Welcome to Pennsboro.
Your city government online — pay a bill, apply for a permit, look up an ordinance, reach City Hall, and get the latest on roads, water and city business.
News & alerts
How the City serves you
Water & Sewer
Start or stop service, billing questions, and updates on system improvements.
Learn moreStreets & Public Works
Potholes, storm drains, street work, and right-of-way permits.
Learn morePermits & Code
Building, demolition, sign and event permits, and property maintenance concerns.
Learn moreMunicipal Court
Citations, fines and court costs for violations of city ordinances.
Learn moreParks & Recreation
The 374-acre City Park and Tracy Lake, Pop Sullivan Park and Myles Stadium.
Learn morePolice Department
Pennsboro Police Department services, records and contacts.
Learn moreFire & EMS
Pennsboro Volunteer Fire Department and emergency medical services.
Learn morePublic Records
Request city records under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Learn moreCrimson and white, since the Pennsboro Cardinals.
Before Ritchie County consolidated its high schools, Pennsboro High School's Cardinals wore crimson and white — and the cardinal is West Virginia's state bird besides. Those colors carry on here, alongside the state's navy and gold, in a city that has been home to Ritchie County families since the stagecoach days.
Mayor & City Council
Council meetings are held at City Hall, 422 Main Street, and are open to the public. Next regular meeting: the third Monday of the month.
About Pennsboro
A small city in the hills of Ritchie County, at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and West Virginia Route 74, with the North Bend Rail Trail running through town.
From stagecoach stop to rail town to home.
Pennsboro takes its name from Charles Penn, the surveyor who laid out the first town plat around 1820. Travelers on the stagecoach roads knew it for the Old Stone House, built about 1810 and kept as an inn and tavern. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad brought a depot in the 1880s, and the town incorporated in 1885 — becoming a city by Act of the West Virginia Legislature in 1915.
Today Pennsboro is a close-knit community of about a thousand residents. Its landmarks are cared for by the Ritchie County Historical Society, its old rail line is now part of the North Bend Rail Trail, and its City Park offers hundreds of acres of woods and water within city limits.
Timeline
- c.1810
The Old Stone House
Built as an inn and boarding house; a well-known tavern in the stagecoach days. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, it is now a local history museum.
- c.1820
The town is platted
Surveyor Charles Penn lays out the first town plat, and the settlement takes his name.
- 1883
The B&O depot
The first section of the Pennsboro Baltimore & Ohio depot is built; the west end is added around 1900.
- 1885
Incorporated as a town
Pennsboro organizes its first municipal government.
- 1915
Chartered as a city
The West Virginia Legislature incorporates Pennsboro as a city.
- 2007
Depot on the National Register
Restored by the community and the Ritchie County Historical Society, the depot now serves as a railroad museum and community center beside the North Bend Rail Trail.
Parks & places
City Park & Tracy Lake
The City owns a 374-acre park with the 12-acre Tracy Lake and a 10-acre reservoir.
C.R. "Pop" Sullivan Park
A lighted outdoor basketball court, tennis courts, a children's play area, and Myles Stadium with a quarter-mile paved walking track and fields for softball and Little League.
North Bend Rail Trail
The rail-trail follows the old B&O line through Pennsboro — for walking, biking and horseback riding.
Historic landmarks
The Old Stone House and the B&O Depot, both on the National Register of Historic Places, are open through the Ritchie County Historical Society.
City Government
Pennsboro operates under the Mayor–Council plan set out in Chapter 8 of the West Virginia Code and the City Charter. The Mayor and Council together are the City's governing body.
City Council
City officers
City Hall staff
City Hall, 422 Main Street · 304-659-2377 · Email City Hall
Council meetings
Meetings are open to the public under the West Virginia Open Governmental Proceedings Act. Special meetings are announced on the News & Alerts page.
City Services
What the City provides, who to contact, and what you can request online.
Water & Sewer
The City operates Pennsboro's water and sewer systems. Much of the water system dates back roughly a century, and the City is replacing waterlines, tanks and sewer infrastructure in phases — funded largely through grants. Boil water advisories and service interruptions are posted at the top of every page on this site and on News & Alerts.
Streets & Public Works
City crews maintain Pennsboro's streets, storm drains and public property. Report potholes, drainage problems, fallen limbs and streetlight outages online, and we'll route them to the right crew. Anyone digging in or blocking a city street or right-of-way needs a permit first. Issues on state routes may be referred to the West Virginia Division of Highways.
Permits & Code Enforcement
Building, demolition, sign and special event permits are handled through City Hall. Apply online or print an application; plans and photos can be sent by reply email or dropped off. The City also enforces property maintenance ordinances — tall grass, junk vehicles, accumulated refuse and unsafe structures.
Municipal Court
Pennsboro Municipal Court hears cases involving violations of city ordinances, including traffic, parking and code violations. Court is held the third Wednesday of each month, with Municipal Judge Irv Talkington presiding. Your citation lists your court date. You may pay traffic fines, code violations and court costs online, or contact the court before your date with questions or to ask about payment arrangements.
Parks & Recreation
The City's 374-acre City Park includes the 12-acre Tracy Lake and a 10-acre reservoir. C.R. "Pop" Sullivan Park has a lighted basketball court, tennis courts, a children's play area, and Myles Stadium with a paved quarter-mile walking track and ball fields. Groups can request to reserve city facilities.
Police Department
The Pennsboro Police Department, led by Chief of Police Joshua C. Egan, serves the city from 422 Main Street. For emergencies, always dial 911.
The Police Department's own website will be linked here when the City's .gov domain is live.
Fire & Emergency Medical Services
The Pennsboro Volunteer Fire Department provides fire protection and first response for the city, working with neighboring county departments. Emergency medical transport is provided through Ritchie County EMS. In any emergency, dial 911.
Public Records
Anyone may request public records of the City under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act (W. Va. Code §29B-1-1 et seq.). The City responds within five business days — by providing the records, setting a reasonable time to provide them, or explaining in writing why a record is exempt. Reasonable copying fees may apply.
Code of Ordinances
Pennsboro's ordinances are published as the City of Pennsboro Code of Ordinances by American Legal Publishing. Find the chapter you need below, then open it to read the official text.
Recently adopted ordinances
The online Code is published by American Legal Publishing for convenience. The official record is the ordinance book kept by the City Recorder at City Hall; if the two differ, the official record controls. To get a certified copy, submit a records request. State law for West Virginia cities is in Chapter 8 of the West Virginia Code.
Forms & Permits
Fill out a form online and send it straight to the right city office — or print it and bring it to City Hall.
Pay Online
Pay water, sewer and other City bills, and Municipal Court payments — traffic fines, code violations and court costs — securely online through PayStar.
News & Alerts
Road closures, road work, boil water advisories, service interruptions, meeting notices and news from City Hall.
Current alerts
News
How the City alerts you
Boil water advisories, emergency road closures and other urgent situations that affect health or safety. Shown in red at the top of every page.
Planned road work, water main repairs, service interruptions and detours — with the affected area and expected end time.
Meeting changes, schedule changes, office closures and general public notices.
Recent past alerts
Department directory
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Send a message
Accessibility
The City of Pennsboro wants everyone to be able to use this website. It is built to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA — the standard adopted for state and local government websites under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
What we've done
- Pages work with a keyboard, screen readers and browser zoom, and adapt to phones and tablets.
- Text and controls meet color-contrast requirements, and every form field has a label.
- Animation is reduced automatically for visitors who ask their device for reduced motion.
If something doesn't work for you
If you have trouble using any part of this site, or need a document in another format, tell us and we will help you get the information another way. Call City Hall at 304-659-2377, email the City, or use the contact form and choose "Website or accessibility."
Privacy & Forms
This website does not use advertising or tracking cookies, and it does not store what you type into a form. When you submit a form, the site prepares an email to the appropriate city office, and you send it from your own email account. You can also print any form and deliver it in person or by mail.
Information you send to the City may be a public record under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act unless an exemption applies. Please don't include Social Security numbers, bank account numbers or card numbers in a form or email.
Online payments, when available, are handled by the City's payment processor on its own secure website. That processor's privacy terms apply to the payment.