Editing Weirton, West Virginia

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Weirton, West Virginia
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = "Gateway To The Valley"
|motto                    =
|image_skyline            = PeterTarrFurnaceSite2012.jpg
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            = [[Peter Tarr Furnace Site]], c. 1790
|image_flag               = Flag of Weirton, West Virginia.png
|image_seal               = Seal of Weirton, West Virginia.png
|image_map                = Brooke County West Virginia Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Weirton Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 150px
|map_caption              = Location of Weirton in Hancock and Brooke counties, West Virginia.
|pushpin_map              = West Virginia#USA
|pushpin_relief           = yes
|pushpin_label            = Weirton
|subdivision_type         = 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        = [[Hancock County, West Virginia|Hancock]], [[Brooke County, West Virginia|Brooke]]
|government_footnotes     =
|government_type          =
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Dean M. Harris<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cityofweirton.com/181/Mayors-Office | title=Mayor's Office &#124; Weirton, WV }}</ref>
|leader_title1            =
|leader_name1             =
|established_title        = Settled
|established_date         = 1793
|established_title1       = Incorporated
|established_date1        = July 1, 1947
|named_for                = [[Ernest T. Weir]]
|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 |archive-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017020541/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_54.txt |url-status=live }}</ref>
|area_magnitude           =
|area_total_km2           = 49.91
|area_land_km2            = 46.76
|area_water_km2           = 3.15
|area_total_sq_mi         = 19.27
|area_land_sq_mi          = 18.05
|area_water_sq_mi         = 1.22
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 18813
|pop_est_as_of            = 2021
|pop_est_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=July 2, 2022}}</ref>
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="QuickFacts2020"/><ref name="wwwcensusgov"/>
|population_total         = 19163
|population_urban         = 70,889 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|389th]])
|population_metro         = 116,903 (US: [[List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas|334th]])
|population_density_km2   = 383.95
|population_density_sq_mi = 994.45
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset = −5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST = −4
|elevation_footnotes      =
|elevation_m              = 230
|elevation_ft             = 755
|coordinates              = {{coord|40|25|08|N|80|35|22|W|region:US-WV_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 26062
|area_code                = [[Area code 304|304]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 54-85156
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1555932<ref name="GR3">{{cite web |url=http://geonames.usgs.gov |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=US Board on Geographic Names |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |date=October 25, 2007 |archive-date=February 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204035720/http://geonames.usgs.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|website                  = {{Official website|https://www.cityofweirton.com/}}
|footnotes                =
}}

'''Weirton''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɪər|t|ən}} {{respell|WEER|tən}}) is a city in [[Hancock County, West Virginia|Hancock]] and [[Brooke County, West Virginia|Brooke]] counties in the U.S. state of [[West Virginia]]. It is located along the [[Ohio River]] in the state's [[Northern Panhandle of West Virginia|Northern Panhandle]]. The population was 19,163 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], making it the [[List of municipalities in West Virginia|seventh-most populous city]] in West Virginia.<ref name="QuickFacts2020">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/weirtoncitywestvirginia/PST045219 |accessdate=September 13, 2021 |website=census.gov |title=QuickFacts: Weirton city, West Virginia}}</ref>

Weirton was established in 1947 after the consolidation of various small towns in the vicinity of the [[ISG Weirton Steel|Weirton Steel Corporation]], founded by [[Ernest T. Weir]] in 1909. It is a principal city of the [[Weirton–Steubenville metropolitan area]], which had a population of 116,903 residents in 2020; it is also a major city in the western part of the [[Pittsburgh–New Castle–Weirton combined statistical area]].

==History==
[[File:A portion of the ISG Weirton Steel operation, was once a fully integrated steel producer in Weirton, West Virginia, and one of the world's largest producers of tin plate products LCCN2015631990.tif|thumb|left|A portion of the [[ISG Weirton Steel|Weirton Steel]] mill as seen in 2015.]]
Holliday's Cove Fort was a Revolutionary War fortification constructed in 1774 by soldiers from [[Fort Pitt (Pennsylvania)|Fort Pitt]]. It was located in what is now downtown Weirton, along Harmons Creek (named for Harmon Greathouse), about three miles from its mouth on the Ohio River. It was commanded by Colonel Andrew Van Swearingen (1741–1793) and later by his son-in-law, [[Samuel Brady|Captain Samuel Brady]] (1756–1795), the famous leader of Brady's Rangers. In 1779, over 28 militia were garrisoned at Hollidays Cove. Two years earlier, Colonel Van Swearingen led a dozen soldiers by longboat down the Ohio to help rescue the inhabitants of Ft. Henry in Wheeling in a siege by the British and Indian tribes in 1777. That mission was memorialized in a WPA-era mural painted on the wall of the Cove Post Office by Charles S. Chapman (1879–1962). The mural features Col. John Bilderback, who later gained infamy as the leader of the massacre of the Moravian Indians in Gnadenhutten in 1782.<ref>Every Home a Fort, Every Man a Warrior; Michael Edward Nogay (Tri-State Publishing Co.: 2009) {{ISBN|978-0-578-01862-1}}.</ref>

A small village called [[Hollidays Cove, West Virginia|Holliday's Cove]] — which is now most of downtown Weirton — was founded on the site in 1793. In 1909, [[Ernest T. Weir]] arrived from neighboring [[Pittsburgh]] and built a steel mill, later known as the [[ISG Weirton Steel|Weirton Steel Corporation]], just north of Holliday's Cove.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.postgazette.com/pg/11159/1152019-60-2.stm |title=Filming of 'Super 8' creates a buzz in Weirton, W.Va. |website=postgazette.com |access-date=March 28, 2018}}</ref> An unincorporated settlement called Weirton grew up around the mill that, by 1940, was said to be the largest unincorporated city in the United States. By then Hollidays Cove and two other outlying areas,  Weirton Heights, and Marland Heights, which as their names suggest were on hilltops or ridges surrounding the "Weir–Cove" area, had also incorporated.

On July 1, 1947, all of these areas — Hollidays Cove, Marland Heights, Weirton Heights, and unincorporated Weirton — merged and formed the city of Weirton as it currently exists. [[Thomas E. Millsop]], the head of the Weirton Steel division of the other Ernest T. Weir company, [[National Steel Corporation]], was elected as the city's first mayor. The city charter was approved by voters in 1950.

The Weirton Steel Corporation was once a fully integrated [[steel mill]] employing over 12,000 people. At one point was the largest private employer and the largest taxpayer in West Virginia. Due to reorganization of the [[Iron and steel industry in the United States|steel industry]], not only within the United States but worldwide, the Weirton mill faced declines in production. During the early 1980s the employees of Weirton Steel endeavored to purchase the mill from [[National Steel Corporation]] as the largest [[Employee Stock Ownership Program]] in the nation, saving the mill from bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://weirton.lib.wv.us/hancock/weir/maryhweir/reference/usgovt/WeirHist.html |title=Weirton History: A Short History of the Weirton Area |author=Fundis, Lois Alete |access-date=October 30, 2008 |year=1992 |publisher=Mary H. Weir Public Library, Weirton, West Virginia |archive-date=October 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007235353/http://weirton.lib.wv.us/hancock/weir/maryhweir/reference/usgovt/WeirHist.html |url-status=dead }} Published since October 26, 2004.</ref> However, by 2003 the corporation was forced to file bankruptcy after generating more than $700 million in losses since 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/20/business/company-news-weirton-steel-files-for-bankruptcy-protection.html |title=WEIRTON STEEL FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION |author=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 20, 2003 |access-date=January 26, 2023 }}</ref> In 2004, [[International Steel Group]] acquired the 3,000-worker plant before merging with international giant [[ArcelorMittal]]. By 2016, only the [[tin-plating]] section of the mill, though still one of the country's largest tin-plate makers, was in operation with only 800 workers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wvnews.com/theet/news/local/weirton-s-steel-mill-relies-on-good-employees-to-beat-the-odds/article_f5337bd3-e6de-50be-91ba-b5bb48cdef11.html |title=Weirton's steel mill relies on good employees to beat the odds |author=Harris, Linda |publisher=[[The State Journal (West Virginia)|The State Journal]] |date=December 4, 2016 |access-date=January 26, 2023 }}</ref> In 2020, Ohio-based [[Cleveland-Cliffs]] purchased the tin mill.<ref>{{Cite press release | url=http://www.clevelandcliffs.com/English/news-center/news-releases/news-releases-details/2020/Cleveland-Cliffs-Inc.-Completes-Acquisition-of-ArcelorMittal-USA/default.aspx | title=Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Completes Acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA | publisher=Cleveland-Cliffs | date=December 9, 2020}}</ref> In February 2024, Cleveland-Cliffs announced permanent closure of the mill and layoff of its remaining 800 workers.<ref name="Steinbach">{{cite news |last=Steinbach |first=Bill |date=February 23, 2024 |title=USW finalizing support for employees affected by Cleveland Cliffs' Weirton plant closure |url=https://wtov9.com/news/local/usw-finalizing-support-for-employees-affected-by-cleveland-cliffs-weirton-plant-closure |work=[[WTOV-TV]] |location=Steubenville, Ohio |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>

In May 2023, [[Form Energy]] began construction at the Weirton mill site for a manufacturing facility producing [[Metal–air electrochemical cell|iron-air batteries]] for electrical storage.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Noor |first=Dharna |date=August 14, 2023 |title=A renewable energy battery plant will rise in US where a steel mill once stood |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/14/weirton-west-virginia-battery-plant-steel-mill |access-date=September 17, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Some civic leaders are attempting to attract businesses and homeowners from the neighboring [[Pittsburgh metropolitan area]], marketing Weirton as a [[bedroom community]], taking advantage of the close proximity to the [[Pittsburgh International Airport]] and [[Interstate 70]].

Weirton is home to a number of sites on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] including: [[Johnston-Truax House]], [[Marland Heights Park and Margaret Manson Weir Memorial Pool]], [[People's Bank (Weirton, West Virginia)|People's Bank]], [[Dr. George Rigas House]], and the [[Peter Tarr Furnace Site]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2009a}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:The Veterans Memorial Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge across the Ohio River between Steubenville, Ohio, and Weirton, West Virginia LCCN2015632005.tiff|thumb|The [[Veterans Memorial Bridge (Steubenville, Ohio)|Veterans Memorial Bridge]] connects Weirton to [[Steubenville, Ohio]], across the [[Ohio River]] via [[U.S. Route 22 in West Virginia|U.S. Route 22]].]]
The city of Weirton is located at {{coord|40|25|08|N|80|35|22|W|type:city}} (40.4189, −80.5894).<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=April 23, 2011 |date=February 12, 2011 |title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990 |archive-date=August 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824085937/https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It extends from the [[Ohio]] border on the west to the [[Pennsylvania]] border on the east at a point where the northern extension of West Virginia is {{convert|5|mi}} across. It is the only community in the United States to touch two different states on either side and its own state on the other two.

Weirton is across the Ohio River from [[Steubenville, Ohio|Steubenville]], Ohio, and approximately {{convert|35|mi}} west of [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], along [[U.S. Route 22#West Virginia|U.S. Route 22]]. [[Pittsburgh International Airport]] is less than {{convert|30|mi}} away. With the opening of [[Pennsylvania Route 576]] from US 22 to the airport in October 2006, the highway distance to the airport has decreased to about {{convert|20|mi}}.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{cvt|19.26|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{cvt|18.05|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{cvt|1.21|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<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=January 24, 2013 |archive-date=July 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |url-status=live }}</ref>

While most of the city is in Hancock County, a small section of the city is in Brooke County.  <ref name="History of Weirton">{{cite web |title=Weirton, WV: History of Weirton |url=https://www.cityofweirton.com/263/History-of-Weirton |access-date=December 27, 2023 |website=City of Weirton}}</ref>

===Surrounding areas===
Weirton has three borders, including the cities of [[Follansbee, West Virginia|Follansbee]] to the south and [[New Cumberland, West Virginia|New Cumberland]] to the north and the Pennsylvania/Washington County township of [[Hanover Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania|Hanover]] to the east.  Weirton is also adjacent to [[Steubenville, Ohio]] and is directly accessible via the Veterans' Memorial Bridge ([[U.S. Route 22]]).

===Climate===
Weirton has a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Dfa''), with warm summers and chilly to cold winters.
{{Weather box
|location = Weirton, West Virginia
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 75
|Feb record high F = 77
|Mar record high F = 84
|Apr record high F = 89
|May record high F = 93
|Jun record high F = 98
|Jul record high F = 102
|Aug record high F = 100
|Sep record high F = 101
|Oct record high F = 91
|Nov record high F = 85
|Dec record high F = 77
|year record high C= 39
|year record high F= 102
|Jan high F = 36
|Feb high F = 40
|Mar high F = 51
|Apr high F = 62
|May high F = 72
|Jun high F = 80
|Jul high F = 83
|Aug high F = 82
|Sep high F = 75
|Oct high F = 64
|Nov high F = 52
|Dec high F = 41

|Jan low F = 20
|Feb low F = 23
|Mar low F = 30
|Apr low F = 39
|May low F = 49
|Jun low F = 58
|Jul low F = 63
|Aug low F = 62
|Sep low F = 55
|Oct low F = 43
|Nov low F = 34
|Dec low F = 25

|Jan record low F = −22
|Feb record low F = −8
|Mar record low F = −1
|Apr record low F = 15
|May record low F = 24
|Jun record low F = 34
|Jul record low F = 43
|Aug record low F = 40
|Sep record low F = 33
|Oct record low F = 19
|Nov record low F = −1
|Dec record low F = −14
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.85
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.46
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.29
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.20
|May precipitation inch = 4.11
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.37
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.26
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.84
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.26
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.53
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.38
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.00
|source 1 = weather.com<ref name=climate>{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USWV0788?from=36hr_bottomnav_business |title=Weather.com: Weather Channel Historical Weather for Weirton, West Virginia, United States of America |access-date=December 17, 2010 |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023050921/http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USWV0788?from=36hr_bottomnav_business |url-status=live }}</ref>
|date=December 2010
}}
* Annual Average High Temperatures: ''{{convert|82|°F}} °F'' (summer) ''{{convert|40|°F}}'' (winter)
* Annual Average Low Temperatures ''{{convert|60|°F}}'' (summer) ''{{convert|25|°F}}'' (winter)
* Highest Recorded Temperature: ''{{convert|102|°F}}'' (1988)
* Lowest Recorded Temperature: ''{{convert|-22|°F}}'' (1994)
* Warmest Month: ''July''
* Coolest Month: ''January''
* Highest Precipitation: ''June''
* Annual Precipitation: ''{{convert|40.55|in}}''

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1950= 24005
|1960= 28201
|1970= 27131
|1980= 24736
|1990= 22124
|2000= 20411
|2010= 19746
|2020= 19163
|estyear=2021
|estimate=18813
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |author=United States Census Bureau |author-link=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 27, 2013 |archive-date=April 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426102944/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br>2018 Estimate<ref name="2018 Pop Estimate">{{cite web |title=Population Estimates |url=https://census.gov/data/tables/2018/demo/popest/total-cities-and-towns.html |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=June 8, 2018 |archive-date=March 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328165215/https://census.gov/data/tables/2018/demo/popest/total-cities-and-towns.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

By 2011, the city and its two counties had attracted the attention of the ''New York Times'' which noted the town was dwindling in population. The article reported that Brooke County had just 71 live births for every 100 deaths and that Hancock County was in similar straits. This has led, the article claimed, to a reduction in civic institutions.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/07/us/07aging.html?hp=&pagewanted=all, "With Death Outpacing Birth, a County Slows to a Shuffle", by Sabrina Tavernise and Robert Gebeloff, New York Times] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121043612/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/07/us/07aging.html?hp=&pagewanted=all%2C |date=November 21, 2021 }}, May 7, 2011</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=January 24, 2013 |archive-date=December 27, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> of 2010, there were 19,746 people, 8,839 households, and 5,507 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{cvt|1094.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 9,645 housing units at an average density of {{cvt|534.3|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 93.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.9% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.2% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.6% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 8,839 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.7% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.78.

The median age in the city was 46 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 30.8% were from 45 to 64; and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website |archive-date=December 27, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> of 2000, there were 20,411 people, 8,958 households, and 5,885 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was 1,142.2 people per square mile (441.0/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 9,546 housing units at an average density of 534.2 per square mile (206.3/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the city was 94.52% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.86% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.11% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.59% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.14% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.77% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.68% of the population.

There were 8,958 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,212, and the median income for a family was $42,466. Males had a median income of $37,129 versus $19,745 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,853. About 8.0% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
[[File:Weirton Hospital.jpg|thumb|right|Weirton Medical Center]]
Historically, Weirton's economy was dominated by the [[steel industry]], with the biggest employer being [[ISG Weirton Steel|Weirton Steel Corporation]]. Over the years as the steel industry declined, the local economy has become more diversified, with retail services and medical services recording the largest increases. Due to the area's proximity to [[Pittsburgh]], there is also a growing number of workers who work in Pittsburgh and commute from Weirton.

Weirton Medical Center, part of the [[West Virginia University Health System]], is a large 238-bed hospital that services patients from all over the region and is one of the city's largest employers today employing over 1,400 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wvumedicine.org/weirton/about-us/ |title=Who We Are - Weirton Medical Center |publisher=West Virginia University Health System |access-date=March 19, 2025}}</ref>

In December 2022, [[Form Energy]] announced it will build a plant to manufacture iron-air batteries for grid-scale electrical storage in Weirton.<ref> https://formenergy.com/west-virginia-governor-jim-justice-announces-form-energy-will-site-first-american-battery-manufacturing-plant-in-weirton-creating-hundreds-of-jobs/</ref>

==Government==
{{see also|List of mayors of Weirton, West Virginia}}

===Police===
There have been three [[Police shootings in the United States|fatal shootings by police officers]] in the history of the Weirton department.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://features.propublica.org/weirton/police-shooting-lethal-force-cop-fired-west-virginia/ |title=What Happened When A White Cop Decided Not to Shoot a Black Man |last=Sexton |first=Joe |date=November 29, 2018 |work=ProPublica |access-date=December 2, 2018 |language=en |archive-date=December 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201205454/https://features.propublica.org/weirton/police-shooting-lethal-force-cop-fired-west-virginia/ |url-status=live }}</ref>  The third, in 2016, was a case of [[suicide by cop]].  The first officer on the scene recognized the situation, determined that the situation posed no immediate threat, and started talking to the distressed citizen, who was holding an unloaded gun and telling the officer to "Just shoot me".<ref name=":0" /> An officer who arrived subsequently shot the man dead on his fourth attempt, less than 10 seconds after arriving on the scene.<ref name=":0" />

The police department fired the first officer for not killing the man first.<ref name=":0" />  The police chief said in sworn testimony that although he had fired the officer for not shooting the man soon enough, the department's policy prohibits officers from shooting people whom they believe do not pose a threat.<ref name=":0" />  Shortly after this admission that the officer was fired for correctly following the department policy on the legitimate use of force, the city settled a lawsuit for [[wrongful termination]].<ref name=":0" />

==Education==
Children in Weirton are served by the Hancock County School District <ref>{{cite web | url=https://boe.hancock.k12.wv.us/ | title=Home - Hancock County Schools | publisher=Hancock County Schools | access-date=November 2, 2022}}</ref> and the Brooke County School District.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.brooke.k12.wv.us/schools/ | title=Home - Brooke County Schools | publisher=Brooke County Schools | access-date=December 27, 2023}}</ref>  The current schools serving the city are:
* Weirton Elementary School – grades K-4
* Weir Middle School – grades 5-8
* [[Weir High School]] – grades 9-12
* Brooke Primary School North - grades K-2
* Brooke Intermediate North - grades 3-4
* Brooke Middle School - grades 5-8
* [[Brooke High School]] - grades 9-12

==In popular culture==
[[File:Weirton Marland Heights.jpg|thumb|Weirton's Marland Heights neighborhood]]
Weirton was the subject of a photo essay, "Weir's Weirton," in the [[Life Magazine|''Life'']] issue of September 13, 1937. The issue's front cover featured a portrait of Ernest Tener Weir.

Weirton has attracted the attention of Hollywood filmmakers and writers on several occasions:
* Weirton was one of several Ohio Valley towns that served as film locations for the acclaimed 1978 film, ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'', starring [[Robert De Niro]] and [[Meryl Streep]].
* Six years later it served as the primary location for filming of ''[[Reckless (1984 film)|Reckless]]'' starring [[Aidan Quinn]] and [[Daryl Hannah]].
* The movie ''[[Super 8 (2011 film)|Super 8]]'' was filmed in downtown Weirton, as well as many other places throughout the town, in late September to mid October 2010. The town stood in for the fictional town of Lillian, [[Ohio]].
* [[Disney]] featured Weirton briefly in its documentary, ''[[America's Heart and Soul]]''. During the excerpt, employees of [[Weirton Steel]] discuss their concerns with foreign imports and what it is doing to the size of their mill.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}
* Weirton was also the inspiration and guidance in the 1989 book ''No Star Nights''. According to the author biography included in the book, author Anna Smucker drew upon her memories growing up in Weirton for a tale about childhood spent in an industrial town.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Anna Egan Smucker ; paintings by Steve |title=No star Nights |year=1994 |publisher=Knopf |location=New York |isbn=0-679-86724-4 |edition=1st Dragonfly Books |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/nostarnights0000smuc}}</ref>
* In the novel ''[[The Egyptian Cross Mystery]]'', [[Ellery Queen]] spent some time in Weirton while investigating a murder in the small village of Arroyo, West Virginia.
* Weirton is mentioned in the song by [[Daniel Johnston]], ''Natalie, Queen of Weirton''

==Notable people==
* [[James J. Andrews]], Union spy during the Civil War
* [[Bob Gain]], football player for the Cleveland Browns; 1950 Outland Trophy winner
* [[Jerry A. Hausman]], noted economist at MIT and developer of the [[Hausman specification test]]
* [[Bob Jeter]], football player for the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears; three-time NFL champion
* [[Gary Jeter]], football player for the New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots
* [[Kevin Miller (American football)|Kevin Miller]], football player for the Minnesota Vikings and Birmingham Stallions
* [[Ken Reed (West Virginia politician)|Ken Reed]], member of the [[West Virginia House of Delegates]]
* [[Mike Rodak]], football player for the Cleveland Rams, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers
* [[Karen Staley]], singer-songwriter
* [[Ernest T. Weir]], founder of the National Steel Corporation
* [[Ronald Robert Williams]], basketball player for West Virginia University, San Francisco Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Lakers.
* [[Quincy Wilson (running back)|Quincy Wilson]], football player for West Virginia University and the Cincinnati Bengals

==See also==
{{portal|West Virginia}}
* [[List of cities and towns along the Ohio River]]
* [[Veterans Memorial Bridge (Steubenville, Ohio)|Veterans Memorial Bridge]]
* [[Market Street Bridge (Steubenville)]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Hancock County, West Virginia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* [http://www.cityofweirton.com City of Weirton]
* [http://www.weirtondailytimes.com Weirton Daily], local newspaper
* [http://weirton.lib.wv.us/hancock/weir/maryhweir/reference/usgovt/WeirHist.html History of Weirton]

{{Brooke County, West Virginia}}
{{Hancock County, West Virginia}}
{{West Virginia municipalities}}
{{Northern Panhandle of West Virginia}}
{{West Virginia}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Weirton, West Virginia| ]]
[[Category:Cities in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Cities in Brooke County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Cities in Hancock County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1947]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in West Virginia]]
[[Category:West Virginia populated places on the Ohio River]]
[[Category:Weirton–Steubenville metropolitan area]]