Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area

The Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area is a metropolitan area in the Appalachian Plateau region of the United States. Referred to locally as the "Tri-State area," and colloquially as "Kyova" (Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia), the region spans seven counties in the three states of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia.^[5] With a population of 361,580,^[6] the Tri-State area is nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The region offers a diverse range of outdoor activities.^[7]

Tri-State Area
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Charleston–Huntington–Ashland, WV–OH–KY
Downtown Huntington
Charleston–Huntington–Ashland, WV–OH–KY CSA   Charleston, WV MSA   Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH MSA   Portsmouth, OH µSA   City of Charleston   City of Huntington   City of Ashland
Country	United States
State	West Virginia Kentucky Ohio
Largest city	Huntington
Other cities	- Ashland  - Portsmouth  - Ironton  - Teays Valley  - Flatwoods
Area
• Total	2,159.9 sq mi (5,594 km2)
Highest elevation	Kelly Knob:[1] 1,512 ft (461 m)
Lowest elevation	Ohio River:[2] 485 ft (148 m)
Population  (2015 est.)
• Total	361,580
• Rank	146th in the U.S.
• Density	167.4/sq mi (64.6/km2)
GDP [3][4]
• Total	$32.937 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)

Counties

Huntington–Ashland Metropolitan Area

County	2021 estimate	2020 Census	Change
Cabell County	93,418	94,350	−0.99%
Lawrence County	57,445	58,240	−1.37%
Putnam County	57,260	57,440	−0.31%
Boyd County	47,899	48,261	−0.75%
Wayne County	38,498	38,982	−1.24%
Greenup County	35,649	35,962	−0.87%
Carter County	26,412	26,627	−0.81%
Total	356,581	359,862	−0.91%

Communities

Huntington, West Virginia

Ashland, Kentucky

Ironton, Ohio

The confluence of the Big Sandy (left) and Ohio (right) Rivers, as well as shores in the states of Kentucky (back left) and Ohio (back right), at Virginia Point Park in Kenova, West Virginia

Largest cities (more than 5,000 inhabitants)

City	Population as of the 2020 Census	Note
Huntington, West Virginia	46,842	Principal city of the MSA[8]
Ashland, Kentucky	21,625	Principal city of the MSA[8]
Teays Valley, West Virginia	14,350	Census-designated place
Ironton, Ohio	10,571	Incorporated city
Flatwoods, Kentucky	7,325	Incorporated city
Hurricane, West Virginia	6,977	Incorporated city
Pea Ridge, West Virginia	6,602	Census-designated place

Places with 1,000 to 5,000 inhabitants

• Barboursville, West Virginia
• Buffalo, West Virginia
• Burlington, Ohio (census-designated place)
• Catlettsburg, Kentucky
• Ceredo, West Virginia
• Coal Grove, Ohio
• Culloden, West Virginia (census-designated place)
• Eleanor, West Virginia
• Grayson, Kentucky
• Greenup, Kentucky
• Hamlin, West Virginia
• Kenova, West Virginia
• Lavalette, West Virginia
• Lesage, West Virginia (census-designated place)
• Louisa, Kentucky
• Milton, West Virginia
• Nitro, West Virginia (partial)^[a]
• Olive Hill, Kentucky
• Raceland, Kentucky
• Rush, Kentucky (census-designated place)
• Russell, Kentucky
• South Point, Ohio
• South Shore, Kentucky
• Wayne, West Virginia
• Westwood, Kentucky (census-designated place)
• Worthington, Kentucky
• Winfield, West Virginia

Places with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants

• Athalia, Ohio
• Bancroft, West Virginia
• Bellefonte, Kentucky
• Chesapeake, Ohio
• Fort Gay, West Virginia
• Hanging Rock, Ohio
• Lavalette, West Virginia (census-designated place)
• Poca, West Virginia
• Proctorville, Ohio
• West Hamlin, West Virginia
• Wurtland, Kentucky

Unincorporated places

• Alkol, West Virginia
• Armilda, West Virginia
• Atenville, West Virginia
• Brabant, West Virginia
• Branchland, West Virginia
• Cannonsburg, Kentucky
• Coalton, Kentucky
• Confidence, West Virginia
• Crum, West Virginia
• Culloden, West Virginia
• Dollie, West Virginia
• Dunlow, West Virginia
• East Lynn, West Virginia
• Echo, West Virginia
• Eden Park, West Virginia
• Etna, Ohio
• Ferrellsburg, West Virginia
• Fourteen, West Virginia
• Fraziers Bottom, West Virginia
• Fry, West Virginia
• Genoa, West Virginia
• Gill, West Virginia
• Green Shoal, West Virginia
• Griffithsville, West Virginia
• Hometown, West Virginia
• Ironville, Kentucky
• Kitts Hill, Ohio
• Lanham, West Virginia
• Leet, West Virginia
• Liberty, West Virginia
• Meads, Kentucky
• Midway, West Virginia
• Midkiff, West Virginia
• Ona, West Virginia
• Pedro, Ohio
• Pleasant View, West Virginia
• Pliny, West Virginia
• Princess, Kentucky
• Ranger, West Virginia
• Rector, West Virginia
• Raymond City, West Virginia
• Red House, West Virginia
• Rock Camp, Ohio
• Rockdale, Kentucky
• Salt Rock, West Virginia
• Sod, West Virginia
• Scott Depot, West Virginia
• Scottown, Ohio
• Spurlockville, West Virginia
• Sumerco, West Virginia
• Summit, Kentucky
• Sweetland, West Virginia
• Teays, West Virginia
• Warren, West Virginia
• Waterloo, Ohio
• Wewanta, West Virginia
• Willow Wood, Ohio
• Wilsondale, West Virginia
• Yawkey, West Virginia

1. While Nitro's total population is over 5,000, most of its population lives in Kanawha County, which is in the Charleston metropolitan area.

Townships (Lawrence County, Ohio)

• Aid
• Decatur
• Elizabeth
• Fayette
• Hamilton
• Lawrence
• Mason
• Perry
• Rome
• Symmes
• Union
• Upper
• Washington
• Windsor

Demographics

As of 2018, there were 352,823 people and 136,769 households residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 93.9% White, 2.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1% of the population.

The median income for a household in the MSA was $45,535. The per capita income for the MSA was $25,801. 18.2% of the population is beneath the poverty line, including 23% of children and 11% of seniors.

In 2008, an Associated Press article designated the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area as the unhealthiest in America, based on its analysis of data collected in 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly half the adults in this metropolitan area were obese.^[9]

Major highways

• Interstate 64
• U.S. Route 23
• U.S. Route 52
• U.S. Route 60
• West Virginia Route 2
• West Virginia Route 10
• West Virginia Route 152
• West Virginia Route 527
• Kentucky Route 3
• John Y. Brown Jr. AA Highway (KY 10)
• Industrial Parkway (KY 67)
• Kentucky Route 180
• Ohio State Route 7
• Ohio State Route 93
• Ohio State Route 527

Area codes

The following prefixes are used for long-distance phone service dialing to the region within the MSA.

• 304, 681 – West Virginia Counties
• 606 – Kentucky Counties
• 740, 220 – Ohio

Higher education

• Ashland Community and Technical College
• Collins Career Center
• Huntington Junior College
• Marshall University
• Morehead State University at Ashland
• Mountwest Community and Technical College
• Ohio University Southern Campus

See also

• Kentucky census statistical areas
• Ohio census statistical areas
• West Virginia census statistical areas
• List of museums in Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area