Skip to main content
Top
WVU Home Eberly Home Apply Now

About Morgantown

A short video on life in Morgantown: Real Morgantown

WVU is the academic home to over 30,000 students and is one of 10 U.S. land-grant institutions with an academic medical center. Morgantown is a prosperous community and a true college town. It is a great place to live, play, and raise a family. The city is consistently ranked high on national lists assessing quality of life and educational and business opportunities. For example:

  1. 65th Best Place to Live in America – Livability.com
  2. Best Place to Live in West Virginia – Money.com
  3. “3rd Best Small Town in America” – Mens’ Journal
  4. 2010 America’s Top College Football Towns – Budget Travel
  5. “Best Small Places to Launch a Small Business” – Fortune
  6. “#1 Dreamtown in the Country” – Bizjournals.com
  7. “12th Hottest Small City” – Inc. Magazine
  8. “29th Smartest Place to Live” – Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
  9. “Best Small City in The East” – The Rating Guide to Life In America’s Small Cities
  10. “One of the Best Sports Cities” – The Sporting News
  11. “Dozen Distinctive Destinations 2007 – National Trust for Historic Preservation
  12. “7th Best Small Place for Business and Careers” – Forbes
  13. Top 20 “Most Secure U.S. Places to Live” – The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies
  14. #1 Best Walking City in West Virginia and the 34th Best Walking City in the Country” -Study by “Prevention Magazine” and the American Podiatric Medial Association (APMA)
  15. Top 10 Places to Retire for Under $100 A Day – The “AARP” Magazine
  16. Morgantown Rated #2 in the 2012-2013 ranking of the best college towns in the country for students, and ranked as the #10 overall college destination of all 227 MSAs assessed. – American Institute of Economic Research (AIER)
  17. Top 10 Cities for Affordable Health Care – by Livability.com
  18. Ranked #20 out of 50 for “Best College Towns in America 2014” – Best College Reviews
  19. Top 12 College Towns for Commuting on Foot – The SpareFoot Blog

The Wellness Councils of America has named Morgantown an elite “Well City.”

One of the nation’s “Best Workplaces for Commuters” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation for its innovative and effective transportation services for employees and students.

Morgantown has a thriving Farmer’s Market.

The university has a new daycare center, The West Virginia University Child Learning Center.

For more information visit morgantownwv.gov and www.tourmorgantown.com.

Cultural Activities

As a college town, Morgantown has an abundance of cultural activities at all times of year. There are two major theaters that have local and regional touring productions:

The WVU Creative Arts Center hosts multiple national touring shows as well as free performances by students and faculty in the College of Creative Arts.

The Art Museum of WVU provides a welcoming and stimulating educational environment for diverse audiences to experience the transformative power of visual art.

In addition, Morgantown is only 80 miles from Pittsburgh, which is a world-class city with an abundance of sporting and cultural amenities. Morgantown is also well within driving distance of Washington, D.C., Cleveland, OH, and New York, NY.

Outdoor Activities

One of the primary advantages of living in Morgantown is it is set within one of the most spectacular natural settings in the eastern United States. West Virginia is one of the most forested state in the nation, and the area is renowned for the beauty of its mountains, rivers, and forests.

Some highlights are: