Welch, West Virginia | Exploring The City at Night

Taking a nighttime drive through Welch, West Virginia. Located in McDowell County and also known as Coal Town, USA, this area was once known as the biggest producer of coal in the country. After the downfall of coal production, and also having many floods in the area, Welch took a downturn and has yet to recover. From a height of 6,603 population to now 3,361 it's a tough place to find a good job and amenities are not the best. The poverty level is a soaring 29%, and median income per capita is only around 14,225 dollars. Housing prices have plummeted as well, and there's a ton of vacant homes and businesses. Even with that said, I find this a beautiful place with amazing architecture and history. Let's take a ride and check it out. This is a documentary for educational purposes.

[LauraKnotek]

This is such a nice town. I love those houses high up above the walls near the road. It looks like the town is well-maintained, and there isn't any rubbish in the streets. I could see this town turning around if some new businesses opened, and there were more job opportunities.

[klwtherd]

This is the first and only NIGHT drive video of McDowell county(Welch) i've seen on Youtube. It's nice to get a night perspective since small towns in Appalachia can change drastically when the sunlight goes down! Awesome video.

[SnapszDuhh]

What a beautiful little town. I like that it was really clean and the downtown core didn’t look run down at all. Very well maintained.

[cherylkimbley]

Looks like a neat little town. Sad that people move away from that. Those stone walls are fantastic.

[Nottmkid]

These night-time videos are really slightly creepy.

[rdl]

Well maintained roads. The town looks clean. It’s well lit and looks safe.

[YootoobSteve]

These night drives definitely add an extra dimension to your videos. There's something very relaxing about them. Also, this looks like a nice town.

[Brian-li]

Welch looks like a nice, quiet town with lots of character. Thanks for the ride. 👍😁

[stevewilson]

I was born in Welch 1960. My mother graduated from Welch high school. Still have relatives there in kimball. Once the coal mines closed everything went downhill.

[julianrosas]

Thank you for shedding some light on the left-behind parts of the country. Inner cities and rural spots alike

[billybobbrubaker]

We are in this general area of WVa several times per year to go 4 wheeling. Great people in these parts. Thank you for the video.

[AlfonsBWunder]

What a pretty little town. I live in germany, where everything is gradually decaying. You can be happy and proud to live there.❤

[MystryxDMicheleJ]

Coal city really back we have some really beautiful buildings and history too

[ricklove]

Grew up in Newhall. I have traveled this rt many many times. You came in from the coalwood side

[iankirvan]

Looks a very well kept place, no litter, no graffiti, just at rest for now 😊

[wolight]

I kept expecting an Unusually Large Deer to walk out in the middle of the street during this video

[LindaZeno]

Thank you Hoods N Hollers, great video as always! 😊

[minerran]

Please add the time of day when these videos are taken, to the description paragraphs. Thank you.

[shirleygiordano]

Looks like a cute little town. I love West Virginia. 😊❤

[violetsinspring]

I love the night time drives❤ Thank you so much!