Best Web Design in Huntington, WV (2026)

Web Design for Huntington, West Virginia

Huntington sits on the Ohio River in Cabell County, at the point where West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky nearly meet. Founded as a railroad terminus by baron Collis P. Huntington in the 1870s, the Jewel City became a river-and-rail commercial hub and the home of Marshall University. Its identity is bound up with the Thundering Herd, a 1970 air tragedy that reshaped the community, and a rich hot-dog culture.

AppWT works with Huntington, WV businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Huntington

Also known as. The Jewel City. Halderby's Landing (original settlement name).

History. The site was originally called Halderby's Landing before being named for Collis P. Huntington, the railroad baron who made it the western terminus of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway starting in 1869. The city was incorporated by the West Virginia Legislature in 1871. Marshall University traces to 1837, founded as a private subscription academy by residents of nearby Guyandotte; it was elevated to university status by the legislature on March 2, 1961. The Ohio River flood of 1937 heavily damaged much of Huntington. On November 14, 1970, Southern Airways Flight 932 crashed on approach to Tri-State Airport, killing all 75 aboard, including 37 Marshall football players, coaches, staff, and boosters.

Local economy. Healthcare is the largest employment base, led by St. Mary's Medical Center (about 2,444 employees) and Cabell Huntington Hospital (about 2,160). Marshall University (about 2,000 employees) anchors the education sector. Rail remains important, with the CSX Huntington Division employing roughly 1,100. The area has a longstanding manufacturing base, though services now make up the largest share of jobs; the Ohio River port supports transportation and logistics.

Culture and community. Marshall's Thundering Herd football drives civic life; the 2006 film 'We Are Marshall' dramatized the community's recovery after the 1970 plane crash, and incoming students still watch it as part of an introductory seminar. Huntington has a strong hot-dog tradition, with sauce, slaw, and drive-in stands like Farley's; the annual Hot Dog Festival at Pullman Square includes an eating contest and a wiener-dog race. Notable people from the area include entertainer Soupy Sales, actor Brad Dourif, Grammy-winning gospel singer Michael W. Smith, NBA Hall of Famer Hal Greer, and historian Carter G. Woodson, the 'father of Black history.' Annual events include Greek Fest and the Ceredo-Kenova AutumnFest, home of the world-famous Pumpkin House.

What makes Huntington distinct. Steamboat captains nicknamed Huntington the 'Jewel City' during its river-port heyday, when it received fresh Chesapeake Bay seafood shipments. In 2008 the Huntington-Ashland metro was labeled the unhealthiest/fattest city in America based on CDC data, prompting British chef Jamie Oliver's 'Food Revolution' TV series to be filmed there in 2009-2010; obesity rates later fell markedly. WSAZ-TV signed on from Huntington in 1949 as West Virginia's first television station. Camden Park is one of only roughly 13 trolley parks still operating in the entire United States.

Huntington Landmarks and Local Life

• Ritter Park - a 75-acre park with an award-winning playground, amphitheater, and famous rose garden, named one of the top 10 'Best Public Spaces in America' by the American Planning Association in 2012
• Heritage Farm Museum & Village - a Smithsonian-affiliated Appalachian living-history site with log buildings, museums, and a petting zoo
• Camden Park - a traditional amusement park dating to 1903 that began as a trolley-line picnic grounds and is one of only about 13 surviving trolley parks in the United States
• Marshall University's campus and the Memorial Fountain honoring the 1970 crash victims.
• Pullman Square and Harris Riverfront Park along the Ohio River.