<PAGE>
                                                                      Exhibit 31

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, Louis E. Prezeau, the President and Chief Executive Officer of City National
Bancshares Corporation, certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of City National
      Bancshares Corporation;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
      to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
      such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
      covered by this quarterly report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
      material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
      cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
      this quarterly report;

4.    The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
      registrant and we have:

      a)    designed such disclosure controls and procedures, to ensure that
            material information relating to the registrant, including its
            consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within
            those entities, particularly during the period in which this
            quarterly report is being prepared;


      b)    evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
            and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about
            the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures as of
            the end of the period covered by this report based on such
            evaluation; and

      c)    disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
            internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
            registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth
            fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
            affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
            registrant's internal control over financial reporting;

5.    The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on
      our most recent evaluation to the registrant's auditors and the audit
      committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing
      the equivalent functions):

      a)    all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
            or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are
            reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
            record, process, summarize and report financial data and have
            identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses
            in internal control; and

      b)    any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
            other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
            internal control over financial reporting.

Date:  August 12, 2003

                                   /s/ Louis E. Prezeau
                                   -----------------------------------------
                                       Louis E. Prezeau
                                       Chief Executive Officer and President

<PAGE>
                                                                      Exhibit 31

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, Edward R. Wright, Chief Fiancial Officer Senior Vice President of City
National Bancshares Corporation, certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of City National
      Bancshares Corporation;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
      to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
      such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
      covered by this quarterly report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
      material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
      cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
      this quarterly report;

4.    The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
      registrant and we have:

      a)    designed such disclosure controls and procedures, to ensure that
            material information relating to the registrant, including its
            consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within
            those entities, particularly during the period in which this
            quarterly report is being prepared;


      b)    evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
            and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about
            the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures as of
            the end of the period covered by this report based on such
            evaluation; and

      c)    disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
            internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
            registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth
            fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
            affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
            registrant's internal control over financial reporting;

5.    The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on
      our most recent evaluation to the registrant's auditors and the audit
      committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing
      the equivalent functions):

      a)    all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
            or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are
            reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
            record, process, summarize and report financial data and have
            identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses
            in internal control; and

      b)    any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
            other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
            internal control over financial reporting.

Date:  August 12, 2003

                                   /s/ Edward R. Wright
                                   -----------------------------------------
                                       Edward R. Wright
                                       Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice
                                       President