Editing Smithers, West Virginia

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Smithers, West Virginia
| settlement_type          = 
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = 
<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Michigan Avenue - Smithers, West Virginia.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Michigan Avenue in Smithers
| image_flag               =
| image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = File:Fayette County West Virginia Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Smithers Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Smithers in Fayette County, West Virginia.
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = 
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[West Virginia]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in West Virginia|Counties]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Fayette County, West Virginia|Fayette]], [[Kanawha County, West Virginia|Kanawha]]

<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = Incorporated
| established_date         = 1938<ref name="West Virginia Blue Book">{{cite book|last=[[West Virginia Legislature]]|first=|title=West Virginia Blue Book, 2017-2018|url= https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/publications/bluebook/2017-2018/0943_WVS_BlueBook.pdf|chapter=Section Ten: Municipalities|year=2018|publisher=West Virginia Legislature|location=Charleston, West Virginia|page=1026}}</ref>

<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_54.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 4.26
| area_land_km2            = 3.75
| area_water_km2           = 0.51
| area_total_sq_mi         = 1.65
| area_land_sq_mi          = 1.45
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.20

<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_est           = 737
| pop_est_as_of            = 2021
| population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021">{{cite web   |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=3 July 2022}}</ref>
| population_total         = 751
| population_density_km2   = 195.71
| population_density_sq_mi = 506.91

<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 193
| elevation_ft             = 633
| coordinates              = {{coord|38|10|39|N|81|18|23|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 25186
| area_code                = [[Area code 304|304]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 54-74740<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1547007<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|https://local.wv.gov/smithers/Pages/default.aspx}}
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>
}}

'''Smithers''' is a city in [[Fayette County, West Virginia|Fayette]] and [[Kanawha County, West Virginia|Kanawha]] counties in the [[U.S. state]] of [[West Virginia]]. Located along the [[Kanawha River]], it lies almost entirely in Fayette County. The population was 751 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/> The city most likely takes its name from Smithers Creek.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kenny|first=Hamill|title=West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009099824;view=1up;seq=612;size=125|year=1945|publisher=The Place Name Press|location=Piedmont, WV|page=588}}</ref> The small river city is noted for having a rich cultural history related to both its coal mining and Italian-American heritages.

==History==
Smithers was incorporated in 1938.<ref name="West Virginia Blue Book"/> The city was named for James Smithers, an early settler who resided at the mouth of [[Smithers Creek]].<ref name="West Virginia Blue Book"/>

==Geography==
Smithers is located at {{coord|38|10|39|N|81|18|23|W|type:city}} (38.177389, -81.306269),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> along the [[Kanawha River]] at the mouth of [[Smithers Creek]].<ref>[http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed 2013-11-26</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|0.50|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2013-01-24|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=2012-01-25}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1940= 2232
|1950= 2208
|1960= 1696
|1970= 2020
|1980= 1482
|1990= 1162
|2000= 904
|2010= 813
|2020= 751
|estyear=2021
|estimate=737
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2013-01-24}}</ref> of 2010, there were 813 people, 405 households, and 216 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1626.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 473 housing units at an average density of {{convert|946.0|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 89.8% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 8.0% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.6% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], and 1.6% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 405 households, of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.7% were non-families. 41.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.67.

The median age in the city was 49.8 years. 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19% were from 25 to 44; 29.1% were from 45 to 64; and 25.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 904 people, 450 households, and 259 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1,686.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 553 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,031.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 90.15% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 8.41% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.55% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.11% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.11% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.66% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.22% of the population.

There were 450 households, out of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.63.

The age distribution is 19.8% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,417, and the median income for a family was $27,734. Males had a median income of $22,353 versus $18,846 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $12,807. About 20.0% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Smithers had a combined middle school and high school, [[Valley High School (Smithers, West Virginia)|Valley High School]], serving grades 6–12. The school closed at the end of the 2018–19 school year. The campus is now used as Valley PK-8.

== Notable people ==
* [[Bertis Downs IV]] – legal and managerial representative of the musical group [[R.E.M.]]<ref>{{cite web | last = Barnes | first = M.A. | title = Classic Profile: Athens Attorney Committed to Living Life With Passion | publisher = Athens Banner-Herald | date = July 9, 2002 | url = http://onlineathens.com/stories/070902/roc_20020707042.shtml}}</ref>
* [[Gino Marchetti]] – former [[National Football League|NFL]] defensive end, member of the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]

{{wide image|Smithers, West Virginia.jpg|1000px|alt=Michigan Avenue in Smithers|Michigan Avenue in Smithers}}

==References==
<references />

{{Fayette County, West Virginia}}
{{Kanawha County, West Virginia}}
{{West Virginia municipalities}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Fayette County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Cities in Kanawha County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Kanawha River]]
[[Category:Coal towns in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Cities in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Italian-American culture in West Virginia]]
[[Category:1938 establishments in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1938]]
[[Category:Smithers, West Virginia| ]]