Prichard, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prichard, West Virginia
|
|
|---|---|
|
Census-designated place (CDP)
|
|
 Prichard, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Wayne |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.263 sq mi (3.27 km2) |
| • Land | 1.107 sq mi (2.87 km2) |
| • Water | 0.156 sq mi (0.40 km2) |
| Elevation | 587 ft (179 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 461 |
| • Density | 365.0/sq mi (140.93/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
25555
|
| Area code(s) | 304 and 681 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1555412 |
Prichard is a small community in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States. It is called a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's an area identified by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes. In 2020, about 461 people lived there.
Prichard is located right next to the Big Sandy River and U.S. Route 52. It is also part of a larger area called the Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which had over 287,000 people in 2010. The community was named after a person called James Pritchard.
Contents
Education in Prichard
Prichard has one main school building for younger students.
Prichard Elementary School
Prichard Elementary School first opened its doors in 1958. Before that, students went to a smaller school with only two rooms. Today, Prichard Elementary is the only school building right in Prichard.
Middle and High School Options
After finishing fifth grade at Prichard Elementary, students move on to middle school. They can attend Buffalo Middle School, Wayne Middle School, or Fort Gay Middle School. When they reach ninth grade, Prichard students go to high school. Their choices include Spring Valley High School, Wayne High School, or Tolsia High School.
Economy and Jobs
Finding jobs right in Prichard can be a bit tricky, so many people travel outside the community for work. On average, residents spend about 38.7 minutes commuting to their jobs.
Past Businesses
Over the years, a few companies have tried to create jobs in Prichard:
- In 1999, a company called Okuno International planned to open a factory that made parts for hydraulic systems. They hoped to create 50 new jobs, possibly growing to 100.
- Aplicare used to have a large factory in Prichard that made things like antiseptics and personal care products. This factory was about 35,000 square feet (3,250 square meters) in size. It closed down in 2018.
- In 2003, a company named Allevard opened a plant that made springs for cars. They started with about 90 employees. In 2008, they hoped to hire even more people, up to 150. However, due to a difficult economy in 2009, they had to reduce their staff to about 40 workers instead.
Heartland Corridor and Intermodal Facility
In 2008, construction began on a big train route called the Heartland Corridor. This route, built by the Norfolk Southern Railway, connects the coast of Virginia to Columbus, Ohio. It was designed to allow trains to carry more cargo by stacking containers higher.
An important part of this project was an "intermodal facility" built in Prichard. An intermodal facility is a place where cargo can be easily moved between different types of transportation, like trains, trucks, and even boats or planes. The facility in Prichard cost $35 million and opened in 2015. However, it did not meet expectations for how much cargo it would handle. Because it was losing money, the West Virginia Port Authority decided to put the facility up for auction in 2020.
