Wheeling is a city in
Marshall and
Ohio counties in the
U.S. state of
West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the
county seat, it lies along the
Ohio River in the foothills of the
Appalachian Mountains. Wheeling was originally a settlement in the
British colony of Virginia and later an important city in the
Commonwealth of Virginia. Wheeling was the first state capital of West Virginia. Thanks to its location along major transportation routes, including the Ohio River,
National Road, and the
B&O Railroad, Wheeling became a manufacturing center in the late nineteenth century. After experiencing the closing of factories and substantial population loss following
World War II, Wheeling's major industries now include healthcare, education, law and legal services, entertainment and tourism, and energy.