Overview

Introduction to Charleston, West Virginia

Charleston is the capital of West Virginia and is situated at the convergence of the Elk River and the Kanawha River in Kanawha County. The city is located in the Appalachian Mountains.

History

Fort Lee was constructed in the year 1788 by Colonel Clendenin and a group of Virginia Rangers and is recognized as the first permanent settlement in the area. The town was named Charleston in tribute to Colonel Clendenin's Father whose name was Charles. In 1794 the city was officially established by the Virginia General Assembly. The Salt brines that were situated by the side of the Kanawha River were discovered in the early 1800's and the first salt well was created in 1806. Due to the salt brine the economy began to thrive. The Charleston area became one of the leading producers of salt in the entire world.

During the Civil War, Virginia withdrew from the Union and the loyalty of the citizens of Charleston was divided between the Confederates and the Union. The Confederate Army defeated the Union Army in The Battle of Charleston, however shortly after the battle ended, the Union Army returned and occupied the area until the war was over. Abraham Lincoln declared that the northwestern part of the state of Virginia be given back to the Union and in 1863 West Virginia became a Union state. The economy during the 1900s prospered primarily due to coal and gas and the expansion of the railroad in the area. Chemical, steel, timber, glass and other types of industries moved to Charleston primarily due to the vast amount of natural resources that were available.

Transportation

The town is served by the Yeager Airport. Amtrack offers rail transportation for Charleston. The city is also served by the The Kanawha Valley Regional Transit Authority.

Attractions

  • The West Virginia State Capital
  • Governor's Mansion
  • Holly Grove Mansion
  • Avampato Discovery Museum
  • South Charleston Museum
  • West Virginia State Museum
  • Sunrise Museum
  • St. George Orthodox Cathedral
  • Charleston Civic Center
  • Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences
  • Cato Park
  • Kanawha State Forest

Activities

The nearby area of Charleston offers residents and visitors excellent opportunities for outdoor activities such as rafting, skiing, hiking and biking. Charleston is host to a wide variety of festivals and fairs.

Higher Education

The University of Charleston, a campus of West Virginia University and WV Junior College are situated in Charleston. West Virginia State University Institute as well as the Marshall University Graduate College are located in the area.

Demographics

People

Total Population48,734
Male Share of the Population48.7%
Female Share of the Population51.3%
Senior Citizens18%
Employed Population 16+21,762
Age of the Population42

Families

% of people married39.4%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher30.8%
Median Earnings25+$35,268
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$14,444
Median Earnings With High School Degree$21,495

Wealth

Median Family Income$65,179
% Above Poverty Level79.4%
% Below Poverty Level20.6%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time17 minutes
% Working from Home3.4%
% Walking and Biking to Work7%
% Using Public Transportation5%

Housing

People Living Alone40.2%
Median Gross Rent$727
Median House Value$145,300

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)28.7%
English11.3%
Irish10%
Italian3.6%
Scottish2.4%
Arab2.1%
French Except Basque1.6%
Polish1.6%
African1.4%
Lebanese1.3%
Swedish1.1%
Hungarian0.8%
Welsh0.7%
Syrian0.5%
Norwegian0.3%
Greek0.3%
Russian0.3%
Ethiopian0.2%
Nigerian0.2%
Swiss0.2%
West Indian0.2%
Danishn0.2%
Slovak0.2%
Czech0.2%
Canadian0.2%
Jamaican0.1%
US/American0.1%
Ukrainian0.1%
Estonian0.1%
Iranian0.1%
Haitian0.1%
Austrian0.1%
Dutch0.1%
Australian0.1%
Finnish0.1%
German0.1%
Egyptian0.1%
Slovene0.1%
Lithuanian0.1%
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Charleston Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyKanawha County
Standard Zip Codes25301, 25305, 25312, 25389, 25309, 25304, 25311, 25314, 25387, 25303, 25306, 25320, 25302, 25315, 25313
P.O. Box Zip Codes25322, 25323, 25324, 25331, 25335, 25336, 25360, 25364, 25325, 25326, 25327, 25328, 25333, 25334, 25337, 25339, 25356, 25362, 25321, 25329, 25330, 25332, 25338, 25350, 25357, 25358, 25361, 25365, 25375
Company Zip Codes25396, 25317, 25392
Phone Area Codes304, 681
Time ZoneAmerica/New_York
Approximate Latitude38.35
Approximate Longitude-81.63

Charleston Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationCHARLESTON YEAGER AP
Distance3.5 miles
Jan Temp24 to 43 F
Apr Temp42 to 67 F
Jul Temp63 to 85 F
Oct Temp43 to 67 F
Annual Precip44 inches
StationCLENDENIN
Distance18.7 miles
Jan Temp21 to 42 F
Apr Temp38 to 67 F
Jul Temp62 to 87 F
Oct Temp41 to 69 F
Annual Precip48.4 inches
StationMADISON 3 NNW
Distance20.9 miles
Jan Temp22 to 43 F
Apr Temp39 to 69 F
Jul Temp63 to 87 F
Oct Temp41 to 69 F
Annual Precip47.8 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Belle1,230$56,667
Dunbar7,462$54,756
Jefferson820$18,716
Marmet1,440$44,777
Nitro6,201$57,966
South Charleston12,686$68,872

Charleston Public Libraries

Kanawha County Public Library
123 CAPITOL ST.
Charleston, West Virginia
(304) 343-4646

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Charleston Hospitals

Camc Memorial Hospital-er
3200 Maccorkle Ave Se
(304) 388-4172
Select Speciality Hospital
(Proprietary)
333 Laidley Street
(304) 388-6670
Highland Hospital
1418a Maccorkle Avenue Sw
(304) 926-1600
Highland Hospital
(Non-profit)
300 56th St Se
(304) 926-1600
Charleston Area Medical Center
(Non-profit)
501 Morris Street
(304) 388-6200
Charleston Area Medical Center - Transplant
501 Morris St
(304) 388-6525
Charleston Surgical Hospital
(Proprietary)
1306 Kanawha Blvd E
(304) 343-4370
St Francis Hospital
(Non-profit)
333 Laidley St
(304) 347-6500

Charleston Public Schools

Piedmont Year-round Education
203 Bradford Street
ZIP: 25301
(304) 348-1910
Primary
Total Enrollment 380
Edgewood Elementary
550 Hawks Ridge
ZIP: 25302
(304) 348-6610
Primary
Total Enrollment 461
Elk Elementary Center
3320 Pennsylvania Ave
ZIP: 25302
(304) 348-7776
Primary
Total Enrollment 543
J E Robins Elementary School
915 Beech Ave
ZIP: 25302
(304) 348-6631
Shoals Elementary School
100 Dutch Rd
ZIP: 25302
(304) 348-1900
Primary
Total Enrollment 249
Stonewall Jackson Middle School
812 Park Avenue
ZIP: 25302
(304) 348-6123
Middle
Total Enrollment 554
Watts Elementary School
230 Costello St
ZIP: 25302
(304) 348-6635
West Side Elementary
100 Florida Street
ZIP: 25302
(304) 348-6610
Primary
Total Enrollment 472
Weberwood Elementary School
732 Gordon Road
ZIP: 25303
(304) 348-1924
Primary
Total Enrollment 273
Chamberlain Elementary School
4901 Venable Av S E
ZIP: 25304
(304) 348-1969
Primary
Total Enrollment 248
Horace Mann Middle School
4300 Maccorkle Avenue
ZIP: 25304
(304) 348-1971
Middle
Total Enrollment 515
Kanawha City Elementary School
3601 Staunton Avenue Se
ZIP: 25304
(304) 348-1985
Primary
Total Enrollment 309
Carver Career Center
4799 Midland Dr
ZIP: 25306
(304) 348-1965
Other
Malden Elementary School
4001 Salinas Drive
ZIP: 25306
(304) 348-1973
Primary
Total Enrollment 254
Capital High School
1500 Greenbrier St
ZIP: 25311
(304) 348-6500
High
Total Enrollment 1246
Kanawha County Schools Academy
200 Elizabeth Street
ZIP: 25311
(304) 348-7731
High
Total Enrollment 256
Ruffner Elementary School
809 Litz Drive
ZIP: 25311
(304) 348-1130
Primary
Total Enrollment 317
Flinn Elementary School
2006 Mcclure Parkway
ZIP: 25312
(304) 348-1960
Primary
Total Enrollment 537
Grandview Elementary School
959 Woodward Drive
ZIP: 25312
(304) 348-1928
Primary
Total Enrollment 264
Sissonville High School
6100 Sissonville Dr.
ZIP: 25312
(304) 348-1954
High
Total Enrollment 640
Sissonville Middle School
100 Middle School Lane
ZIP: 25312
(304) 348-1993
Middle
Total Enrollment 644
Andrew Jackson Middle School
5445 Big Tyler Road
ZIP: 25313
(304) 776-3310
Middle
Total Enrollment 622
Cross Lanes Elementary School
5525 Big Tyler Road
ZIP: 25313
(304) 776-2022
Primary
Total Enrollment 350
Point Harmony Elementary School
5312 Big Tyler Road
ZIP: 25313
(304) 776-3482
Primary
Total Enrollment 624
George Washington High School
1522 Tennis Club Rd
ZIP: 25314
(304) 348-7729
High
Total Enrollment 1100
Holz Elementary School
1505 Hampton Rd
ZIP: 25314
(304) 348-1906
Primary
Total Enrollment 233
John Adams Middle School
2002 Presidential Dr
ZIP: 25314
(304) 348-6652
Middle
Total Enrollment 788
Kenna Elementary School
198 Eureka Rd
ZIP: 25314
(304) 348-6104
Primary
Total Enrollment 194
Overbrook Elementary School
218 Overbrook Rd
ZIP: 25314
(304) 348-6179
Primary
Total Enrollment 422
Chesapeake Elementary School
13620 Mccorkle Ave
ZIP: 25315
(304) 949-1121
Primary
Total Enrollment 168

Charleston Private Schools

Charleston Catholic High School
1033 Virginia St E
ZIP: 25301
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 413
Sacred Heart Grade School
1035 Quarrier St
ZIP: 25301
Elementary
Total Enrollment 324
Charleston Montessori School
805 Price St
ZIP: 25302
Elementary
Total Enrollment 25
Mountaineer Montessori School
308 20th St Se
ZIP: 25304
Elementary
Total Enrollment 55
Fairhaven Christian School
988 Fairhaven Dr
ZIP: 25306
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 22
Bible Center School
1111 Oakhurst Dr
ZIP: 25314
Elementary
Total Enrollment 294
Sources :
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