Location

McDowell County is approximately 34 miles from Bluefield and 133 miles from Charleston . The distance from Welch to other major market centers is as follows:

Highway Facilities

One federal and three state highways serve McDowell County . US Route 52 connects with Bluefield , West Virginia , and I-77 to the southeast and with I-64 at Huntington , West Virginia to the northwest. State Route 16 connects with Tazewell , Virginia to the south, where it joins US Route 19-460, and with Beckley , West Virginia , to the northeast, where it connects with Interstate 77 and the West Virginia Turnpike. State Routes 80, 83 and 103 also serve the county. The nearest interchange from Welch to the Federal Interstate Highway System is approximately 34 miles away in Bluefield , West Virginia at I-77.

Transportation

The Norfolk and Southern Railroad serves McDowell County . Motor freight carriers include Overnight and Consolidated Motor Express (CMX).

McDowell County has its own airport located in Welch. The 2,000-foot runway length is asphalt surfaced. The nearest commercial airport is located in Bluefield , West Virginia , which has a 4,742-foot runway that is grooved asphalt.

McDowell County has public transportation services through out the County

Services

Appalachian Power supplies McDowell County with electricity. Four different companies distribute electricity: Appalachian Power Company, United Light & Power Company, War Light & Power Company and the Elkhorn Public Service Company. 138 KV transmission lines are found throughout the County.

The natural gas suppliers in McDowell County include Cabot, Alliance Resources and Richner. The distributors include Welch Gas Co-op and Mountaineer Gas Company.

The fuel distributors that serve McDowell County are H.C. Lewis Oil Company, located in Welch, West Virginia ; Highland Propane in Bluefield , West Virginia ; and Bluegrass Oils, located in Tazewell , Virginia .Two newspapers serve the county: the Welch Daily News and the Industrial News. There is one local AM/FM radio station, WELC. The television station serving McDowell County broadcasts from Bluefield (WVVA). The telephone service providers are Frontier Communications, Verizon and War Telecommunications Company.

A new solid waste landfill will soon open.