Wheeling, WV-Steubenville, OH

Once a gateway for travelers coming west across the National Road, Wheeling remains a central point on transportation networks with good access to the Northeast and Midwest. The metro area includes Belmont County with Martins Ferry and a few other small towns in southeastern Ohio. The main industries are steel and metalworking. The city has a well-preserved older section downtown and a few arts and entertainment amenities, including a small but energetic symphony and two minor league sports teams. Steubenville, across the Ohio River also has a steel heritage but has begun to diversify. A combination of low costs, local workforce, ground transport network, and strategic national location has brought a Wal-Mart distribution facility, which covers more space and employs more people than the existing central business district.