The official West Virginia abbreviation is WV, the Postal Service code for the Mountain State. Older writing and news datelines use W.Va. instead, a clipped form with periods. Charleston is the capital, which surprises people who think first of the larger Charleston in South Carolina.
Because West Virginia was once part of Virginia, and because WA belongs to Washington, this state's codes are easy to get wrong. The guide below shows each form, where it belongs and the slips to avoid.
Quick facts
Postal code
WVTraditional abbreviation
W.Va. (also printed W. Va.)AP style
W.Va. after a city in datelines; West Virginia in textCapital
CharlestonStatehood
1863, split from Virginia during the Civil WarNever use
VA (Virginia) or WA (Washington)
West Virginia abbreviation forms compared
| Form | Common use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| WV | Postal addresses, shipping, forms, data entry | Morgantown, WV 26505 |
| W.Va. | AP datelines, traditional lists, some legal citations | WHEELING, W.Va. |
| West Virginia | Full sentences in almost any kind of writing | The trail runs along a river in West Virginia. |
Unlike most traditional state abbreviations, W.Va. keeps more than one letter of the second word. You will see it printed both with and without a space after the W. Either way, it is never used on an envelope.
Using WV in an address
Since 1963, the Postal Service has given each state a two-letter code to sit before the ZIP Code. West Virginia's code takes the W from West and the V from Virginia. West Virginia ZIP Codes run roughly from 247 to 268, so they start with 24, 25 or 26.
Return label on a care package: "Pat Reyes, 9 Ridge Top Dr, Huntington WV 25701." Writing VA here would point the package toward Virginia, even with a West Virginia ZIP Code.
Online forms, vehicle records and state ID cards all use WV, always in capitals with no periods.
Where W.Va. still shows up
W.Va. is the traditional abbreviation, and it is the one that AP style lists for the state. Reporters put it after the dateline city and spell out West Virginia inside the story. Some law books and older histories use W. Va. with a space, which is the same abbreviation set a little differently.
News lead: "PARKERSBURG, W.Va. Crews reopened a mountain highway after a weekend rockslide." The second paragraph says "southern West Virginia" in full.
In essays and business letters, the full name reads best in sentences. Avoid made-up blends such as WVa or W.V.; they are not standard.
Why WV gets mixed up with VA and WA
Three nearby codes cause most of the trouble:
- WV is West Virginia.
- VA is Virginia, the state West Virginia broke away from in 1863.
- WA is Washington, the state in the Pacific Northwest. People sometimes guess WA because West starts with W and A ends Virginia, but that code was taken.
A simple memory hook: West Virginia keeps both of its first letters, W for West and V for Virginia. If a form shows a West Virginia city with VA or WA, it needs fixing.
Short facts that help with forms
A few details often come up when people fill in addresses or write about the state:
- The capital, Charleston, is in West Virginia; Charleston, SC, is a different city in another state.
- Neighboring states and codes: PA for Pennsylvania, MD for Maryland, OH for Ohio, KY for Kentucky and VA for Virginia.
- The nickname, the Mountain State, comes from the Appalachian ridges that cover nearly all of its land.
For codes of the other states, see the state abbreviations chart.
How to say WV
Most people read it as two letters, "W V," which is a bit of a mouthful, so in conversation they just say "West Virginia." Since nobody says WV as if it were a word, it is an abbreviation and a postal code rather than an acronym. More on that in acronym vs abbreviation.
Questions people ask
What is the two-letter code for West Virginia?
The code is WV. Put it on mail, shipping labels, state IDs and web forms.
Is West Virginia abbreviated W.Va. or W.V.?
The traditional abbreviation is W.Va., sometimes printed W. Va. with a space. W.V. is not a standard form.
Can I use VA for West Virginia?
No. VA is Virginia. West Virginia always uses WV, and using VA can misroute mail.
What is the capital of West Virginia?
The capital is Charleston. It shares its name with a city in South Carolina, so add WV when you write the address.
Is WV an acronym?
No. WV is a postal abbreviation read letter by letter, so the label acronym does not fit.