Hinton, WV

Hinton sits right where the New, Greenbrier, and Bluestone rivers meet in southern West Virginia. The town originally blossomed in the late 1800s as a bustling hub for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, which quickly turned a quiet river crossing into a thriving mountain community. That boom brought handsome brick streets, Victorian homes, and a charming downtown that still anchors the area today.

ATTRAntony-22 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Hinton has held on to that historic character through the years. The downtown district features dozens of preserved 19th-century buildings, local museums, and the popular annual Railroad Days festival. Living here also puts you right next to incredible outdoor recreation, with Bluestone Lake, riverfront parks, and the southern gateway to the New River Gorge National Park practically in your backyard.