Overview
Fairmont, nicknamed the "Friendly City", is a city of 18,313 people (as of 2020) in West Virginia, and the county seat of Marion County (pop. 56,000). It was established in 1820 as Middletown, and changed in 1843 to Fairmont, short for "Fair Mountain". The city is located on the Monongahela River at its origin at the confluence of the Tygart Valley River flowing northwest from Grafton, and the West Fork River flowing north from Clarksburg. Fairmont claims to be the origin of the Pepperoni Roll, West Virginia's official state food. Mary Lou Retton — a gold-medalist gymnast in the 1984 Olympics, who was highly popular around the country and particularly in West Virginia — came from Fairmont. Fairmont is home to Fairmont State University, the third largest in the state, and is located 20 minutes south of Morgantown, home to the largest university in West Virginia; West Virginia University. Fairmont is the third largest metro area in the North Central West Virginia region, also known as 'Mountaineer Country' and the 'I-79 High-Technology Corridor', sitting about halfway between Clarksburg and Morgantown, the largest city in the region. This part of the state is home to companies such as Allegheny Energy, the FBI Identification Facility, and numerous software-oriented businesses.
9 sights · 2 things to do · 12 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 6 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Fairmont
Barrackville Covered Bridge
A 148-foot single-lane historic covered bridge.
Mary Lou Retton Park
Mary Lou Retton Drive and Old Monongah Road. 25 acres. Four baseball fields, one football field, tennis courts with practice wall, playgrounds, West Virginia Miner's Memorial.
Pricketts Fork State Park
WV-3 off I-79 (exit 139). Features a recreation of the rustic log Pickett's Fort from 1774. Guides in period costume recreate late 18th-century life and demonstrate colonial crafts. The park includes Pricketts Creek and …
Valley Falls State Park
1,145 acres for fishing, horseshoes, whitewater rafting, 18 miles of hiking and biking trails. Foaming waterfalls and the remains of a sawmill and grist mill.
West Virginia Folklife Center
At Fairmont State. Dedicated to the identification, preservation, and perpetuation of the region's rich cultural heritage, through academic studies, educational programs, festivals and performances, and publications.
Downtown Fairmont
Walking tours available for the historic section of town.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 83°F; winter lows dip to about 21°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jul and Jun. (climate data from nearby Pittsburgh)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- CKB North Central West Virginia Airport, Bridgeport — 14 mi away. Directions
- MGW Morgantown Municipal Airport Walter L. (Bill) Hart Field, Morgantown — 16 mi away. Directions
- PIT Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh — 70 mi away (major hub). Directions
Fairmont sits at the intersection of US-19, between Morgantown and Clarksburg, and US-250, between Wheeling and Elkins. It's also adjacent to I-79 (exits 132 through 139), which runs largely parallel to US-19 in the region.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $55–$95 a night (typical $78), from 6 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$100, mid-range ~$150, comfortable ~$260.
Options are grouped as Budget, Mid-range, Splurge, Bed and Breakfasts in the Sleep guide ↓.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Barrackville Covered Bridge, West Virginia Folklife Center, East Marion Park
- Lunch Wings Olé
- Afternoon Mary Lou Retton Park, Downtown Fairmont
- Dinner Country Club Bakery
- Evening Wright Dawgs
Day 2
- Morning Pricketts Fork State Park, Coal Country Miniature Golf
- Lunch Dairy Creme Corner
- Afternoon Valley Falls State Park, Curtisville Lake
- Dinner Yann's Hot Dogs Stand
Day 3
- Morning Worthington Park
- Lunch Mi Pueblo
- Afternoon Tygart Valley Cinemas
- Dinner Dutchman's Daughter Restaurant
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Fairmont is the "Home of the Original Pepperoni Roll". If you want to get them fresh, rather than pre-wrapped in a convenience mart, your best bets are the traditional variety at the Country Club Bakery, or the giant variety at Colasessano's.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
Fairmont sits at the intersection of US-19, between Morgantown and Clarksburg, and US-250, between Wheeling and Elkins. It's also adjacent to I-79 (exits 132 through 139), which runs largely parallel to US-19 in the region.
See
- Nine of the seventeen covered bridges in West Virginia are within easy access of Fairmont. Kathleen Panek, owner of the Gillum House B&B in Shinnston, has route information if you want to visit all of them.
*
Parks
See Pricketts Fork State Park
WV-3 off I-79 (exit 139). Features a recreation of the rustic log Pickett's Fort from 1774. Guides in period costume recreate late 18th-century life and demonstrate colonial crafts. The park includes Pricketts Creek and Bay, the Monongahela River, an interpretive nature trail, hiking, walking, jogging, cycling, boating, fishing, and a 400-seat amphitheatre.
Do
Movies
- Sunset Ellis Drive-in, south of Shinnston, +1 304-592-3909. Open Friday through Monday, May until Labor Day. $6.
Learn
- The local newspaper is the Times West Virginian, +1 304-367-2500.
- Fairmont State, 1201 Locust Avenue, +1 304-367-4892. Community and technical college founded in 1974, and state university founded in 1865, offering 90 baccalaureate and 50 associate degrees.
Eat
Fairmont is the "Home of the Original Pepperoni Roll". If you want to get them fresh, rather than pre-wrapped in a convenience mart, your best bets are the traditional variety at the Country Club Bakery, or the giant variety at Colasessano's.
Eat Aquarium Lounge
Salads, pasta, chicken, pork, seafood and hand-cut steaks.
Eat Colasessano's Pizza
A local favorite since the 1960s, serving pizzas, salads, sandwiches, chicken wings, and large pepperoni rolls for $3.50. Freshly-baked bread and cookies daily. $2.50-10.50.
Eat Country Club Bakery
Bakery supplying pepperoni rolls to grocery stores and convenience stores around Fairmont; try them hot and fresh for just $1. They also carry Italian breads, rolls and cookies.
Eat Dairy Creme Corner
Self-proclaimed purveyors of "the biggest cones in town!" which, depending on your age or ego, may actually be bigger than your head. Along with their FlavorBurst ice cream (used for sundaes, shakes and malts), they offer fried appetizers, salads, sandwiches, barbecue, pepperoni rolls and funnel cakes. Try their peanut butter milkshakes.
Eat DJ's 50s & 60s Diner
1950s-style diner with waitresses in poodle skirts. Classic American favorites, milkshakes and ice cream floats.
Eat Dutchman's Daughter Restaurant
Home-style meals.
Eat Mi Pueblo
Family-owned Mexican restaurant.
Eat Muriale's Italian Family Restaurant
Fine Italian food and home-cooked meals.
Eat The Poky Dot
A nostalgic 1950s restaurant which began as a barbecue stand in the late 1940s and turned into a sit-down diner in the 1950s. Munchies, breakfast foods, soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches, steak, chicken, cheesecake, pie, cobblers, milkshakes, malts, sundaes and ice cream floats. Try the appetizer-laden Dot Combo Platter.
Eat Say-Boy Steak House Restaurant
Open 8AM to 9PM Monday through Saturday, and 8AM to 8:30PM on Sunday. A local favorite for 45 years. Steaks, chicken and Italian specialties.
Eat Wings Olé
Chicken wings, salads, side dishes, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas.
Eat Yann's Hot Dogs Stand
A Fairmont tradition and proud of it. The best hot dogs in the state. No special order; comes with everything or plain only. Mr. Yann is the "hotdog Nazi" of West Virginia but respected and loved by all.
Drink
Drink Wright Dawgs
Great hotdogs (mild, medium, hot) and many other wonderful menu items. Low prices for exceptional food. A second location has now opened in Belleview.
Sleep
Budget
Mid-range
Stay Super 8 Motel
54 rooms. Whirlpool rooms available. Complimentary continental breakfast and newspaper.
Splurge
Stay Fairfield Inn and Suites
80 rooms. Exercise room, heated indoor pool, whirlpool. Complimentary deluxe continental breakfast.
Bed and Breakfasts
Stay Gillum House Bed & Breakfast
In Shinnston. 3 rooms. Front porch, rail trail for walking or biking. Full breakfast with muffins, fruit, juices, entrees, fresh-roasted coffee (nightly) and a selection of over 100 teas. Breakfast served 4AM-10AM Overnight stabling, off-street parking for motorcycles. Children welcome. Pet-free and smoke-free.
Go next
- Morgantown is about 30 minutes north on I-79.
- Clarksburg and Bridgeport are about 30 minutes south on I-79.
- Grafton is about 30 minutes southeast on I-79 and US-250.
Nearby
Shinnston
City / town · 10 mi away
Grafton
City / town · 9 listings · 12 mi away
Bridgeport
City / town · 1 listings · 14 mi away
Morgantown
City / town · 73 listings · 15 mi away
Clarksburg
City / town · 18 listings · 18 mi away
Kingwood
City / town · 8 listings · 24 mi away
Buckhannon
City / town · 12 listings · 34 mi away
Weston
City / town · 15 listings · 35 mi away
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