Its unusual configuration is the result of the Revolutionary-era claims of Virginia's former Yohogania County boundary lying along the Ohio River, conflicting with interpretations of the Colony of Pennsylvania's royal charter.

[2] Prior to the 2020 redistricting, they formed the core of West Virginia's 1st congressional district.

This constitutes a drop of 5.76% and 7.23%, keeping with the overall population trends of the Rust Belt.

In the late nineteenth century, the northern panhandle developed as an industrial area, especially in the manufacturing of steel and glass products.

It still largely retains its industrial character, although many of its factories have closed down or fallen on hard times like others in the Rust Belt.