Paden City fills a quiet pocket of northern West Virginia
Surrounded by the lush, green foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, Paden City blends value and tranquility. This community of 2,500 along the West Virginia-Ohio border has homes that are more affordable than in some surrounding areas. Most of them line calm residential streets. “It’s just a quiet, close-knit community,” says Realtor Jane Ann Gamble, with First Choice Realtors/FCR Real Estate and a lifelong resident of the region. “You can walk to just about anywhere you want to go.” Paden City’s serenity comes with quick access to the amenities in New Martinsville, a town twice its size, located just 6 miles north.
Well-established homes offer architectural variety
Most houses in Paden City were built between the turn of the 20th century and the 1980s. In turn, the area offers a sampling of classic architecture, including bungalows, colonials, Cape Cods and ranch-style homes. Homes come with at least one-tenth of an acre, and many neighborhood blocks have sidewalks. Paden City properties go for about $80,000 to $190,000. The median in Paden City is about $180,000, compared to the median of $420,000 in New Martinsville. Across Wetzel County, the median home value is about $120,000.
From pizza to ice cream, Paden City has some close-by amenities
Fourth Street is Paden City’s central thoroughfare, dotted with businesses including a WesBanco bank and a Marathon gas station. The stretch also has a couple of restaurants, like Paden City Tasty Freez, which is known for its ice cream and cheeseburgers. Jing Chen Chen's Garden offers a wide-ranging Chinese food menu. A brick-and-mortar location of the popular local Poor Daddy’s Wood Fired Pizza food truck is in the works. “It’s very well-known in this area,” Gamble says. “Very good, affordable wood-fired pizza.” Gamble says residents head up to New Martinsville for more options — that city has a Riesbeck's Food Market, Bealls department store and Tractor Supply Co.
Annual tradition celebrates glass pedigree
This area hosts the annual Marble Fest every September. Held in Paden City Park, the festival celebrates the community’s glassmaking history. The Paden City Glass Company was a notable maker of colored glassware for over 30 years, until its closure in 1951. The community is still home to the Marble King factory, producing what the company proclaims to be the most well-known marbles in the world. The two-day festival attracts marble vendors and other artisans. “It is a very popular attraction,” Gamble says. “Because there’s very minimal marble-making places in the United States. We’re one of very, very few.” Paden City also has a three-day Labor Day celebration with a parade, which Gamble says is well-attended by people from surrounding communities.
Paden City's students are making new transitions
The Wetzel County Schools system covers Paden City and receives a C grade from Niche. Paden City Elementary has prekindergarten through sixth grade, a C rating and offers its own book club. Paden City High, which served students in grades 7 through 12, closed ahead of the 2025-26 school year due to its age and declining population in the county. Students were consolidated to the C-rated New Martinsville School for grades 7 and 8, where extracurricular opportunities include a well-regarded band. Paden City High students in grades 9 through 12 were transferred to the C-rated Magnolia High, where the career technical education department features a business program.
Ohio River provides a foundation for outdoor activity
Paden City borders a portion of the nearly 1,000-mile-long Ohio River. Gamble says people like to go boating on the river. The 25-acre Paden City Park stretches along the water and includes a campground, a boat ramp, a basketball court and athletic fields. This area is also close to the Williamson and Paden islands in the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Paden Island is closed to visitors, but Williamson Island has open beaches.
Central highway traces along the coast
Paden City’s Fourth Avenue is on West Virginia Route 2, a thoroughfare that carries drivers to other communities along the Ohio River. New Martinsville is a 6-mile trip north on Route 2. The Sisterville General Hospital, which has an emergency department, is 5 miles south on Route 2. Route 2 also carries travelers 36 miles to the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport, which offers direct flights to Charlotte.
Written By
Wayne Epps Jr.
