Gary is a city located along the Tug Fork River in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. According to the 2010 census, the city had a population of 968. It was named for Elbert Henry Gary, one of the founders of U.S. Steel. The former coal towns of Elbert, Filbert, Thorpe, and Wilcoe became part of Gary at the time of its incorporation in 1971.