Tracing the National Road Through Wheeling's Historic Core

Wheeling occupies an unusual place in American transportation history as a key stop along the National Road, the country's first major federally funded highway, and later as a hub for river and rail traffic on the Ohio River. A drive through the city's historic core still traces much of that legacy, passing the restored Wheeling Suspension Bridge, once the longest suspension bridge in the world, and blocks of nineteenth-century commercial architecture that have seen renewed investment in recent years.

Downtown Wheeling's Market Street and the surrounding historic district offer a walkable stretch of restored storefronts, several housing new small businesses alongside longstanding local institutions. The nearby Capitol Theatre, a restored 1928 performance venue, anchors much of the district's cultural programming and draws visitors from across the Ohio Valley for concerts and events.

Extending the Trip

Visitors with additional time can continue along the Ohio River corridor toward Moundsville, home to the Grave Creek Mound, one of the largest surviving Adena burial mounds in the country, or head north toward the West Virginia Northern Panhandle's smaller river towns. Local tourism officials say the combination of walkable downtown history and easy access to the surrounding river corridor makes Wheeling a practical base for exploring the Northern Panhandle over a long weekend.

Fall remains a popular time to visit, when the hills surrounding the Ohio River valley turn color and several of the city's historic sites host seasonal events tied to Wheeling's holiday lighting traditions later in the year.