White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
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| Nickname(s):
Spa City
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| Motto(s):
Home of the Greenbrier Resort
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Location of White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Greenbrier |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.90 sq mi (4.91 km2) |
| • Land | 1.87 sq mi (4.85 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,850 ft (560 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,231 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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2,198 |
| • Density | 1,255.21/sq mi (484.56/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
24986
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| Area code(s) | 304, 681 |
| FIPS code | 54-86812 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2390673 |
White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County in southeastern West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,231 at the 2020 census. The city emblem consists of five dandelion flowers and the citizens celebrate spring with an annual Dandelion Festival.
Contents
History
White Sulphur Springs grew in the first half of the nineteenth century as the southern "Queen of the Watering Places". The springs resort first became the standard summer destination for wealthy Virginia Low Country residents seeking reprieve from heat, humidity, and disease of the "sickly season". As its popularity increased and it gained status as a socially exclusive site, the springs attracted elite guests from all over.
The resort, now known as The Greenbrier, remains one of the country's most luxurious and exclusive resorts. For many years, Sam Snead was the resort's golf pro and later golf pro emeritus. The resort has another significant place in golf history; in 1979, it hosted the first Ryder Cup to feature the current competitive setup of the United States and European sides. Golf in the United States began near White Sulphur Springs when the Montague family founded Oakhurst Links in 1884, making it the oldest organized golf club in the country. In 2010, the Greenbrier hosted the inaugural PGA Greenbrier Classic.
In 1992 The Washington Post reported that, during the Cold War, the resort had been the site of a "bunker", the Emergency Relocation Center known as Project Greek Island, which was intended to house and protect the U.S. Congress in the event of a nuclear attack.
In June 2016, there was a historic severe flood in West Virginia that impacted White Sulphur Springs.
The Greenbrier has also served as a training camp location for the Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers.
Geography
White Sulphur Springs is located along Howard Creek and is served by I-64 and US Route 60.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.98 square miles (5.13 km2), of which 1.95 sq mi (5.05 km2) is land and 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) is water. It is also within the National Radio Quiet Zone. Services with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular is allowed within the area under lower tower frequencies.
Climate
White Sulphur Springs has a humid continental climate (Koppen Dfa).
| Climate data for White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1895–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) |
79 (26) |
88 (31) |
96 (36) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
102 (39) |
100 (38) |
103 (39) |
93 (34) |
82 (28) |
77 (25) |
103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.7 (4.8) |
44.7 (7.1) |
53.3 (11.8) |
65.4 (18.6) |
72.7 (22.6) |
79.1 (26.2) |
82.7 (28.2) |
81.9 (27.7) |
76.6 (24.8) |
66.1 (18.9) |
54.6 (12.6) |
44.4 (6.9) |
63.5 (17.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.8 (−0.7) |
33.7 (0.9) |
40.9 (4.9) |
51.1 (10.6) |
59.7 (15.4) |
67.2 (19.6) |
71.1 (21.7) |
70.3 (21.3) |
64.2 (17.9) |
52.8 (11.6) |
41.8 (5.4) |
34.4 (1.3) |
51.5 (10.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20.9 (−6.2) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
36.9 (2.7) |
46.7 (8.2) |
55.3 (12.9) |
59.6 (15.3) |
58.7 (14.8) |
51.9 (11.1) |
39.4 (4.1) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
39.5 (4.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −19 (−28) |
−16 (−27) |
−8 (−22) |
12 (−11) |
21 (−6) |
30 (−1) |
36 (2) |
36 (2) |
26 (−3) |
9 (−13) |
−1 (−18) |
−34 (−37) |
−34 (−37) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.05 (77) |
2.79 (71) |
2.70 (69) |
3.66 (93) |
4.52 (115) |
3.71 (94) |
4.15 (105) |
3.34 (85) |
3.58 (91) |
2.70 (69) |
2.57 (65) |
3.26 (83) |
41.03 (1,042) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.6 (14) |
6.3 (16) |
3.4 (8.6) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.4 (1.0) |
2.0 (5.1) |
18.1 (46) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12.6 | 11.3 | 12.4 | 12.2 | 14.4 | 13.4 | 12.6 | 12.2 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 9.6 | 12.1 | 142.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 10.8 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 338 | — | |
| 1920 | 837 | 147.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,484 | 77.3% | |
| 1940 | 2,093 | 41.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,643 | 26.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,676 | 1.2% | |
| 1970 | 2,869 | 7.2% | |
| 1980 | 3,371 | 17.5% | |
| 1990 | 2,779 | −17.6% | |
| 2000 | 2,595 | −6.6% | |
| 2010 | 2,444 | −5.8% | |
| 2020 | 2,231 | −8.7% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 2,198 | −10.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 2,444 people, 1,131 households, and 647 families living in the city. The population density was 1,253.3 inhabitants per square mile (483.9/km2). There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of 725.1/sq mi (280.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.7% White, 13.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3%.
Of the 1,131 households, 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.8% were non-families. 37.0% of households were one person and 16.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.72.
The median age was 45.8 years. 17.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 28.4% were from 45 to 64; and 22.8% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.
Education
- White Sulphur Springs Elementary
- Greenbrier Episcopal School
Transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to White Sulphur Springs three times a week via the Cardinal route. The station is located at the entrance to The Greenbrier.
The Alleghany Subdivision of the main line of the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (now part of CSX) runs through White Sulphur Springs. At one time in its history it was part of the limestone flux cargo route from Hinton, West Virginia to Clifton Forge, Virginia. Its affectionate nickname was "The Gravel Gertie" after the Dick Tracy character.
Interstate 64
U.S. Route 60
WV 92
Buildings and structures
In 1987 the White Sulphur Springs Library was rebuilt from the old community house. The library is being redeveloped as an educational resource and one of the hearts of the town. The building containing the library was renamed the Katherine Coleman Johnson Building in 2017, after White Sulphur Springs native and NASA scientist Katherine Coleman Johnson.
See also
In Spanish: White Sulphur Springs (Virginia Occidental) para niños
