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Charleston

Also known as Charleston, West Virginia, Charleston, WV

capital city of West Virginia, United States

AI overview

Charleston is the capital city of West Virginia, located in the state's southwestern region. As the state capital, it serves as the center of West Virginia's government and is the largest city in the state.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Official name: Charleston
Population: 48864
Area: 84.584726
Elevation: 597
Official website: www.charlestonwv.gov
Image: View across the Kanawha River of Charleston, the capital city of West Virginia LCCN2015631775.tif
Households: 21409

Show 8 more facts

postal code: 25375
Commons category: Charleston, West Virginia
inception: 1786-00-00
P8168: Futurama
water as percent of area: 3.4863
per capita income: 37204
hashtag: Charleston
native label: Charleston

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Article

Charleston (/ˈtʃɑːrlstən/) 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 (estimated at 46,482 in 2024). The Charleston metropolitan area has approximately 203,000 residents.

Charleston was established in the late 18th century and formally incorporated in 1794, with the trustees being Daniel Boone, Leonard Morris, and William Morris. The city gained prominence in the 19th century with the growth of the salt industry and later expanded due to coal mining and the first natural gas well. After West Virginia separated from Virginia, Charleston became the permanent state capital in 1885. Its economy and infrastructure further evolved in the 20th century with the rise of chemical manufacturing and public sector employment.