Wheeling is the county seat in Ohio County. The name is derived from an Indian term for "place of the skull" as Indians decapitated early settlers and placed their skulls on poles to warn others against encroachment. The City has been nicknamed the ‘Friendly City.’ The city covers a total area of 41.0 km² (15.8 mi²). 36.0 km² (13.9 mi²) of it is land and 4.9 km² (1.9 mi²) of it (12.07%) is water.

The city is located both on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River and on an island in the middle of the river called Wheeling Island. The average annual precipitation is 39.9 inches with an average snowfall is 43.4 inches per year. The average winter temperature is around 29.5 degrees F while that in summer is 74.6 degrees F.

Elevation: 672 feet

Land area: 13.9 square miles

Latitude: 40.07 N

Longitude: 80.70 W

Population: 29,639 as on 2005

Local festivals include:

• Celtic Festival - March 4, 2006
• Fort Henry Days - Sept. 2-3, 2006
• Ohio County Country Fair - Oct. 6-8, 2006
• Transportation Festival - Sept. 23, 2006
• Wheeling Heritage Port Sternwheel Festival - Sept. 14-16, 2006
• Wheeling attractions: Capitol Music Hall

Attractions:

• West Virginia Independence Hall
• Oglebay Institute Mansion Museum
• Point Overlook Museum
• Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum