West Virginia is a rural state, with many areas having limited access to public transportation. However, there are several options available for those wanting to travel within the state or even outside of it. The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) manages an extensive network of highways and roads, as well as providing bus and van services throughout the state. This includes routes through Morgantown, Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, Wheeling, and other major cities. The Greyhound Lines provide daily scheduled intercity bus service to several locations in West Virginia from nearby states including Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Additionally, Amtrak has service from Washington D.C., Cincinnati and Chicago into Charleston with stops at various other locations in West Virginia along its way. For air travel purposes the Yeager Airport in Charleston is the only commercial airport located within the state’s confines while regional airports in Beckley and Lewisburg provide flights to selected destinations around the region. Lastly ferry services also exist near both Harpers Ferry National Historic Park and Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park which cross over the Potomac River between Maryland and West Virginia respectively.
The typical American commute has been getting longer each year since 2010. The average one-way commute in West Virginia takes 25.7 minutes. That's shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
How people in West Virginia get to work:
- 82.2% drive their own car alone
- 9.7% carpool with others
- 3.2% work from home
- 0.9% take mass transit