South Charleston, West Virginia
South Charleston is a city of 13,457 people in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Why visit South Charleston
Townapedia lists 53 museums and landmarks, 16 parks and trails, 93 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Marquee Cinema Southridge 12, Charleston Railroad Bridge, Criel Mound and Barnes-Wellford House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in South Charleston
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About South Charleston
South Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. It is located to the west of the state capital of Charleston. The population was 13,639 at the 2020 census. It was established in 1906, but not incorporated until 1917.
From the Wikipedia article South Charleston, West Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Charleston Railroad Bridge
Bridge · 3.0 mi
Railroad bridge in West Virginia, U.S.
Clay Center
Cinema and theater · 4.4 mi
Arts and science center in Charleston, West Virginia
West Virginia State University
School · 4.1 mi
Public, historically black, land-grant university in Institute, West Virginia
Museums and landmarks53
Criel Mound
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Native American burial mound located in South Charleston, West Virginia, United States
Barnes-Wellford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
Bird Haven
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Historic house in West Virginia, United States
Bougemont Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
Breezemont
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Historic house in West Virginia, United States
Briarwood
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Building in West Virginia, United States
Canty House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Kanawha County, West Virginia
Charleston
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Train station in Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston Baptist Temple
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Church building in West Virginia, United States of America
Charleston City Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
City hall in Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.A.
_at_U.S._Route_60_(MacCorkle_Avenue)_in_South_Charleston,_Kanawha_County,_West_Virginia.jpg){kind=link}
Charleston Municipal Auditorium
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Multi-purpose hall in Charleston, West Virginia, United States
Charmco Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Factory in Charleston, West Virginia
41 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds16
Bible Center Bicycle Park
Park · 2.3 mi
Intermediate to Expert Level Bike Park at the Bible Center. Please see the Bible Center webpage for safety details:...
sunrise-sunset
4 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes93
IHOP
Restaurant · Breakfast, Pancake
46 R H L Boulevard, South Charleston
Mo-Th,Su 07:00-23:00; Fr,Sa 07:00-24:00
KITA MODERN JAPANESE
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.6 mi
2815 Mountaineer Boulevard, Charleston
Mo - Th 11:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00; Fr 12:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00; Sa...
Los Agaves
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.0 mi
1003 Dunbar Avenue, Dunbar
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su off
Sokolata
Restaurant · Greek, Pizza, Pasta, Pastry, Cake, Salad · 1.4 mi
4600 MacCorkle Avenue, South Charleston
Mo,We,Th 10:00-21:00; Tu,Fr,Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 12:00-17:00
Elephant Thai Restaurant
Restaurant · Thai · 2.0 mi
228 7th Avenue, South Charleston
Tu-Fr 11:00-15:00,16:30-21:00; Sa-Su 12:00-21:00; Mo off
Cafe Appalachia
Cafe · 1.9 mi
206 D Street, South Charleston
Mo-Sa 07:30-14:00
Yen's Sandwichs
Restaurant · Sandwich · 2.1 mi
Tu-Fr 09:30-18:00; Sa,Su 10:00-18:00
81 more on the map.
History
South Charleston was established in 1906, but not incorporated until 1919.
Leonidas Henrie Oakes Sr. (1843–1894) was a member of the West Virginia State Legislature. His son, Leonidas Henrie Oakes Jr. (1873–1949) was the mayor of South Charleston for many years. He was mayor from 1920 to 1921 and also from 1930 to 1946. He acquired funds to build the Thomas Memorial Hospital and also the Oakes Field in South Charleston. He was instrumental in developing recreational activities for the youth of the city.
It is home to the Charleston Ordnance Center, a former naval munitions factory established for use in World War I. It employed over 11,000 workers and produced 130,000 gun barrels for U.S. warships.
From the History section of South Charleston, West Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship40
Church of Latter Day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.2 mi
839 Chestnut Street, South Charleston
Holley Memorial Freewill Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 2.2 mi
245 Pleasant Valley Road, South Charleston
Shopping23
Gas and EV charging18
Kroger Gas Station
Gas station · 1.5 mi
3000 Ray Park Boulevard, South Charleston
Schools, colleges and libraries35
South Charleston Branch Kanawha County Public Library
Library · 2.0 mi
312 4Th Avenue, South Charleston
George C. Weimer Elementary School
School · 4.9 mi
3040 Kanawha Ter, Saint Albans
Healthcare9
Renal Consultants
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.5 mi
24 Maccorkle Avenue Southwest, South Charleston
Map of South Charleston
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 23°F | 3.5 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 25°F | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 31°F | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 41°F | 4.1 in |
| May | 76°F | 51°F | 5.2 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 60°F | 4.4 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 64°F | 5.8 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 62°F | 3.7 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 55°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 42°F | 3.1 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 32°F | 3.1 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 27°F | 4.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Charleston Wfo (2 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, 7 miles away.
- Dunbar 2 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- West Dunbar 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- Charleston 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Institute 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Jefferson 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- St. Albans 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Huntington 39 mi west, about 1 h by car
- Beckley 49 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Ashland 51 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Ironton 54 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
- D Street, WVhybrid, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2026-04-28 13 42 19 A newly installed US 119 shield assembly at the beginning of Ramp B of the Davis Creek Interchange as viewed from the left turn lane along WV 601 near South Charleston, Kanawha..., TheGinger68, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2017-07-24 16 46 43 View south along West Virginia State Route 601 (Jefferson Road) at U.S. Route 60 (MacCorkle Avenue) in South Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Criel Mound, David G. Simpson, Public domain
- 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
- New East Hall, Harper1040, CC BY-SA 4.0
- United Carbon Building Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Cox-Parks House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Simpson ME Church 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
- St Johns Episcopal Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), 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
- Canty House, Harper1040, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Starks House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Gilliland Cabin Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Barnes-Wellford House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- CRAWFORD-GARDNER HOUSE CHARLESTON, KANAWHA COUNTY, WV, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gilmore House Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Charleston Amtrak Station Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Municipal Auditorium, Virginia Street and Truslow Street, Charleston, WV - 53680145693, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Garnet High School Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Charleston City Hall Apr 09, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- STONELEIGH, CHARLESTON, KANAWHA COUNTY, WV, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Davis Creek WV, Tim Kiser ( User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sunset Memorial Park mound WV1, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sunset Memorial Park mound WV3, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sunset Memorial Park mound WV2, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
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