WASHINGTON, DC and CHARLESTON, WV-- United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBSI) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a fourth quarter dividend of 28¢ per share for shareholders of record as of December 8, 2006. Dividends per share of $1.09 for the year 2006 represents a 4% increase over the $1.05 per share paid for 2005.

The dividend payout of approximately $11.5 million on 41.1 million shares is payable January 2, 2007. The year 2006 is the 33rd consecutive year of dividend increases to United shareholders. During this time period, the dividend has increased from 6¢ to $1.09, which represents an annual compound growth rate of approximately 10%. The annualized fourth quarter 2006 dividend of $1.12 equates to a yield of approximately 3% based on recent UBSI market prices.

United Bankshares, with $6.6 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".