Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is a city of 47,421 people in Kanawha County, West Virginia, founded in 1786.
Why visit Charleston
Townapedia lists 76 museums and landmarks, 90 parks and trails, 178 places to eat, 21 places to stay and 10 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Plaza Theatre, 35th Street Bridge, Charleston City Hall and Criel Mound.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 26°F, and about 32 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Charleston
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Charleston
Charleston () is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, it is the county seat of Kanawha County. The population was 48,864 at the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 46,482 in 2024. The Charleston metropolitan area has approximately 203,000 residents.
From the Wikipedia article Charleston, West Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do10
Plaza Theatre
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places
Theater in Charleston, West Virginia, United States
35th Street Bridge
Bridge · 2.2 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Charleston Railroad Bridge
Bridge · 1.9 mi
Railroad bridge in West Virginia, U.S.
Clay Center
Cinema and theater
Arts and science center in Charleston, West Virginia
Park Place Stadium Cinema 11
Cinema and theater
600 Washington Street East, Charleston
Museums and landmarks76
Charleston City Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
City hall in Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.A.
Criel Mound
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Native American burial mound located in South Charleston, West Virginia, United States
East End Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Listed on the NRHP in West Virginia
Elizabeth Harden Gilmore House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Charleston, West Virginia, listed on the NRHP in Kanawha County
514 Leon Sullivan Way, Charleston
Samuel Starks House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in West Virginia, United States
Spring Hill Cemetery Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Charleston, West Virginia
West Virginia State Museum
Museum · 1.2 mi
Creative historical museum located in the basement of the West Virginia Cultural Center.
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston
African Zion Baptist Church
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Church building in Kanawha County, West Virginia
Barnes-Wellford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
Bird Haven
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic house in West Virginia, United States
Bougemont Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
Breezemont
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house in West Virginia, United States
64 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds90
Daniel Boone Park
Park · 3.0 mi
2901 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston
07:00-21:00
57th St Park
Park · 4.2 mi
Parking Area for Neighborhood walking and bike trail. 24/7 runner parking access for Kanawha City. During the summer hours, drinking...
24/7
Elk River City Park
Park · 0.6 mi
A small park managed by the city, be wary of vagrants.
sunrise-sunset
78 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes178
Baskin-Robbins
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 2.9 mi
4120 MacCorkle Avenue Southeast, Charleston
Mo-Th 10:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 11:00-22:00
Black Sheep
Restaurant · Mexican, Fusion, Burrito
702 Quarrier Street, Charleston
Mo-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-15:00
Dem 2 Brothers & A Grill
Restaurant · Barbecue · 1.3 mi
423 Virginia Street West, Charleston
Mo-Sa 07:30-19:00
Ellen's Ice Cream
Ice cream · Ice Cream, Sandwich
225 Capitol Street, Charleston
Mo-Th 11:00-18:00; Fr 11:00-20:00; Sa, Su 13:00-20:00
IHOP
Restaurant · Breakfast, Pancake · 4.5 mi
46 R H L Boulevard, South Charleston
Mo-Th,Su 07:00-23:00; Fr,Sa 07:00-24:00
Lola's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.9 mi
1038 Bridge Road, Charleston
Tu-Th 16:00-21:00; Fr 16:00-22:00; Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00; Mo off
Paulie’s Fine Italian
Restaurant · Italian · 0.7 mi
915 Bridge Road, Charleston
Tu-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-23:00; Mo,Su off
Shoney's
Diner · American · 0.7 mi
116 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston
Mo-Su 07:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 07:00-22:45
166 more on the map.
Where to stay21
Holiday Inn Express Charleston - Civic Center
Motel and hotel · 0.7 mi
100 Civic Center Drive, Charleston
Churches and places of worship115
Simpson Memorial United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · National Register of Historic Places
Charleston Baptist Temple
Church · National Register of Historic Places
St. John's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Church · Roman Catholic
1032 Virginia Street East, East Charleston
Trinity United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 3.4 mi
2626 Pennsylvania Avenue, Charleston
Saint John Greek Orthodox Church
Church · Greek Orthodox · 2.3 mi
3512 Maccorkle Avenue Southeast, Charleston
Shopping30
Best Virginia Heating, Cooling, Electrical and Plumbing
Grocery · 0.8 mi
1022 Bridge Road, Charleston
F.M. Pile Hardware
Hardware store · 2.3 mi
1625 Washington Street West, Charleston
Gas and EV charging30
Kroger Gas Station
Gas station · 4.5 mi
3000 Ray Park Boulevard, South Charleston
Schools, colleges and libraries61
South Charleston Branch Kanawha County Public Library
Library · 3.5 mi
312 4Th Avenue, South Charleston
George Washington High School
School · 1.6 mi
1522 Tennis Club Road, Charleston
Healthcare26
Charleston Area Medical Center - Memorial Hospital
Hospital · 2.0 mi
3200 Maccorkle Avenue Southeast, Charleston
Charleston Area Medical Center - Women and Children's Hospital
Hospital · 0.8 mi
800 Pennsylvania Avenue, Charleston
Renal Consultants
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.5 mi
24 Maccorkle Avenue Southwest, South Charleston
Map of Charleston
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 26°F | 3.3 in | 10.3 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 29°F | 3.4 in | 7.7 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 35°F | 4.1 in | 5.9 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 44°F | 3.6 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 76°F | 53°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 62°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 66°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 64°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 57°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 45°F | 2.9 in | 0.6 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 36°F | 3.2 in | 1.5 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 30°F | 3.6 in | 5.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Charleston Yeager Ap 72414 (3 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
Kanawha County has had 27 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-10-07: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2024-05-22: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2024-01-30: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2021-05-20: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Yeager Airport (CRW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- South Charleston 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Malden 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Dunbar 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Coal Fork 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Rand 6 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Dupont City 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- West Dunbar 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Big Chimney 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Marmet 8 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Ashland 55 mi west, about 1 h 30 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
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- 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
- Simpson ME Church Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Spring Hill Mausoleum Apr 09, Pubdog at en.wikipedia, Public domain
- Starks House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Gilmore House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Charleston City Hall Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Criel Mound, David G. Simpson, Public domain
- East End Homes Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- University-of-Charleston, Acdixon, CC0
- Taylor Books 226 Capitol Street downtown Charleston WV July 2022, Artaxerxes, CC BY-SA 4.0
- African Zion Baptist Church 2021a, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LUNA PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT, CHARLESTON, KANAWHA COUNTY, WV, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cox-Morton House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Dalgain Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- MACFARLAND HOUSE, CHARLESTON, KANAWHA COUNTY, WV, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- United Carbon Building Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Cox-Parks House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Holly Grove Mansion Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Malden Historic District 2021d, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Johns Episcopal Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Capitolstcharlestonwv, Analogue Kid at en.wikipedia, Public domain
- Kanawha Cty Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Bird Haven, Charleston, Pubdog, Public domain
- THOMAS-McJUNKIN-LOVE HOUSE, CHARLESTON, KANAWHA COUNTY, WV, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- BREEZEMONT, CHARLESTON, KANAWHA COUNTY, WV, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Smith-Giltinan House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- ENTERTAINMENT ON SUMMERS STREET, IN DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON, Schaefer, Harry, Photographer ( NARA record: 8464469 ), Public domain
- Chilton House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Laidley-Summers-Quarrier House HABS WV1, Walter Smalling, Jr., HABS photographer, Public domain
- Grosscup Road Homes Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Sterrett Bros Apr 09, Pubdog at en.wikipedia, Public domain
- Maple Terrace Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- BRIARWOOD, CHARLESTON, KANAWHA COUNTY, WV, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Craik-Patton House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Gilliland Cabin Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Col. Henry Hewitt Wood House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
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