The Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area is a metropolitan area in the Appalachian Plateau region of the United States. Referred to locally as the "Tri-State area", and colloquially as "Kyova" (portmanteau of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia), the region spans eight counties in the three states of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. With a population of 376,155 at the 2020 census, the Tri-State area is nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The region offers a diverse range of outdoor activities. The Huntington–Ashland MSA is a component of the broader Charleston–Huntington–Ashland, WV–OH–KY Combined Statistical Area.
Counties CountyStateSeat2025 estimate2020 censusChangeAreaDensityCabellWest VirginiaHuntingtonPutnamWest VirginiaWinfield LawrenceOhioIrontonBoydKentuckyCatlettsburgWayneWest VirginiaWayne GreenupKentuckyGreenupCarterKentuckyGrayson LawrenceKentuckyLouisa Total Communities
Largest cities (more than 5,000 inhabitants) City Population as of the 2020 Census Note Huntington, West Virginia 46,842 Principal city of the MSA Ashland, Kentucky 21,625 Principal city of the MSATeays Valley, West Virginia 14,350 Census-designated placeIronton, Ohio 10,571 Incorporated cityFlatwoods, Kentucky 7,325 Incorporated cityHurricane, West Virginia 6,977 Incorporated cityPea Ridge, West Virginia 6,602 Census-designated place
Places with 1,000 to 5,000 inhabitants
Places with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants Athalia, Ohio Bancroft, West Virginia Bellefonte, Kentucky Chesapeake, Ohio Fort Gay, West Virginia Hanging Rock, Ohio Lavalette, West Virginia (census-designated place) Poca, West Virginia Proctorville, Ohio West Hamlin, West Virginia Wurtland, Kentucky
Unincorporated places
Townships (Lawrence County, Ohio)
Demographics As of 2018, there were 352,823 people and 136,769 households residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 93.9% White, 2.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $45,535. The per capita income for the MSA was $25,801. 18.2% of the population is beneath the poverty line, including 23% of children and 11% of seniors.
In 2008, an Associated Press article designated the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area as the unhealthiest in America, based on its analysis of data collected in 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly half the adults in this metropolitan area were obese.
Major highways Interstate 64 U.S. Route 23 U.S. Route 52 U.S. Route 60 West Virginia Route 2 West Virginia Route 10 West Virginia Route 152 West Virginia Route 527 Kentucky Route 3 John Y. Brown Jr. AA Highway (KY 10) Industrial Parkway (KY 67) Kentucky Route 180 Ohio State Route 7 Ohio State Route 93 Ohio State Route 527
Area codes The following prefixes are used for long-distance phone service dialing to the region within the MSA. 304, 681 – West Virginia Counties 606 – Kentucky Counties 740, 220 – Ohio
Higher education Ashland Community and Technical College Collins Career Center Huntington Junior College Marshall University Morehead State University at Ashland Mountwest Community and Technical College Ohio University Southern Campus
See also Kentucky census statistical areas Ohio census statistical areas West Virginia census statistical areas List of museums in Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area
References