WV Northern Panhandle/Pittsburgh (Wheeling, Morgantown: living, cost of living, shop)

[bethany12]

Does anyone commute from the WV northern panhandle to Pittsburgh?

[ABCDom]

I am sure that there are some that do, but very few. From Morgantown to Pittsburgh, it's approximately 70 miles, which can be driven in an hour; however, you have to factor in rush-hour traffic. If by commuting you mean a daily rush-hour drive, I'd advise against it, as it can take 30 minutes or more simply to get through the tunnels. If, however, you mean commuting a few times a week or daily during off peak hours, it certainly can be done and many do so. Although it's the opposite direction (Pittsburgh to Morgantown), I know of many professors at WVU who live in Pittsburgh...They may only teach two or three days a week and their classes are usually scheduled to allow them to drive during off peak hours.

[bethany12]

Thanks for your response, but I was looking for information on the Northern Panhandle which includes Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, and Marshall counties. It doesn't look that far from the city and the cost of living is insanely cheap compared to Pittsburgh.

[ABCDom]

Oh my, I am so sorry...I totally misread your post (thinking it said North Central)...My apologies. I am not as familiar with that area, but did live there for a little over a year. Yes, there are commuters that travel from that area. I had many friends that lived in Steubenville, OH and worked in the city...Again, I apologize for misreading!

[bethany12]

So what did you think of the area?

[wanderlust76]

I live in the northern panhandle it's very easy to commute to Pittsbugh you either use route 22 or I-70 to I-79. Tons of people do it. If you live in one of the more southern counties in the northern panhandle like Marshall county it's a bit more of a drive though if you live in Moundsville for example, since you have to use route 2 to head north and get on I-70. If you're planning on moving here and commuting to Pittsburgh I would not live in Marshal county unless it's in the part of the county that is right near Wheeling. As for what I think of the area it's an ok area but there are no jobs unless you know someone. You almost have to commute to Pittsburgh or Columbus.

[tallydude02]

My cousin lives in Weirton and commutes to the airport.

She lived in Oakdale at one time but decided to move to Weirton because the housing was cheaper. But she still goes to Robinson to shop.

She knows alot of former Pittsburgh area residents in the Weirton area too. It's okay, but very slow moving for my tastes. It's a down and out river town but there's still a certain charm to it.

[wanderlust76]

Decent pads in the nice areas of Pittsburgh cost waaaaay too much so a lot of people choose to live in Wheeling or Weirton. I may be a little picky though there are only a few districts in Pgh I would ever choose to live in. I love Pgh but it has a lot of dumpy districts. Wheeling has a ton of nice streets with affordable housing and it's only like 45 minutes to Pittsburgh if you're going a little over the speed limit and it's not rush hour.

[snorpus]

Depending on what part of Pittsburgh you're heading to... as ABCDom noted earlier, the Ft. Pitt Tunnels alone can be a 30 minute tie-up (on a good day).

[Silkdashocker]

Isn't it only about 20 minutes from Wierton to the Pittsburgh International Airport?