Terra Alta, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Terra Alta, West Virginia
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Terra Alta Bank
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Location of Terra Alta in Preston County, West Virginia.
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Preston |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.19 sq mi (3.07 km2) |
| • Land | 1.19 sq mi (3.07 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,582 ft (787 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,415 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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1,498 |
| • Density | 1,265.82/sq mi (488.64/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
26764
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| Area code(s) | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-79708 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1547983 |
| Website | https://terraalta.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx |
Terra Alta is a small town located in Preston County, West Virginia, in the United States. It is known for its high elevation. In 2020, about 1,415 people lived in Terra Alta. The town is also part of the larger Morgantown metropolitan area.
Contents
History of Terra Alta
Terra Alta started in the 1850s. It was first called Portland. The name Terra Alta comes from a Latin phrase meaning "high land." This name fits the town well because of its elevation.
In 1876, a map from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad showed that Terra Alta had a train station. It was called Cranberry Station back then.
The town is home to two important historical buildings. These are the James S. Lakin House and the Terra Alta Bank. Both of these buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are recognized for their special historical value.
Geography and Climate
Terra Alta is located at coordinates 39°26′40″N 79°32′38″W / 39.44444°N 79.54389°W. The town covers an area of about 1.19 square miles (3.07 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Understanding Terra Alta's Climate
The climate in Terra Alta has mild changes between its highest and lowest temperatures. There is also enough rainfall throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Terra Alta has a humid continental climate. This type of climate is often shown as "Dfb" on climate maps.
| Climate data for Terra Alta, West Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 72 (22) |
74 (23) |
81 (27) |
88 (31) |
89 (32) |
91 (33) |
95 (35) |
94 (34) |
93 (34) |
84 (29) |
78 (26) |
74 (23) |
95 (35) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 59.0 (15.0) |
60.7 (15.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
78.4 (25.8) |
81.7 (27.6) |
83.3 (28.5) |
85.2 (29.6) |
84.4 (29.1) |
82.8 (28.2) |
76.8 (24.9) |
70.4 (21.3) |
60.6 (15.9) |
86.3 (30.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) |
37.5 (3.1) |
46.2 (7.9) |
58.9 (14.9) |
66.5 (19.2) |
73.2 (22.9) |
76.7 (24.8) |
75.7 (24.3) |
70.2 (21.2) |
59.8 (15.4) |
48.6 (9.2) |
38.5 (3.6) |
57.1 (13.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.8 (−3.4) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
36.2 (2.3) |
47.7 (8.7) |
56.3 (13.5) |
63.5 (17.5) |
67.4 (19.7) |
66.3 (19.1) |
60.5 (15.8) |
49.9 (9.9) |
39.4 (4.1) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
47.7 (8.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.7 (−7.9) |
19.5 (−6.9) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
36.5 (2.5) |
46.1 (7.8) |
53.9 (12.2) |
58.1 (14.5) |
56.8 (13.8) |
50.7 (10.4) |
39.9 (4.4) |
30.3 (−0.9) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
38.2 (3.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −1.7 (−18.7) |
1.0 (−17.2) |
7.6 (−13.6) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
33.2 (0.7) |
42.6 (5.9) |
48.6 (9.2) |
48.3 (9.1) |
38.7 (3.7) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
15.5 (−9.2) |
5.7 (−14.6) |
−4.9 (−20.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −31 (−35) |
−26 (−32) |
−9 (−23) |
8 (−13) |
17 (−8) |
27 (−3) |
35 (2) |
34 (1) |
18 (−8) |
8 (−13) |
−8 (−22) |
−22 (−30) |
−31 (−35) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.70 (119) |
4.28 (109) |
5.01 (127) |
5.00 (127) |
5.36 (136) |
5.55 (141) |
5.81 (148) |
4.85 (123) |
4.13 (105) |
3.83 (97) |
3.85 (98) |
4.64 (118) |
57.01 (1,448) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 44.1 (112) |
36.3 (92) |
28.2 (72) |
12.1 (31) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
3.7 (9.4) |
15.7 (40) |
30.9 (78) |
171.1 (435) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 21.5 | 18.2 | 17.8 | 16.6 | 16.5 | 14.9 | 14.0 | 13.4 | 11.6 | 12.5 | 15.3 | 19.9 | 192.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 15.9 | 13.3 | 9.8 | 4.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 5.5 | 12.2 | 62.4 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 443 | — | |
| 1900 | 616 | 39.1% | |
| 1910 | 1,126 | 82.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,261 | 12.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,474 | 16.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,471 | −0.2% | |
| 1950 | 1,649 | 12.1% | |
| 1960 | 1,504 | −8.8% | |
| 1970 | 1,474 | −2.0% | |
| 1980 | 1,946 | 32.0% | |
| 1990 | 1,713 | −12.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,456 | −15.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,477 | 1.4% | |
| 2020 | 1,415 | −4.2% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 1,498 | 1.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Terra Alta's Population in 2010
In 2010, a census showed that 1,477 people lived in Terra Alta. There were 610 households, which are groups of people living together. Out of these, 394 were families.
Most of the people in Terra Alta were White (98.0%). A small number were African American (0.7%) or Native American (0.5%). About 0.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 33.0% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (45.1%) were married couples living together. About 10.6% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The average household had 2.41 people.
The average age of people in Terra Alta was 38.8 years. About 24.4% of residents were under 18 years old. Also, 13.9% were 65 years old or older. The town had slightly more females (52.8%) than males (47.2%).
See also
In Spanish: Terra Alta (Virginia Occidental) para niños
