WASHINGTON, DC and CHARLESTON, WV-- United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBSI), today announced that its Board of Directors declared a third quarter dividend of 27¢ per share for shareholders of record as of September 8, 2006. The third quarter dividend of 27¢ per share represents a 4% increase over the 26¢ paid in the third quarter of 2005. Dividends per share of 81¢ for the first three quarters of 2006 also represents a 4% increase over the 78¢ per share paid for the first three quarters of 2005.

The dividend payout of approximately $11.2 million on 41.5 million shares is payable October 2, 2006. The year 2006 is expected to be the 33rd consecutive year of dividend increases to United shareholders.

United Bankshares, with $6.7 billion in assets, has 90 full-service offices in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. United Bankshares stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the quotation symbol "UBSI".