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Charleston, West Virginia

Not to be confused with Charles Town, West Virginia.

Charleston
Capital City
Downtown Charleston
West Virginia State Capitol
Clay Center
West Virginia State Museum
Capitol Market
Kanawha County Courthouse
Flag of Charleston
Flag
Official seal of Charleston
Seal
Nickname: 
Charlie West[1]
Map
Interactive map of Charleston
Charleston is located in West Virginia
Charleston
Charleston
Charleston is located in the United States
Charleston
Charleston
Coordinates: 38°20′59.35″N 81°37′57.44″W / 38.3498194°N 81.6326222°W / 38.3498194; -81.6326222
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
CountyKanawha
Founded1788
Incorporated1794
Government
[2]
 • TypeStrong-Mayor Government
 • MayorAmy Shuler Goodwin (D)
 • City Council
Members list
 • City ManagerBenjamin Mishoe, Esq.
Area
[3]
 • City
32.535 sq mi (84.265 km2)
 • Land31.397 sq mi (81.317 km2)
 • Water1.138 sq mi (2.948 km2)
Elevation
[4]
597 ft (182 m)
Population
 (2020)[5]
 • City
48,864
 • Estimate 
(2023)[6]
46,838
 • RankUS: 863rd
WV: 1st
 • Density1,491.83/sq mi (575.99/km2)
 • Urban
140,958 (US: 248th)
 • Metro
203,164 (US: 228th)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
ZIP Codes[7]
Area code(s)304 and 681
FIPS code54-14600
GNIS feature ID1558347[4]
HighwaysUS-60, I-64, I-77, US-119, and SR-214
Sales tax7.0%[8]
Websitecharlestonwv.gov

Charleston is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia and the seat of Kanawha County.[9] It is at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers. The population was 48,864 at the 2020 census.[5] According to 2023 census estimates, the city has a population of 46,838.[6] The Charleston metropolitan area had 203,164 residents in 2023.

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.[10] 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.[11] Early industries important to Charleston included salt and the first natural gas well.[12] 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.

  1. ^ "I'm Charlie West". Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  2. ^ "City Council". City of Charleston, West Virginia. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  3. ^ "2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Charleston, West Virginia
  5. ^ a b "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference USCensusEst2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Look Up a ZIP Code™". USPS. October 13, 2024.
  8. ^ "Charleston (WV) sales tax rate". Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  9. ^ "Nielsen US Media Market rankings" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 18, 2015.
  10. ^ Morris, William (March 19, 1922). "William Morris History of First Settler to Locate in Valley of Kanawha WV 1773". Charleston Daily Mail. No. Morning Issue. newspapers.com. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  11. ^ Shepherd, Samuel (1835). Statutes at Large of Virginia from October Session 1792 to December Session 1806 (1st ed.). Richmond, Virginia: Commonwealth of Virginia. p. 322. ISBN 0404060102.
  12. ^ "First Natural Gas Well – West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia". Wvexp.com. December 10, 2005. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2013.

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Charleston, Wes-Virginië AF Charleston (Virchinia Occidental) AN Ċeorlestūn (Westuirginiæ) ANG تشارلستون (فيرجينيا الغربية) Arabic تشارلستون (ويست ڤيرچينيا) ARZ Charleston (Virxinia Occidental) AST Çarlston (Qərbi Virciniya) AZ Čarlstons BAT-SMG Чарлстан (Заходняя Віргінія) BE Чарлстън (Западна Вирджиния) Bulgarian

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