Beckley, West Virginia WV Hotels/Motels/Lodging

This is the current conditions weather report for Beckley. The report was made 74 minutes ago, at 04:51 UTC. The wind was blowing at a speed of 9 miles per hour / 14.8 kilometers per hour from the westsouthwest (250°). The temperature was 23°F / -5°C, with a dew-point at 23°F / -5°C. The temperature felt like 14°F / -10°C. The atmospheric pressure was 30.21 inHg / 1024 hPa. The relative humidity was 74%. The skies were mostly cloudy.

Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, USA and founded on April 4, 1838. The population was estimated to be 17,254 by the US Census Bureau in 2005 according to the censtats.census.gov website. Early in its history, the town was known as Beckleyville and Raleigh Court House. The city is sometimes called the "Smokeless Coal Capital" and the "Gateway To Southern West Virginia." The population of the Beckley area is roughly 77,000 including Raleigh County and parts of Fayette County. It is the county seat of Raleigh County.

Beckley was named in honor of John James Beckley, who was the first Clerk of the House of Representatives and the first Librarian of Congress. It was founded by his son Alfred Beckley (US Army general and confederate militia commander, born in Washington, D.C.). The current mayor (2007) is Emmett S. Pugh, III.

Beckley is home to one of the busiest Wal-Mart locations in the United States as has been brought to the attention of the associates of the original supercenter in the area. Wal-Mart has recently opened a new superstore roughly 4 miles from their existing location. Additionally, in 2004, Wal-Mart Stores opened a Sam's Club.

Beckley is well known for two major tourist attractions: The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and Tamarack. The Exhibition Coal Mine is a preserved coal mine that offers daily tours and a history lesson on coal mining in Appalachia. Tamarack, originally built at a cost of $10 Million, is the home to many artisan crafts from around West Virginia.

Contribute Beckley Tourist Information
Expand Window | Collapse Window