Preston County
From West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia
Preston County was formed in 1818 from Monongalia County and named in honor of James Patton Preston, Governor of Virginia 1816-1819. Preston County's high altitude (roughly 3,000 feet above sea level) contributes to an ideal climate for the production of buckwheat. The county has long been a leader in buckwheat production statewide, and the central county is sometimes referred to as the West Virginia "Buckwheat Belt."
County Seat: Kingwood, WV
Population: 29,334 (2000 Census (http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=05000US54073&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US54%7C05000US54073&_street=&_county=Preston&_cityTown=&_state=04000US54&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on))
Preston County Profile (http://www.wvbep.org/bep/lmi/CNTYPROF/cp99pres.htm)
Lodging: Preston County Hotels (http://www.reservetravel.com/v4/redir.aspx?type=geo&rad=15&lbl=Preston%20County&lat=39.472343&lon=-79.671756&siteid=7790)
Weather: Preston County, WV (http://www.wvwebsites.com/cgi-bin/weather/hamweather.cgi?theme=default&user=default&forecast=zandh&state=wv&zone=023)
Cities and Towns
Albright, WV
Arthurdale, WV
Kingwood, WV
Masontown, WV
Newburg, WV
Reedsville, WV
Rowlesburg, WV
Terra Alta, WV
Tunnelton, WV
State Parks
Cathedral State Park
Fairfax Stone State Park
Climate
Preston County, West Virginia (WV)
Temperature Mean Annual Average: 48 (Degrees F)
January Averages: High 35 (Degrees F) -- Low 16 (Degrees F)
July Averages: High 80 (Degrees F) -- Low 57 (Degrees F)
Long Term Precipitation
January: 3.28 inches -- July: 4.96 (inches) -- Annual: 46.6 (inches)
Mean Annual Snowfall Range
50 - 130 inches
