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East River

Ghost town · Mercer County, West Virginia

Bluefield quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1916, 1:62,500)
Bluefield quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1916, 1:62,500) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

East River is a ghost town in Mercer County, West Virginia. It is one of 12 former communities in Mercer County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 10th among the 53 West Virginia counties with a vanished settlement on record.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists East River as a historical populated place on the Princeton topographic quadrangle: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 37.3168° N, 81.0223° W.

Key facts

USGS quadranglePrinceton
Elevation1,851 ft
Nearest living townOakvale, WV
Distance to it2.9 miles
GNIS feature ID1678354
Coordinates37.31679, -81.02231

Open the location on a map

What's there now

East River is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Oakvale, WV (population 232), about 2.9 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 1,851 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Nearby places

Questions

Where is East River?

East River is in Mercer County, West Virginia, at 37.3168, -81.0223.

How many ghost towns are in Mercer County?

Mercer County, West Virginia has 12 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.