Clarksburg (West Virginia) - city in West Virginia, United States

Clarksburg, also called the "Jewel of the Hills", is a city of 15,000 people (2019) in West Virginia. It is part of the I-79 Technology Corridor. Along with the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival, you'll also find a number of really good Italian restaurants in town.

Understand

Established in 1785, it was named for General George Rogers Clark, an important military leader in the Revolutionary War and the brother of William Clark, who was half of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was the birthplace of Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Despite being a relatively large city for West Virginia, it has the second-lowest crime rate in the state, and one of the lowest in the nation.

Clarksburg has a fairly large population descended from Italian immigrants, many of whom came to the area to work in the coal mines and the glass factories.

Get in

By car

Clarksburg is at the intersection of US-50, between Parkersburg in the west and Grafton in the east, and US-19, between Fairmont in the north and Weston in the south. Clarksburg is just west of I-79 (exit 119); Bridgeport is just east of the interstate.

By plane

There is one airport serving Clarksburg.

• North Central Regional Airport (IATA: CKB), 2000 Aviation Way, 39.2967°, -80.2281°, +1 304-842-3400. Daily flights to Dulles Airport, Virginia.

Get around

• Central West Virginia Transit Authority, 208 N 4th Street, +1 304-623-6002. Bus service for Harrison County, covering Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Shinnston, Adamston, Anmoore, Despard, Hartland, Northview, Nutter Fort / Stonewood, Stealey, West Milford and Wolf Summit / Salem. Fares $0.50-1.
• Tom's Central Taxi, 528 Philippi Pike, +1 304-622-0590.

See

• The downtown Clarksburg historic district includes hotels (the Waldo Hotel), homes (the Waldomore, at the corner of 4th and Pike, the Nathan Goff Jr House and the Stealey-Goff-Vance House on Main Street), and the art deco Harrison County Courthouse. A plaque at 324 W Main Street now marks the site of Stonewall Jackson's former home site, and there's a statue of him astride a horse in the Harrison County Courthouse Plaza.
• Ten Mile Creek Covered Bridge, Marshville - Camp Rock Road off US-50 (exit 5). A 58-foot-long covered bridge over Ten Mile Creek, built in 1891 and restored in 2002.

Do

• Watters Smith Memorial State Park, 39.1711°, -80.4081°, +1 304-745-3081. Duck Creek Road in Lost Creek (exit 110 off I-79). A farm from the late 1700s, complete with an 1876 home turned into a museum, a reconstructed log cabin. Guided tours available from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Visitors can also go swimming, hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.

Events

• Scottish Festival & Celtic Gathering. Held the first weekend in May. Bagpipe and drumming competitions, kilted golf outing, dog and sheep herding exhibits, harp workshops, historical presentations, Scottish vendors, food, live music and dancing.
• Greek Food Festival, 1010 Factory Street, +1 304-624-5331. At the St Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church. Held in early June. Greek food, music and dance.
• Greater Clarksburg 10K Race (dead link: January 2023), 10K starts at 8:30am on Main Street, followed by the 2 mile race and the Kids K. Information: +1 304-624-4100, or visit their website.
• Glen Elk Wine, Music and Arts Festival, 2-day street festival with local wineries, free live entertainment, covered wagon rides and crafters. Held in the historic Glen Elk Village district. Information: +1 304-622-0711.
• West Virginia Blackberry Festival. Clarksburg city park on WV-20 in Nutter Fort. Held the first weekend in August since 1996. Blackberry pie and cobbler baking contest, food vendors, handmade crafts, golf tournament, talent contest, parades, carnival, live entertainment, fireworks. Lots of blackberry desserts available.
• Jesus Fest (dead link: January 2023), food, free movies, music, speakers, entertainment, and children's entertainment. Located at the new amphitheater at city's Veteran's Memorial Park. Information: +1 304-623-1362 or visit their web site.
• National Pasta Cookoff, This pre-WV Italian Heritage Festival event is held at the new Jackson Square Parking 6 Event Facility on W. Pike Street in downtown and is open to amateur and professional cooks. Entertainment, hot pepper eating contest and other activities thru-out the day. Sponsored by the WVIHF. Information: +1 304-622-7314
• West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival, 340 W Main Street, +1 304-622-7314. Held each Labor Day weekend since 1979. Pasta cookoff, hot pepper eating contest, homemade wine contest, bocce and chess tournaments, traditional Italian music and dancing, 5K run, festival ball, parade, live entertainment. Rated one of the top 100 events in North America.
• West Virginia Black Heritage Festival, uptown Clarksburg, +1 304-623-2335. Held the second weekend of September. Celebrating black history with music, artists, soul food, a gospel sing, a youth showcase and speakers.
• Salem Applebutter Festival, Many fraternal and non-profit groups vie for the best applebutter award. On-going entertainment, talent show, beauty pageant, arts & crafts and food and applebutter in abundance. Also a 5K run will take place. Information: +1 304-782-1518.
• Clarksburg Christmas Parade. Held on Friday the full week after Thanksgiving. Parade with bands and floats.

Learn

• The Clarksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau is located at 208 Court Street [beside the Harrison County Courthouse on Main Street, +1 304-622-2157. Toll-free +1-877-622-2157 . Visit them on-line, click on Visitors Bureau.
• The local newspaper is the Clarksburg Exponent Telegram, +1 304-626-1400 or +1-800-982-6034.

Buy

• Embellishments, 134 S 3rd Street, +1 304-622-8199. Eclectic housewares and gifts, including gourmet foods, rugs and tapestries, china and artisan soaps.
• Oliverio Italian Style Peppers, 280 N Ohio Ave, +1 304-622-4959. Freshly made sausage, chopped cherry peppers and pickled vegetables, cracked olive salad.

Eat

• Greenbrier Restaurant, +1 304-624-5518. 200 Buckhannon Pike. Open daily 11AM to 11PM. Owned by two Italian sisters who learned to make pasta from their mother. Soups, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, beef, poultry, seafood, homemade and baked Italian specialties. Try the fried meatballs for $1. $4.50 - 40.
• Julio's Restaurant, 501 Baltimore Avenue, +1 304-622-2592. Italian and continental cuisine. Try the crab cakes. $20 - 30
• Minard's Spaghetti Inn, 813 East Pike Street, +1 304-623-1711. Very popular local restaurant serving baked pasta, spaghetti, steak, seafood, salads, Italian specialties. Try the spaghetti with meatballs and their house salad.
• Ritzy Lunch, 456 W Pike Street, +1 304-622-3600. Serving local favorite hot dogs since 1933. Try them topped with chili and slaw.

Drink

Sleep

• Greenbrier Motel, 200 Buckhannon Pike, +1 304-624-5518. 50 rooms. Sauna and whirlpool suites available. Fried meatball trays available.

• Hilton Garden Inn, 606 Emily Drive (Newpointe Shopping Center beside Walmart; exit 117 of I79), +1 304-326-9200. Full service restaurant; king rooms with Sleep Number beds; indoor pool and fitness room; Business Center; meeting rooms; local area transportation.
• Days Inn & Suites, 112 Tolley Drive (Exit 119 off I79; turn east on Rt 50; left at light at Lodgeville Rd; left on Tolley Drive), +1 304-842-7371. 38 suites with complete kitchenettes added in 2003. Free deluxe continental breakfast daily; free high-speed internet access in all suites; heated indoor pool. Large conference facility.
• Quality Inn Bridgeport-Clarksburg, 115 Tolley Drive (Exit 119 of I79; east on Rt. 50, let at light onto Lodgeville Road; left on Tolley Drive), +1 304-842-1919. Free continental breakfast; free cable TV and HBO, desks with data phones; guest laundry; high speed internet; Pets permitted.

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