State profile
West Virginia
West Virginia is a U.S. state governed from Charleston through statewide executive, legislative, judicial, and local institutions.
- Capital
- Charleston
- Statehood
- June 20, 1863
- Counties
- 55
Page reviewed September 1, 2026
West Virginia boundaryUnited States West Virginia
Demographics and civic data
West Virginia Stat Overview
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Top line
Summary
Participation
Civic and elections
Households and work
Economy
People
Demographics
Homes and households
Housing
Education and services
Education and access
Government snapshot
State representation
West Virginia's representation combines federal districts, its bicameral legislature, statewide offices, courts, and local government.
U.S. House districts2current congressional districts
Senate34state legislative seats
House of Delegates100lower-chamber legislative seats
Counties55Census county-equivalent areas
Electoral votes4presidential-election allocation
Statehood35thJune 20, 1863
Current elections
2026 general election
How elections work here
Details being verifiedState election rules
Primary access, candidate-advancement rules, and state contests depend on state law and party rules. A state-specific explanation is being prepared; use the official election-office directory for current guidance.
Confirm dates and deadlines
Use the state election office for the current calendar, registration deadline, and voting options.
State-specific details in progress
Party affiliation and ballot-access rules are being verified before they are summarized here.
Review official contests
The state election office remains the authoritative source for candidates, measures, and certified results.
Current election
Details coming soonStatewide contests
Election history
Results coming soonPast elections
Past statewide results will remain visible here as they are added. An official results directory is available now.
Election information
State-specific candidate, contest, and election-rule details are still being verified. Use the official election-office directory for current information.
Government structure
How West Virginia government is organized
The executive, legislative, and judicial branches work alongside statewide administration and local government.
Constitutional structure
Branches of state government
The executive, legislative, and judicial branches are presented as distinct systems with direct official links.
Executive1state government
Executive branch
The Governor and statewide executive offices administer West Virginia law and state programs.
Explore state governmentLegislature134members
Bicameral legislature
34-member Senate and 100-member House of Delegates.
Explore the legislatureJudiciary1highest court
West Virginia court system
The statewide court structure and direct judicial resources are being verified for this page.
Explore the courtsAdministration and local government
Statewide and local systems
Use these official links to explore election administration, local government, and the places they serve.
Elections1state authority
State election administration
The state election office publishes voter guidance, candidate records, statewide schedules, and official results.
Open election resourcesLocal government55counties
Counties
Local government arrangements vary across West Virginia. Use the Explorer to browse mapped counties and Find My Area to identify overlapping districts.
Browse mapped areasState reporting
News about West Virginia
Selected reporting about state government and elections will appear here.
State news
More reporting is coming soon
No state-level stories have been selected for this page yet. You can still browse reporting from across Paper Trail Politics.
Browse all newsAbout this page
Data coverage and sources
This page brings together statewide facts, official election information, local-area boundaries, and government sources. Items that are still being added are labeled on the page.
On this pageAvailable information
The page includes statewide facts, election information and official links, local-area boundaries, government structure, and source details.
Reviewed September 1, 2026- Statewide facts and representation
- Official election information
- Local-area boundary explorer
- Government structure and official links
- Local pages, detailed election results, and selected news are still being added
Sources used on this page6 official sources
U.S. Census Bureau
State population, land area, counties, and the statewide boundary outline.
Visit official sourceUSAGov state government directory
Official state government, governor, agency, and public-service links.
Visit official sourceUSAGov election office directory
Official state and local election-office links for registration, voting, and results.
Visit official sourceVote.gov
Official federal entry point for state voter-registration information.
Visit official sourceU.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
Income, work, demographic, housing, education, internet-access, insurance, and disability measures from the 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates.
Visit official sourceNational Conference of State Legislatures
State legislative chamber sizes and total membership.
Visit official source