: $78,464; Location: 105 EAST MAIN STREET; 25,948 books; 31 audio materials; 18 serial subscriptions)

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