Martinsburg, West Virginia. Northern Gateway to the Shenandoah Valley!

Martinsburg was founded in 1778 and incorporated in 1868. It is located on the furthest eastern part of the state’s panhandle, and is the seat of Berkeley County. The population is approximately 16,450. The city’s land covers a total linear mass of five square miles.

Several famous people were born or raised here. The more familiar ones are country music singer/songwriter Robert Lee Castleman who grew up here. He won a Grammy in 2002, and several of his songs have been recorded by Alan Jackson, among others. Drummer for the hard rock band Godsmack Shannon Larkin was also raised in Martinsburg.

There are nine public schools in the city and six of them received the distinguished honor of being ranked 6 to an 8, with 10 being the maximum. The ratings are determined from public school test scores and are published by GreatSchools.net. Four private schools are also located in Martinsburg; however, they have not yet been rated.

Higher education is available here, too. Three local technical colleges and one state university call Martinsburg home.

There is a lot of recreation here, like golf, tennis, hiking or biking. The Farmer’s Market offers fresh produce and more. Lake Thomas is nearby for water sports and fishing. An array of arts events are scheduled throughout the year, along with a wonderful wine festival.

Several big businesses have locations in the area. The IRS has a presence here with one of their two Enterprise Computing Centers, which processes the majority of the country’s e-filed business tax documents and one-third of personal e-filed annual tax returns. Major private employers in the area include EcoLab, FedEx, Orgill, Quad/Graphics, Quebecor World and Sino-Swearingen.

Martinsburg hosts a unique presence of the ATF (Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms). This is the only location that the ATF issues permits and registrations to enable the legal import and export of National Firearms Act weapons.

If working for the military is your forte, you may find some civilian jobs at the local West Virginia Air National Guard, which is located in the Eastern WV Regional Airport, about four miles from the city center. If the medical field is where your expertise lies, then you may want to check out the Veterans Affairs Medical Center or the City Hospital.

Real estate rocks in Martinsburg! It is so reasonable that almost anyone can afford to buy a home here.

You can find a small two-bedroom, one-bathroom single family home in the $40,000s. Townhomes and condos start in the $40,000s, too. A very nice three-bedroom, two-bathroom single family home starts at around $55,000. You could be the one to customize a brand new three-bedroom, two-bathroom single family home with 1642 sq. ft. of living space for only $176,900, quite comfortable for a family and a dog. Much more spacious quarters with amazing amenities soar into the millions.

Martinsburg is a relatively small town and a close-knit community. You’ll find friendly neighbors, fun activities and a clean, quiet community in which to live.

You won’t want to miss out on a chance to move to Martinsburg! Click Martinsburg, WV Homes for Sale to find your perfect home.