Thrilling football games, energetic nightlife and scenic parks are set against an Appalachian backdrop in one of West Virginia’s favorite small cities.
Morgantown combines small-town hospitality with a big-city pace. Nestled between the Monongahela River and the West Virginian range of the Appalachian Mountains, Morgantown has inner-city livability and diverse scenic landscapes.
The town of 31,000 is home to West Virginia University, with more than 22,000 undergraduates. From September to May, students create a lively downtown nightlife, complete with live music and exciting college basketball and football games. Follow the crowd to Mountaineer Field to cheer on the West Virginia University Mountaineers in a thrilling football game.
The university is served by an individualized public transportation system, especially handy for West Virginia’s snowy winters. Students travel free and visitors pay a small fee. Program your own trip on the system for a convenient and inexpensive rail tour of the city. In warmer months, explore Morgantown’s walking and recreational trails. Take the Caperton Trail and meander along the Monongahela riverfront past the university to historic Downtown Morgantown.
Explore West Virginia’s natural beauty at the Core Arboretum, a vast forest containing an interesting selection of planted specimen trees. Hike up Dorsey Knob on the southern edge of Morgantown to see panoramic views of the city, its surrounding rolling hills and the Appalachian Mountains. Test your skill at the Mountaineer Golf and Country Club, open from March through December. Morgantown’s climate is relatively mild, with dry winter days generally above freezing, and hot and humid summers.
Join in the lively nightlife when school is in session to live it up with local students or visit in the summer to experience the city’s more quiet time. Reach Morgantown by air from Morgantown Municipal Airport, located 3 miles (5 kilometers) northeast of Downtown. The city is on several major interstate roadways. Mountain Line Transit Authority bus service connects Morgantown to Pittsburgh International Airport and Clarksburg, Maryland.
Morgantown has been voted one of the best U.S. small cities of 2013 by several publications. Make a visit to experience its finest cultural and natural features.
