West Virginia, often referred to as a Mid-Atlantic state, is nestled in the Appalachian highlands in the east central section of the United States. In fact, it is ideally situated, with 60 percent of the population of the United States living within 500 miles of West Virginia. The state is crossed by Interstates 64, 68, 70, 77, 79 and 81, two major railroads and miles of navigable inland waterways.
The state is a composite of high, wooded mountains, deep valleys and broad plateaus. The highest elevation is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet above sea level and the lowest elevation is 240 feet above sea along the Potomac River in Harper’s Ferry.
Major rivers are the Monongahela, Potomac, Kanawha, Little Kanawha, Big Sandy – Tug Fork, Guyandotte, Elk, Greenbrier, New, Cheat, and the Ohio. Numerous swiftly flowing mountain streams feed into the rivers. Many lakes, the largest of which are Bluestone, Summersville, Sutton, Tygart, Stonewall Jackson and East Lynn, have been created by impoundments on major rivers.