Charleston, Arkansas
Charleston is a city of 2,646 people in Franklin County, Arkansas, founded in 1870.
Why visit Charleston
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 6 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Charleston Commercial Historic District and Franklin County Courthouse, Southern District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 28°F.
Weather in Charleston
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Charleston
Charleston is a city in Franklin County, Arkansas, United States, and along with Ozark is one of the two county seats of Franklin County. The population was 2,588 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Charleston, Arkansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks5
Charleston Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic district in Arkansas, United States
Franklin County Courthouse, Southern District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Charleston, Arkansas, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Singleton Family Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic cemetery in Arkansas, United States
Restaurants and cafes6
Churches and places of worship7
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.8 mi
18 Prairie Street, Charleston
History
In 1954, Charleston was the first school district in the former Confederate States to implement school integration in response to Brown v. Board of Education. On July 27, 1954, the school board, including President Howard Madison Orsburn, George Hairston, Archibald Schaffer, Herbert Shumate, and Homer Keith, unanimously voted to "disband the Colored School and admit the Colored children into the grade and high school when classes open for the fall semester." Accordingly, when the schools opened on August 23, 11 black children were in attendance alongside 480 whites. School Superintendent Woodie Haynes made an agreement with the local press not to cover the event, and stonewalled any outside reporters that asked questions. The decision to integrate had financial benefits, as the district had been paying a considerable sum to transport black high school students to Fort Smith, and were able to close the old Rosenwald school. During the Civil Rights era, the city was among a few Southern cities which surprisingly showed little resistance to integration. Charleston suffered some discrimination from other schools and the state; many schools refused to play football against them and the band was denied the opportunity to play in some band competitions. In 1961, the first two black students to graduate from Charleston were Barbara (Williams) Dotson and Joe Ferguson.
From the History section of Charleston, Arkansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Healthcare2
Map of Charleston
28 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°F | 28°F | 3.8 in |
| Feb | 55°F | 31°F | 3.2 in |
| Mar | 64°F | 38°F | 4.8 in |
| Apr | 72°F | 47°F | 5.0 in |
| May | 80°F | 58°F | 5.8 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 66°F | 4.2 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 70°F | 3.6 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 68°F | 3.5 in |
| Sep | 85°F | 61°F | 4.4 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 50°F | 4.4 in |
| Nov | 62°F | 38°F | 4.6 in |
| Dec | 52°F | 31°F | 4.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Booneville 3 Sse (16 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Franklin County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-05: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-08-27: Hurricane Laura (Hurricane)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-08: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 18 miles away.
- Booneville 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Barling 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Fort Smith 19 mi west, about 30 min by car
- Van Buren 20 mi northwest, about 33 min by car
- Arkoma 23 mi west, about 37 min by car
- Pocola 24 mi west, about 38 min by car
- Roland 27 mi west, about 44 min by car
- Muldrow 32 mi west, about 51 min by car
- Spiro 33 mi west, about 53 min by car
- Poteau 35 mi southwest, about 57 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Franklin County Courthouse, Charleston, AR, Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charleston, AR 007, Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Singleton Family Cemetery, Cast Concrete Marker, Valis55, CC BY-SA 3.0
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