Oak Hill, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oak Hill, West Virginia
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Main Street (West Virginia Route 16) in downtown Oak Hill in 2007
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| Motto(s):
The Pride of the Plateau
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Location of Oak Hill in Fayette County, West Virginia.
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| Country | United States | |
| State | West Virginia | |
| County | Fayette | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 9.63 sq mi (24.94 km2) | |
| • Land | 9.61 sq mi (24.90 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2) | |
| Elevation | 2,014 ft (614 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,179 | |
| • Density | 849.3/sq mi (327.95/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code |
25901
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| Area code(s) | 304 | |
| FIPS code | 54-60028 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1544297 | |
| Website | https://oakhillwv.gov | |
Oak Hill is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 8,179 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Beckley metropolitan area.
Country singer Hank Williams died in Oak Hill on his way to a concert on January 1, 1953. The city is also home to the historic Oak Hill Railroad Depot which still stands today as an artisan shop. More recently, recreation has become a leading industry as the city neighbors the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
Contents
History
Oak Hill was settled in 1820. The community was so named on account of an oak tree at the elevated town site. It was incorporated as a town in 1905.
Oak Hill is the supposed place of death of Hank Williams. According to his driver Charles Carr, they had stopped at a gas station in Oak Hill and found Williams dead in the backseat. On March 26, 2016, the city was honored with a historical marker to pay tribute to Williams' memory.
Geography
Oak Hill is located at 37°58′58″N 81°8′43″W / 37.98278°N 81.14528°W (37.982775, -81.145334).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.89 square miles (12.67 km2), of which 4.88 square miles (12.64 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.
Climate
| Climate data for Oak Hill, West Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1941–2012) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
76 (24) |
86 (30) |
89 (32) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
98 (37) |
93 (34) |
85 (29) |
79 (26) |
99 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 62.8 (17.1) |
65.9 (18.8) |
73.8 (23.2) |
81.7 (27.6) |
83.5 (28.6) |
86.9 (30.5) |
88.7 (31.5) |
88.8 (31.6) |
85.7 (29.8) |
78.8 (26.0) |
73.7 (23.2) |
63.4 (17.4) |
90.0 (32.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.7 (4.8) |
44.2 (6.8) |
52.3 (11.3) |
64.3 (17.9) |
71.5 (21.9) |
78.5 (25.8) |
81.3 (27.4) |
80.6 (27.0) |
75.4 (24.1) |
65.2 (18.4) |
54.2 (12.3) |
44.6 (7.0) |
62.7 (17.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 31.8 (−0.1) |
34.4 (1.3) |
41.7 (5.4) |
52.7 (11.5) |
60.6 (15.9) |
68.0 (20.0) |
71.3 (21.8) |
70.4 (21.3) |
64.8 (18.2) |
53.8 (12.1) |
43.8 (6.6) |
35.8 (2.1) |
52.4 (11.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.8 (−5.1) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
41.0 (5.0) |
49.7 (9.8) |
57.6 (14.2) |
61.3 (16.3) |
60.3 (15.7) |
54.2 (12.3) |
42.4 (5.8) |
33.4 (0.8) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
42.1 (5.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 1.6 (−16.9) |
7.3 (−13.7) |
15.2 (−9.3) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
34.0 (1.1) |
43.8 (6.6) |
50.5 (10.3) |
49.7 (9.8) |
38.1 (3.4) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
7.3 (−13.7) |
−2.7 (−19.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) |
−11 (−24) |
−5 (−21) |
13 (−11) |
24 (−4) |
33 (1) |
40 (4) |
39 (4) |
26 (−3) |
13 (−11) |
0 (−18) |
−15 (−26) |
−20 (−29) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.48 (88) |
3.28 (83) |
4.18 (106) |
4.18 (106) |
5.13 (130) |
5.55 (141) |
4.61 (117) |
4.14 (105) |
3.66 (93) |
2.87 (73) |
2.93 (74) |
3.85 (98) |
47.86 (1,216) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 12.4 (31) |
10.0 (25) |
7.6 (19) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.9 (4.8) |
9.6 (24) |
42.8 (109) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 15.5 | 13.0 | 14.4 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 12.2 | 12.7 | 10.1 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 10.9 | 13.9 | 148.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.2 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 5.1 | 21.5 |
| Source: NOAA (mean maxima/minima, snow/snow days 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 764 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,037 | 35.7% | |
| 1930 | 2,076 | 100.2% | |
| 1940 | 3,213 | 54.8% | |
| 1950 | 4,518 | 40.6% | |
| 1960 | 4,711 | 4.3% | |
| 1970 | 4,738 | 0.6% | |
| 1980 | 7,120 | 50.3% | |
| 1990 | 6,812 | −4.3% | |
| 2000 | 7,589 | 11.4% | |
| 2010 | 7,730 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 8,179 | 5.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,730 people, 3,398 households, and 2,085 families living in the city. The population density was 1,584.0 inhabitants per square mile (611.6/km2). There were 3,703 housing units at an average density of 758.8 per square mile (293.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 4.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 3,398 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with only a computer present, and 38.6% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.84.
The median age in the city was 43.3 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.7% were from 45 to 64; and 19% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.
Economy
Oak Hill is located in West Virginia's southern coalfields and, as such, coal mining has played a primary role in the area's employment. Oak Hill also has a light manufacturing base.
Parks and recreation
Oak Hill is home to several rafting companies, adventure resorts, and parks. Just a ten-minute drive from the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Oak Hill has a large portfolio of outdoor and recreational activities. In June 2022, Governor Jim Justice unveiled a new route on The WV Rides program in which runs through Route 16 in Oak Hill.
- Needles Eye Park
- Oak Hill City Park
- Collins Park and Disc Golf course
- Russel E. Matthews Park at Harlem Heights
- Doc Hamilton Dog Park
- The Lively Family Amphitheater
Education
Public Schools: New River Intermediate School, New River primary School, Oak Hill Middle School, Oak Hill High School, Fayette Institute of Technology
Private Schools: St. Peter & Paul Catholic School Mountain View Christian School
Notable people
- Randy Gilkey, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and recording engineer (born in Oak Hill)
See also
In Spanish: Oak Hill (Virginia Occidental) para niños
