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 located in Greenbrier County, in the southeastern part of West Virginia, United States. In 2020, about 2,231 people lived there. The city's special symbol is five dandelion flowers. Every spring, the people of White Sulphur Springs celebrate with a fun event called the Dandelion Festival.
Contents
History of White Sulphur Springs
White Sulphur Springs became very popular in the early 1800s. It was known as the "Queen of the Watering Places" in the southern United States. This meant it was a top spot for people to visit for its natural springs.
The resort started as a summer getaway for rich families from Virginia. They came to escape the hot, humid weather and illnesses common in the low-lying areas. As the resort grew, it became a very fancy place. Important guests from all over came to stay there.
The Greenbrier Resort
Today, the resort is called The Greenbrier. It is still one of the most luxurious and exclusive resorts in the country. This means it's a very fancy place where only certain people can afford to stay. For many years, a famous golf player named Sam Snead worked there as the golf pro.
The Greenbrier is also important in golf history. In 1979, it hosted the first Ryder Cup golf tournament. This tournament now features teams from the United States and Europe. Golf in the U.S. actually began near White Sulphur Springs. The Montague family started Oakhurst Links in 1884. This makes it the oldest organized golf club in the country. In 2010, The Greenbrier hosted a big golf event called the PGA Greenbrier Classic.
A Secret Bunker
In 1992, The Washington Post newspaper shared a secret about The Greenbrier. During the Cold War, a hidden "bunker" was built under the resort. It was called Project Greek Island. This secret place was meant to keep the U.S. Congress safe if there was a nuclear attack.
Recent Events
In June 2016, White Sulphur Springs was hit by a very bad flood. This flood caused a lot of damage in West Virginia.
The Greenbrier has also been a training spot for several professional football teams. Teams like the Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, and New England Patriots have trained there.
Geography and Climate
White Sulphur Springs is located along Howard Creek. You can reach the city using major roads like I-64 and US Route 60.
The city covers about 1.98 square miles (4.91 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. White Sulphur Springs is also inside a special area called the National Radio Quiet Zone. This means that cell phone services like AT&T and Verizon can operate, but they use lower tower frequencies. This helps prevent interference with sensitive radio telescopes nearby.
Weather in White Sulphur Springs
White Sulphur Springs has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters.
| 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 | |||||||||||||
People of White Sulphur Springs
| 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 | |||
Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 2,444 people living in White Sulphur Springs. These people lived in 1,131 households. About 83.7% of the people were White, and 13.5% were African American.
About 23.9% of households had children under 18 years old. The average age of people in the city was 45.8 years. About 17.9% of residents were under 18.
Schools in the City
White Sulphur Springs has schools for its young residents:
- White Sulphur Springs Elementary
- Greenbrier Episcopal School
Getting Around
Train Service
Amtrak, which is the national passenger train service, offers rides to White Sulphur Springs. The Cardinal route stops here three times a week. The train station is right at the entrance to The Greenbrier resort.
Roads and Highways
The city is also served by important roads. The Alleghany Subdivision, a main railway line, runs through White Sulphur Springs. It used to carry limestone from Hinton, West Virginia, to Clifton Forge, Virginia.
Interstate 64
U.S. Route 60
WV 92
Important Buildings
In 1987, the White Sulphur Springs Library was rebuilt from an old community house. The library is becoming a key place for learning in the town. In 2017, the building where the library is located was renamed the Katherine Coleman Johnson Building. This was done to honor Katherine Coleman Johnson, a famous NASA scientist who was born in White Sulphur Springs.
Images for kids
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Interstate 64 sign
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U.S. Route 60 sign
See also
In Spanish: White Sulphur Springs (Virginia Occidental) para niños
