Huntington (pop. 46,842) ranks as the second largest city in West Virginia. Only Charleston has more people. Huntington lies along the Ohio River, on the western border of West Virginia. Huntington ranks as the largest community of a metropolitan area that extends into Kentucky and Ohio and has a population of 418,102.
Huntington is an industrial, shipping, and service center. Goods produced by its factories include chemicals, nickel alloys, and steel. Coal and various other products from nearby areas are shipped from Huntington along the Ohio River. Huntington serves as a regional health care center. It has a number of hospitals and health clinics. Freight and passenger railroads and a major airport nearby serve the city. Huntington is the home of Marshall University, which has its main campus near the central business district.
Collis P. Huntington, president of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, founded the city in 1871 as the western end of the railroad. Huntington is the seat of Cabell County and has a strong mayor form of government.
