Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: Charlie West | |
Interactive map of Charleston | |
| Coordinates: 38°20′59.35″N 81°37′57.44″W / 38.3498194°N 81.6326222°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Kanawha |
| Founded | 1788 |
| Incorporated | 1794 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Strong-Mayor Government |
| • Mayor | Amy Shuler Goodwin (D) |
| • City Council | Members list |
| • City Manager | Benjamin Mishoe, Esq. |
| Area | |
• City | 32.535 sq mi (84.265 km2) |
| • Land | 31.397 sq mi (81.317 km2) |
| • Water | 1.138 sq mi (2.948 km2) |
| Elevation | 597 ft (182 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 48,864 |
• Estimate (2024) | 46,482 |
| • Rank | US: 863rd WV: 1st |
| • Density | 1,491.83/sq mi (575.99/km2) |
| • Urban | 140,958 (US: 248th) |
| • Metro | 203,164 (US: 228th) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | ZIP Codes |
| Area code(s) | 304 and 681 |
| FIPS code | 54-14600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1558347 |
| Highways | US-60, I-64, I-77, US-119, and SR-214 |
| Sales tax | 7.0% |
| Website | charlestonwv.gov |
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Charleston (/ˈtʃɑːrlstən/) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Kanawha County and is at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers. The population was 48,864 at the 2020 census and estimated at 46,482 in 2024. The Charleston metropolitan area has approximately 203,000 residents.
In 1773, William Morris built the first permanent settlement in the Kanawha Valley, Fort Morris. It was built about 20 miles upstream of Charleston at the confluence of Kellys Creek, near the burned ruins of Walter Kelly's cabin, before Lord Dunmore's War, and was used extensively during the American Revolution. In 1794, the town of Charleston was incorporated by the Virginia House of Delegates with the trustees being William Morris, Leonard Morris, and Daniel Boone. Early industries important to Charleston included salt and the first natural gas well. Later, coal became central to economic prosperity in the city and the surrounding area. Today, trade, utilities, government, medicine, and education play central roles in the city's economy.
Charleston is the home of the Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and the annual 15-mile (24 km) Charleston Distance Run. Yeager Airport and the University of Charleston are in the city. West Virginia State University is in the area, as are West Virginia University and Marshall University satellite campuses.