It Happened at the World 's Fair - wikipedia It Happened at the World 's Fair Jump to : navigation , search It Happened at the World 's Fair Theatrical release poster Directed by Norman Taurog Produced by Ted Richmond Written by Si Rose Seaman Jacobs Starring Elvis Presley Joan O'Brien Gary Lockwood Vicky Tiu Music by Leith Stevens Cinematography Joseph Ruttenberg Edited by Fredric Steinkamp Don Guidice ( uncredited ) Production company Ted Richmond Productions Distributed by Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer ( 1963 , original ) Warner Bros. ( 2007 , DVD ) Release date April 3 , 1963 ( 1963 - 04 - 03 ) ( USA ) Running time 105 minutes Country United States Language English Box office $2,500,000 ( US / Canada ) It Happened at the World 's Fair is a 1963 American musical film starring Elvis Presley as a cropdusting pilot . It was filmed in Seattle , Washington , site of the Century 21 Exposition , the 1962 World 's Fair . The governor of Washington at the time , Albert Rosellini , suggested the setting to Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer executives . The film made $2.25 million at the box office . Contents ( hide ) 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Soundtrack 5 Home media 6 Notes 7 See also 8 References 9 Sources 10 External links Plot ( edit ) Pilot Mike Edwards finds himself in a dilemma , his partner and friend Danny , gambles away the money Mike had set aside to pay their debts . Since they lost their money and a $1,200 debt , the local sheriff takes possession of their plane , Bessie , a Boeing - Stearman Model 75 cropduster . If they can not come up with the money in twelve days , Bessie will be auctioned off to the highest bidder . Mike and Danny become reluctant hitchhikers , looking for a lift to anywhere . They are picked up by apple farmer Walter Ling and his niece Sue - Lin . They end up in Seattle , Washington , location of the 1962 World 's Fair . When the uncle is called away on business , Danny persuades Mike to take Sue - Lin to tour the local World 's Fair . It is during a visit to the doctor at the fair that Mike falls for Diane Warren , an attractive but stubborn nurse who resists Mike 's advances . He gives a quarter to a boy ( a very young Kurt Russell ) who kicks him in the shin , so that he can be treated by her . Diane 's supervisor then convinces her to give Mike a ride back to his apartment , convinced his leg is injured . Mike and Diane dine at the top of the fair 's Space Needle . However , he also courts Dorothy Johnson . Complications then arise . Walter inexplicably fails to come back the next day to get Sue - Lin , leaving her with Mike . Sue - Lin feigns illness so that nurse Diane will come to their apartment and examine her and see Mike again . When Diane discovers that Mike has no kinship to Sue - Lin , she wants to inform the Welfare Board so that Sue - Lin can be removed from Mike and Danny 's apartment . There is a mysterious nightfall plane delivery for Mike 's and Danny 's friend Vince , who is smuggling valuable furs . The film ends with Mike and Diane in love . Cast ( edit ) Elvis Presley as Mike Edwards , cropduster pilot Joan O'Brien as Diane Warren , World 's Fair nurse and eventual love interest of Edwards Gary Lockwood as Danny Burke , Mike 's gambling - addicted business partner Vicky Tiu as Sue - Lin , a young girl befriended by Mike . Tiu later grew up to be the first lady of Hawaii when she married Governor Ben Cayetano Yvonne Craig as Dorothy Johnson , a love interest of Mike 's H.M. Wynant as Vince Bradley , Danny 's crooked associate Kam Tong as Walter Ling , Sue - Lin 's uncle Edith Atwater as Miss Steuben Guy Raymond as Barney Thatcher Dorothy Green as Miss Ettinger Kurt Russell as Shin Kicker ( uncredited ) Sandra Giles as Lily ( uncredited ) Red West as Fred ( uncredited ) Joe Esposito as Carnival Man ( uncredited ) Production ( edit ) The Seattle Center , including the Seattle Center Monorail and the Space Needle , serve as backdrops for several scenes in the film . Security officers pursue Presley and the girl through the fountains at what is now the Pacific Science Center . The hitchhiking scene with Elvis and Gary Lockwood was filmed near Camarillo , California , as were some of the flying scenes . The entire hitchhiking scene to the point where they are both picked up by Kam Tong and Vicky Tiu Cayetano in the truck is easily recognizable as 5th Street near Pleasant Valley Road on the South side of Camarillo . While The Elvis Encyclopedia believes that the Wilburton Trestle was shown in the movie , further evidence points to a different location . It is actually a trestle over the White River between Enumclaw and Buckley , now demolished . The view in the movie was taken at the intersection of Mud Mountain Road and Highway 410 , looking southeasterly . Mount Rainier is visible in the background , which is n't seen at that angle from the Wilburton Trestle . The Wilburton Trestle is actually bigger than the White River Trestle , at six sections high . The trestle pictured in the movie is only four sections high at the road crossing . Soundtrack ( edit ) Main article : It Happened at the World 's Fair ( album ) Home media ( edit ) The film was released to DVD by Warner Home Video on August 7 , 2007 as a Region 1 Widescreen DVD . Notes ( edit ) It marked Kurt Russell 's film debut . Vicky Tiu , sister of entertainer Ginny , later grew up to be the first lady of Hawaii when she married Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano . See also ( edit ) List of American films of 1963 References ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` Top Rental Features of 1963 '' , Variety , 8 January 1964 p. 71 . Please note figures are rentals as opposed to total gross . Jump up ^ Adam Victor . The Elvis Encyclopedia . Overlook , 2008 . Jump up ^ Victor 2008 . Jump up ^ Key to the City 's profile of Buckley The history blurb on this page was written before the trestle was demolished . Jump up ^ Google Street View of Mud Mountain Road and Highway 410 You can still see the bend in the road and a guard rail in the same place as in the movie Jump up ^ White River Journal , January 2002 White River History Museum . Includes a photo of the trestle , but not the part shown in the movie Sources ( edit ) Guralnick , Peter , and Ernst Jorgensen ( 1999 ) . Elvis Day by Day : The Definitive Record of His Life and Music . Ballantine . ISBN 0 - 345 - 42089 - 6 . Kirchberg , Connie , and Marc Hendrickx ( 1999 ) . Elvis Presley , Richard Nixon , and the American Dream . Jefferson , NC : McFarland and Company . ISBN 0 - 7864 - 0716 - 6 . Lisanti , Tom ( 2000 ) . Fantasy Femmes of 60 's Cinema : Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker , Beach , and Elvis Movies . McFarland and Company . ISBN 0 - 7864 - 0868 - 5 . Marcus , Greil ( 1980 ) . `` Rock Films , '' The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll , second edition . Random House . ISBN 0 - 394 - 73938 - 8 . Ponce de Leon , Charles L. ( 2007 ) . Fortunate Son : The Life of Elvis Presley . Macmillan . ISBN 0 - 8090 - 1641 - 9 . Presley , Priscilla ( 1985 ) . Elvis and Me . New York : G.P. Putnam 's Sons . ISBN 0 - 399 - 12984 - 7 . Thomson , David ( 1998 ) . A Biographical Dictionary of Film ( 3d ed . ) . Knopf . ISBN 0 - 679 - 75564 - 0 . Victor , Adam ( 2008 ) . The Elvis Encyclopedia . Overlook Duckworth . ISBN 1 - 58567 - 598 - 9 External links ( edit ) It Happened at the World 's Fair on IMDb It Happened at the World 's Fair at the TCM Movie Database It Happened at the World 's Fair at AllMovie DVD reviews `` What Happened At The World 's Fair : Elvis And The Future In Seattle '' by Jim Demetre at The Monarch Review , October 18 , 2012 . Review by Bill Treadway at DVD Verdict , August 12 , 2004 . Review by Mark Zimmer at digitallyOBSESSED ! , August 4 , 2004 . Elvis Presley Albums discography Singles discography Filmography Studio albums Elvis Presley Elvis Peace in the Valley ( EP ) Elvis ' Christmas Album For LP Fans Only A Date with Elvis Elvis Is Back ! His Hand in Mine Something for Everybody Pot Luck Elvis for Everyone ! How Great Thou Art From Elvis in Memphis From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis Elvis Country ( I 'm 10,000 Years Old ) Love Letters from Elvis Elvis sings The Wonderful World of Christmas Elvis Now He Touched Me Elvis Raised on Rock / For Ol ' Times Sake Good Times Promised Land Today From Elvis Presley Boulevard , Memphis , Tennessee Moody Blue Live albums On Stage As Recorded at Madison Square Garden Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis Having Fun with Elvis on Stage Elvis in Concert An Afternoon in the Garden Soundtrack albums and EPs Love Me Tender ( EP ) Loving You Jailhouse Rock ( EP ) King Creole G.I. Blues Flaming Star ( EP ) Blue Hawaii Follow That Dream ( EP ) Kid Galahad ( EP ) Girls ! Girls ! Girls ! It Happened at the World 's Fair Fun in Acapulco Kissin ' Cousins Viva Las Vegas ( EP ) Roustabout Girl Happy Tickle Me ( EP ) Harum Scarum Frankie and Johnny Paradise Hawaiian Style Spinout Easy Come , Easy Go ( EP ) Double Trouble Clambake Speedway Elvis That 's the Way It Is Viva Elvis Compilation albums Elvis ' Golden Records 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Ca n't Be Wrong Elvis ' Golden Records Volume 3 Elvis ' Gold Records Volume 4 Elvis Sings Flaming Star Let 's Be Friends Almost in Love C'mon Everybody I Got Lucky Elvis : A Legendary Performer Volume 1 Elvis ' 40 Greatest Pure Gold Elvis : A Legendary Performer Volume 2 The Sun Sessions Welcome to My World Mahalo from Elvis Elvis : A Legendary Performer Volume 3 Greatest Hits Volume 1 Elvis ' Gold Records Volume 5 Amazing Grace : His Greatest Sacred Performances Command Performances : The Essential 60s Masters II Elvis 56 Tiger Man Memories : The ' 68 Comeback Special Sunrise Suspicious Minds : The Memphis 1969 Anthology ELV1S : 30 No. 1 Hits 2nd to None Elvis at Sun Hitstory Elvis Inspirational Elvis Rock Elvis Christmas The Essential Elvis Presley Christmas Duets If I Can Dream Way Down in the Jungle Room The Wonder of You The 50 Greatest Hits Box sets Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits Vol. 1 The King of Rock ' n ' Roll : The Complete 50 's Masters From Nashville to Memphis : The Essential ' 60s Masters Walk a Mile in My Shoes : The Essential ' 70s Masters Peace in the Valley : The Complete Gospel Recordings Live in Las Vegas Today , Tomorrow , and Forever Elvis the King The Complete ' 68 Comeback Special The Complete Elvis Presley Masters Bootlegs Elvis ' Greatest Shit Feature films Love Me Tender Loving You Jailhouse Rock King Creole G.I. Blues Flaming Star Wild in the Country Blue Hawaii Follow That Dream Kid Galahad Girls ! Girls ! Girls ! It Happened at the World 's Fair Fun in Acapulco Kissin ' Cousins Viva Las Vegas Roustabout Girl Happy Tickle Me Harum Scarum Frankie and Johnny Paradise , Hawaiian Style Spinout Easy Come , Easy Go Double Trouble Clambake Stay Away , Joe Speedway Live a Little , Love a Little Charro ! The Trouble with Girls Change of Habit Biographical films Elvis ( 1979 film ) Elvis ( 1990 series ) Elvis Meets Nixon Elvis ( 2005 miniseries ) Elvis & Nixon Documentaries The Pied Piper of Cleveland Elvis : That 's the Way It Is Elvis on Tour This Is Elvis The New Gladiators TV specials The Frank Sinatra Timex Show : Welcome Home Elvis Elvis Presley 's ' 68 Comeback Special Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite Elvis in Concert Stage shows based on Elvis Cooking with Elvis All Shook Up Elvis . The Musical Elvis : The Concert Viva Elvis Top 10 singles `` Heartbreak Hotel '' `` I Want You , I Need You , I Love You '' `` Do n't Be Cruel '' `` Hound Dog '' `` Love Me Tender '' `` Love Me '' `` Too Much '' `` All Shook Up '' `` ( Let Me Be Your ) Teddy Bear '' `` Jailhouse Rock '' `` Do n't '' `` Wear My Ring Around Your Neck '' `` Hard Headed Woman '' `` One Night '' `` I Got Stung '' `` ( Now and Then There 's ) A Fool Such as I '' `` I Need Your Love Tonight '' `` A Big Hunk o ' Love '' `` Stuck on You '' `` It 's Now or Never '' `` Are You Lonesome Tonight ? '' `` Surrender '' `` I Feel So Bad '' `` ( Marie 's the Name ) His Latest Flame '' `` Little Sister '' `` Ca n't Help Falling in Love '' `` Good Luck Charm '' `` She 's Not You '' `` Return to Sender '' `` ( You 're The ) Devil in Disguise '' `` Bossa Nova Baby '' `` Crying in the Chapel '' `` In the Ghetto '' `` Suspicious Minds '' `` Do n't Cry Daddy '' `` The Wonder of You '' `` Burning Love '' Related people Sam Phillips The Blue Moon Boys The Jordanaires The Imperials The Sweet Inspirations TCB Band J.D. Sumner Stephen H. Sholes June Juanico Memphis Mafia Colonel Tom Parker George C. Nichopoulos Lisa Marie Presley Priscilla Presley Judy Spreckels Linda Thompson Ginger Alden Larry Geller Related Graceland Audubon Street House Cultural depictions Cultural impact Personal relationships Impersonators Elvis and Gladys Elvis and Me Elvis : What Happened ? Elvis - A-Rama Museum Hit singles Sun recordings Million Dollar Quartet List of Elvis Presley songs Songs about Elvis Elvis Presley Enterprises Elvis Presley Lake `` Elvis has left the building '' Elvis Radio FBI files on Elvis Presley Army career Eight Elvises Triple Elvis Elvis Presley 's Pink Cadillac Elvis Presley 's guitars Elvis Presley Forever stamp Elvis sightings Book Portal Films directed by Norman Taurog Lucky Boy ( 1928 ) The Diplomats ( 1929 ) In Holland ( 1929 ) The Medicine Men ( 1929 ) Troopers Three ( 1930 ) Sunny Skies ( 1930 ) Hot Curves ( 1930 ) Follow the Leader ( 1930 ) Finn and Hattie Skippy ( 1931 ) Forbidden Adventure ( 1931 ) Huckleberry Finn ( 1931 ) Sooky Hold ' Em Jail The Phantom President If I Had a Million ( segments `` Prologue '' and `` Epilogue '' , 1932 ) A Bedtime Story The Way to Love ( 1933 ) We 're Not Dressing ( 1934 ) Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch ( 1934 ) College Rhythm The Big Broadcast of 1936 ( 1936 ) Strike Me Pink ( 1936 ) Rhythm on the Range ( 1936 ) Reunion ( 1936 ) Fifty Roads to Town You Ca n't Have Everything The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ( 1938 ) Mad About Music ( 1938 ) Boys Town ( 1938 ) The Girl Downstairs Lucky Night Broadway Melody of 1940 ( 1940 ) Young Tom Edison ( 1940 ) Little Nellie Kelly Men of Boys Town Design for Scandal Are Husbands Necessary ? ( 1942 ) A Yank at Eton ( 1942 ) Presenting Lily Mars ( 1943 ) Girl Crazy ( with Busby Berkeley ) ( 1943 ) The Hoodlum Saint The Beginning or the End The Bride Goes Wild Big City ( 1948 ) Words and Music ( 1948 ) That Midnight Kiss ( 1949 ) Please Believe Me The Toast of New Orleans Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone Rich , Young and Pretty ( 1951 ) Room for One More ( 1952 ) Jumping Jacks ( 1952 ) The Stooge ( 1953 ) The Stars Are Singing ( 1953 ) The Caddy ( 1953 ) Living It Up ( 1954 ) You 're Never Too Young ( 1954 ) The Birds and the Bees Pardners ( 1956 ) Bundle of Joy ( 1956 ) The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown ( 1958 ) Onionhead ( 1958 ) Do n't Give Up the Ship ( 1959 ) Visit to a Small Planet ( 1960 ) G.I. Blues ( 1960 ) All Hands on Deck ( 1961 ) Blue Hawaii ( 1961 ) Girls ! Girls ! Girls ! ( 1962 ) It Happened at the World 's Fair ( 1962 ) Palm Springs Weekend ( 1963 ) Tickle Me ( 1965 ) Sergeant Deadhead ( 1965 ) Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine ( 1965 ) Spinout ( 1966 ) Double Trouble ( 1967 ) Speedway ( 1968 ) Live a Little , Love a Little ( 1968 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It_Happened_at_the_World%27s_Fair&oldid=795901355 '' Categories : 1963 films English - language films 1960s adventure films 1960s musical films American adventure films American films American aviation films American musical films Films set in Seattle Films shot in Washington ( state ) Films directed by Norman Taurog World 's fairs in fiction Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer films Century 21 Exposition Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Eesti Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Norsk Polski Português Русский Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 17 August 2017 , at 06 : 21 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia

Question: where was it happened at the world fair filmed


Charleston , West Virginia - wikipedia Charleston , West Virginia Jump to : navigation , search For other uses , see Charleston ( disambiguation ) . Not to be confused with Charles Town , West Virginia . Charleston , West Virginia State Capital City of Charleston A view of Charleston from Spring Hill Cemetery Seal Nickname ( s ) : Charlie West Location of Charleston in Kanawha County , West Virginia . Charleston , West Virginia Charleston , West Virginia Charleston , West Virginia Show map of West Virginia Show map of the US Show map of North America Show all Location in West Virginia , United States & North America Coordinates : 38 ° 20 ′ 50 '' N 81 ° 38 ′ 0 '' W  /  38.34722 ° N 81.63333 ° W  / 38.34722 ; - 81.63333 Coordinates : 38 ° 20 ′ 50 '' N 81 ° 38 ′ 0 '' W  /  38.34722 ° N 81.63333 ° W  / 38.34722 ; - 81.63333 Country United States State West Virginia County Kanawha Founded 1788 Incorporated 1794 Government Mayor Danny Jones ( I ) City Council Members list ( show ) Ward 1 : Bernard Slater ( D ) Ward 2 : Bobby Haas ( D ) Ward 3 : Chuck Overstreet ( D ) Ward 4 : Rev. James Ealy ( D ) Ward 5 : Jeanine Faegre ( D ) Ward 6 : Edward Talkington ( D ) Ward 7 : Archie Chestnut ( D ) Ward 8 : Cubert Smith ( I ) Ward 9 : Mary Beth Hoover ( D ) Ward 10 : Keeley Steele ( D ) Ward 11 : Shannon Snodgrass ( D ) Ward 12 : Susan Salisbury ( R ) Ward 13 : Brent Burton ( R ) Ward 14 : Courtney Persinger ( R ) Ward 15 : Samuel Minardi ( D ) Ward 16 : Bobby Reishman ( R ) Ward 17 : John H. Miller , Jr . ( R ) Ward 18 : Richard Burka ( R ) Ward 19 : Jack Harrison ( D ) Ward 20 : Mike Clowser ( D ) Ward At - large : Tom Lane ( R ) Ward At - large : Becky Ceperley ( D ) Ward At - large : Mary Jean Davis ( D ) Ward At - large : Karan Ireland ( D ) Ward At - large : Andrew Richardson ( D ) Ward At - large : Jerry L. Ware ( D ) Area City 32.66 sq mi ( 84.59 km ) Land 31.52 sq mi ( 81.64 km ) Water 1.14 sq mi ( 2.95 km ) Elevation 597 - 957 ( varies due to mountains ) ft ( 182 - 292 m ) Population ( 2010 ) City 51,400 Estimate ( 2016 ) 49,138 Rank US : 745th Density 1,630.7 / sq mi ( 629.6 / km ) Urban 153,199 ( US : 214th ) Metro 222,878 ( US : 198th ) Time zone EST ( UTC - 5 ) Summer ( DST ) EDT ( UTC - 4 ) ZIP code 25301 - 25306 , 25309 , 25311 - 25315 , 25317 , 25320 - 25339 , 25350 , 25356 - 25358 , 25360 - 25362 , 25364 - 25365 , 25375 , 25387 , 25389 , 25392 , 25396 , 25064 Area code ( s ) 304 / 681 FIPS code 54 - 14600 GNIS feature ID 1558347 Website cityofcharleston.org Charleston is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of West Virginia , and the county seat of Kanawha County . It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers . As of the 2013 Census Estimate , it had a population of 50,821 , while its metropolitan area had 224,743 . It is a center of government , commerce , and industry . Early industries important to Charleston included salt and the first natural gas well . Later , coal became central to economic prosperity in the city and the surrounding area . Today , trade , utilities , government , medicine , and education play central roles in the city 's economy . The first permanent settlement , Ft. Lee , was built in 1788 . In 1791 , Daniel Boone was a member of the Kanawha County Assembly . Charleston is the home of the West Virginia Power minor league baseball team , the West Virginia Wild minor league basketball team , and the annual 15 - mile ( 24 km ) Charleston Distance Run . Yeager Airport and the University of Charleston are also located in the city . West Virginia University , Marshall University , and West Virginia State University also have higher education campuses in the area . Contents ( hide ) 1 History 1.1 Timeline 1.2 Beginnings 1.3 Industrial growth 1.4 Political growth 1.5 20th century 1.6 Modern development 2 Geography 2.1 Communities within Charleston 2.2 Suburbs 2.3 Climate 3 Government 4 Demographics 4.1 2010 census 4.2 2000 census 5 Education 5.1 Former high schools 5.2 Middle schools 5.3 Elementary schools 5.4 Colleges and universities 6 Hospitals 7 Economy 7.1 Notable companies headquartered in the Charleston area 7.2 Notable companies founded in Charleston 7.3 Economic development 8 Culture 8.1 Annual events and fairs 8.2 Historical structures and museums 8.3 Parks and outdoor attractions 8.4 Sports 8.5 Shopping 9 Notable people 10 Media 10.1 Print 10.2 Radio 10.3 Television 11 Infrastructure 11.1 Tallest buildings 11.2 Airports 11.3 Rail 11.4 River 11.5 Roads 11.6 Mass transit 11.7 Taxi service 11.8 Utilities 12 Sister city 13 See also 14 References 15 Bibliography 16 External links History ( edit ) The West Virginia State Capitol Zero Milestone Charleston Town Center Capitol Street in downtown Charleston Kanawha River in downtown Charleston BB&T building on left , Laidley Tower on right Timeline ( edit ) Timeline of Charleston , West Virginia ( show ) 1794 - Virginia `` General Assembly designated 40 - acres of George Clendenin 's land , as Charlestown . '' 1805 - `` Salt - tub mill '' begins operating . 1808 - Farmers ' Repository newspaper begins publication . 1815 - Ruffner Mansion built . 1818 Charlestown renamed `` Charleston . '' Mercer Academy established . 1819 - Spectator newspaper begins publication . 1841 - Kanawha Lyceum active ( approximate date ) . 1850 - Population : 1,050 . 1862 - Battle of Charleston fought near town during the American Civil War . 1863 - June 20 : Charleston becomes part of new U.S. state of West Virginia . 1870 City of Charleston incorporated . Charleston designated West Virginia State Capitol . 1872 - Kanawha Chronicle newspaper begins publication . 1875 - State Capitol moves from Charleston to Wheeling . 1885 State Capitol moves from Wheeling back to Charleston . State Capitol building expanded . 1890 West Virginia Historical and Antiquarian Society headquartered in Charleston . Population : 6,742 . 1891 Burlew Opera House in business . West Virginia Colored Institute founded near Charleston . 1892 - Capitol City Commercial College founded . 1897 - Sacred Heart Church built . 1900 - Chamber of Commerce organized . 1905 - State Bureau of Archives and History headquartered in Charleston . 1906 - Mason School of Music founded . 1909 Charleston Public Library opens . Stalnaker Drugstore in business . 1910 - Population : 22,996 . 1913 - Chemical manufactory begins operating . 1916 - Libbey - Owens - Ford glass manufactory and Charleston High School built . 1917 - Owens Bottle Company manufactory in business in Kanawha City . 1919 - Town of South Charleston incorporated near Charleston . 1920 - Charleston Daily Mail newspaper in publication . 1921 - Charleston City Hall built . 1922 - Kearse Theater in business . 1923 - Sacred Heart High School established . 1925 - West Virginia Governor 's Mansion built . 1927 WCHS radio begins broadcasting . Garnett Library ( public library branch ) opens . Union Carbide manufacturer buys Blaine Island in South Charleston , near city of Charleston . 1929 - Charleston Municipal Airport established . 1930 - Population : 60,408 . 1932 - State Capitol building rebuilt . 1934 - Kanawha County Public Library established . 1935 - Morris Harvey College relocates to Charleston . 1939 Charleston Municipal Auditorium built . WGKV radio begins broadcasting . State Theatre in business . 1940 - Stonewall Jackson High School built . 1941 - Kanawha Boulevard constructed ( approximate date ) . 1947 - Kanawha Airport begins operating . 1954 - WCHS - TV ( television ) begins broadcasting . 1957 - WBOY - TV ( television ) begins broadcasting . 1959 - Charleston Civic Center opens . 1960 - Population : 85,796 . 1961 July 19 : Kanawha River flood . Sunrise Art Museum established . 1978 - Morris Harvey College renamed University of Charleston . 1983 - Charleston Town Center shopping mall in business . 1998 - City website online ( approximate date ) . 2003 - Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia opens . 2010 - Population : 51,400 . 2015 - Charleston Gazette - Mail newspaper is formed by the merger of the Charleston Gazette and Charleston Daily Mail . Beginnings ( edit ) After the American Revolutionary War , pioneers began making their way out from the early settlements . Many slowly migrated into the western part of Virginia . Capitalizing on its many resources made Charleston an important part of Virginia and West Virginia history . Today , Charleston is the largest city in the state and the state capital . Charleston 's history goes back to the 18th century . Thomas Bullitt was deeded 1,250 acres ( 5 km ) of land near the mouth of the Elk River in 1773 . It was inherited by his brother , Cuthbert Bullitt , upon his death in 1778 , and sold to Col. George Clendenin in 1786 . The first permanent settlement , Fort Lee , was built in 1787 by Col. Savannah Clendenin and his company of Virginia Rangers . This structure occupied the area that is now the intersection of Brooks Street and Kanawha Boulevard . Historical conjecture indicates that Charleston is named after Col. Clendenin 's father , Charles . Charles Town was later shortened to Charleston to avoid confusion with another Charles Town in eastern West Virginia , which was named after George Washington 's brother Charles . Six years later , the Virginia General Assembly officially established Charleston . On the 40 acres ( 160,000 m ) that made up the town in 1794 , 35 people inhabited seven houses . Charleston is part of Kanawha County . The origin of the word Kanawha ( pronounced `` Ka - NAH '' ) , `` Ka ( h ) nawha '' , derives from the region 's Iroquois dialects meaning `` water way '' or `` Canoe Way '' implying the metaphor , `` transport way '' , in the local language . It was and is the name of the river that flows through Charleston . The grammar of the `` hard H '' sound soon dropped out as new arrivals of various European languages developed West Virginia . The phrase has been a matter of Register ( sociolinguistics ) . In fact , a two - story jail was the first county structure ever built , with the first floor literally dug into the bank of the Kanawha River . Daniel Boone , who was commissioned a lieutenant colonel of the Kanawha County militia , was elected to serve in 1791 in the Virginia House of Delegates . As told in historical accounts , Boone walked all the way to Richmond . Industrial growth ( edit ) By the early 19th century , salt brines were discovered along the Kanawha River and the first salt well was drilled in 1806 . This created a prosperous time and great economic growth for the area . By 1808 , 1,250 pounds of salt were being produced a day . An area adjacent to Charleston , Kanawha Salines , now Malden , would become the top salt producer in the world . In 1818 , Kanawha Salt Company , first trust in United States , went into operation . Captain James Wilson , while drilling for salt , struck the first natural gas well in 1815 . It was drilled at the site that is now the junction of Brooks Street and Kanawha Boulevard ( near the present - day state capitol complex . ) In 1817 , coal was first discovered and gradually became used as the fuel for the salt works . The Kanawha salt industry declined in importance after 1861 , until the onset of World War I brought a demand for chemical products . The chemicals needed were chlorine and sodium hydroxide , which could be made from salt brine . Political growth ( edit ) The town continued to grow until the Civil War began in 1861 . The state of Virginia seceded from the Union , and Charleston was divided between Union and Confederate loyalty . On September 13 , 1862 , the Union and Confederate Armies met in the Battle of Charleston . Although the Confederate States Army was victorious , occupation of the city was short - lived . Union troops returned just six weeks later and stayed through the end of the war . The Northern hold on Charleston and most of the western part of Virginia created an even larger problem . Virginia already had seceded from the Union , but the western part was under Union control . The issue of statehood was raised . So amid the tumultuous Civil War , West Virginia officially became a state through Presidential Proclamation . Abraham Lincoln declared the northwestern portion of Virginia to be returned to the Union , and on June 20 , 1863 , West Virginia became the 35th state . In addition to the issue of slavery , West Virginia was also driven to separate from Virginia for economic reasons . The heavy industries in the North , particularly the steel business of the upper Ohio River region , were dependent on the coal available from western Virginia mines . Federalized military units were dispatched from Ohio to western Virginia early in the war to secure access to the coal mines and transportation resources . Although the state now existed , settling on a state capital location proved to be difficult . For several years , the capital of West Virginia intermittently traveled between Wheeling and Charleston . In 1877 , however , state citizens voted on the final location of their capital . Charleston received 41,243 votes , Clarksburg received 29,442 and Martinsburg received 8,046 . Wheeling was not an available option for voting . Charleston was chosen and eight years later , the first capitol building was opened . After a fire in 1921 , a hastily built structure was opened but burned down in 1927 . However , a Capitol Building Commission , created by the Legislature in 1921 , authorized construction of the present capitol . Architect Cass Gilbert designed the buff Indiana limestone structure , in the Italian Renaissance style , that was to have a final cost of just under $10 million . After the three stages of construction were completed , Governor William G. Conley dedicated the West Virginia State Capitol on June 20 , 1932 . 20th century ( edit ) Charleston became the center for state government . Natural resources , such as coal and natural gas , along with railroad expansion also contributed to growth . New industries , such as chemical , glass , timber and steel migrated to the state , attracted by the area 's natural resources . There was a huge amount of new construction in Charleston . A number of those buildings , including churches and office buildings , still stand in the heart of downtown along and bordering Capitol Street . During World War II , the first and largest styrene - butadiene plant in the U.S. opened in nearby Institute , providing a replacement for rubber to the war effort . After the war ended , Charleston was on the brink of some significant construction . One of the first during this period was Kanawha Airport ( now Yeager Airport , named after General Chuck Yeager ) , which was perhaps one of the most phenomenal engineering accomplishments of its time . Built in 1947 , the construction encompassed clearing 360 acres ( 1.5 km ) on three mountaintops moving more than nine million cubic yards of earth . The Charleston Civic Center opened in 1959 . Charleston began to be integrated into the Interstate Highway System in the 1960s when three major interstate systems -- I - 64 , I - 77 and I - 79 were designated , all converging in Charleston . Modern development ( edit ) In 1983 , the Charleston Town Center opened its doors downtown . It was the largest urban - based mall east of the Mississippi River , featuring three stories of shops and eateries . Downtown revitalization began in earnest in the late 1980s as well . Funds were set aside for streetscaping as Capitol and Quarrier Streets saw new building facades , trees along the streets , and brick walkways installed . For a time , the opening of the Charleston Town Center Mall had a somewhat negative impact on the main streets of downtown Charleston , as many businesses closed and relocated into the mall . For a while , the downtown business district ( outside of the mall ) had a `` ghost town '' feel to it which took several years to turn around . Today , Capitol Street , Hale Street , and other bordering streets are an eclectic mixture of restaurants , shops , businesses and services that many call the centerpiece of downtown . The new Robert C. Byrd Federal Building , Haddad Riverfront Park and Capitol Market are just a few new developments that have helped growth in the downtown area during the 1990s . Charleston also became known as one of the premiere healthcare spots in the state . Along with ambitious thinking , plans for even new entertainment and business venues kept Charleston moving along at a steady pace . In 1983 , WV Public Radio launched a live - performance radio program statewide called Mountain Stage . What began as a live , monthly statewide broadcast went on to national distribution in 1986 . Now in its 34th season , Mountain Stage with Larry Groce records 26 two - hour programs each year , mostly at the Cultural Center Theater in Charleston , and is heard on over 100 radio stations through National Public Radio and around the world on the Voice of America satellite service . 2003 marked the opening of the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences . The center includes The Maier Foundation Performance Hall , The Walker Theatre , The Avampato Discovery Museum and an art museum . Also on site is The ElectricSky Theater , which is a 175 - seat combination planetarium and dome - screen cinema . Movies shown at the theatre include educational large format ( 70 mm ) presentations , and are often seen in similar Omnimax theatres . Planetarium shows are staged as a combination of pre-recorded and live presentations . Many festivals and events were also incorporated into the calendar , including Multifest , Vandalia Festival , a July 4 celebration with fireworks at Haddad Riverfront Park , and the already popular Sternwheel Regatta , which was founded in 1970 , provided a festive atmosphere for residents to enjoy . In 2005 FestivALL Charleston was established and has grown into a ten - day festival offering a variety of performances , events and exhibits in music , dance , theatre , visual arts and other entertainments . Charleston West Virginia has one central agency for its economic development efforts , the Charleston Area Alliance . The Alliance works with local public officials and the private sector to build the economy of the region and revitalize its downtown . Charleston also has an economic and community development organization focused on the East End and West Side urban neighborhood business districts , Charleston Main Streets . Geography ( edit ) Photograph of Charleston West Virginia taken from the International Space Station ( ISS ) Map of Charleston and vicinity . Charleston is located at 38 ° 20 ′ 58 '' N 81 ° 38 ′ 0 '' W  /  38.34944 ° N 81.63333 ° W  / 38.34944 ; - 81.63333 ( 38.349497 , - 81.633294 ) . It lies within the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 32.66 square miles ( 84.59 km ) , of which , 31.52 square miles ( 81.64 km ) is land and 1.14 square miles ( 2.95 km ) is water . The city lies at the intersection of Interstates 79 , 77 , 64 , and also where the Kanawha and Elk Rivers meet . Charleston is about 162 miles ( 261 km ) southeast of Columbus , Ohio , 315 miles ( 507 km ) west of Richmond , Virginia , 228 miles ( 367 km ) southwest of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , 247 miles ( 398 km ) east of Louisville , Kentucky , 264 miles ( 425 km ) north of Charlotte , North Carolina , 252 miles ( 406 km ) south of Cleveland , Ohio , and 210 miles ( 340 km ) southeast of Cincinnati , Ohio . Communities within Charleston ( edit ) The following are neighborhoods and communities within the city limits : Charleston Heights ( Westmoreland / Hillsdale ) East End Edgewood Elk City Forest Hills Fort Hill Kanawha City Louden Heights North Charleston Riverview Shadowlawn South Park South Hills South Ruffner West Side Suburbs ( edit ) The following communities are within the greater Charleston area : Alum Creek Belle Cabin Creek Campbells Creek Chelyan Clendenin Chesapeake Coal Fork Cross Lanes Diamond Dunbar Dupont City East Bank Elkview Institute Malden Marmet Mink Shoals Nitro Pinch Pocatalico Pratt Quick Rand St. Albans Scott Depot Sissonville South Charleston Upper Falls Climate ( edit ) Charleston has a four - season humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ) with continental climate ( Dfa ) elements . Especially in winter , Charleston 's average temperatures are warmer than the rest of the state , due to the city being west of the higher elevations . Spring is the most unpredictable season , and spring - like weather usually arrives in late March or early April . From the beginning of March through early May , temperatures can vary considerably and it is not unusual at this time for day - to - day temperature fluctuations to exceed 20 ° F ( 11 ° C ) . Temperatures warm up considerably in late May , with warm summer - like days . Summer is warm to hot , with 23 days of highs at or above 90 ° F ( 32.2 ° C ) , sometimes reaching 95 ° F ( 35 ° C ) , often accompanied by high humidity . Autumn features crisp evenings that warm quickly to mild to warm afternoons . Winters are chilly , with a January daily average of 34.4 ° F ( 1.3 ° C ) , but with occasional stretches of 50 ° F ( 10 ° C ) + temperatures , and sub-0 ° F ( − 17.8 ° C ) lows are rare . Snowfall generally occurs from late November to early April , with the heaviest period being January and February . However , major snowstorms of more than 10 inches ( 25 cm ) are rare . The area averages about 3.5 inches ( 89 mm ) of precipitation each month . Thunderstorms are frequent during the late spring and throughout the summer , and occasionally they can be quite severe , producing the rare tornado . Extremes have ranged from − 17 ° F ( − 27 ° C ) in December 1917 to 108 ° F ( 42 ° C ) in July 1931 and August 1918 . ( show ) Climate data for Charleston , West Virginia ( Yeager Airport ) , 1981 -- 2010 normals Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 81 ( 27 ) 80 ( 27 ) 92 ( 33 ) 96 ( 36 ) 98 ( 37 ) 105 ( 41 ) 108 ( 42 ) 108 ( 42 ) 104 ( 40 ) 96 ( 36 ) 87 ( 31 ) 80 ( 27 ) 108 ( 42 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 42.5 ( 5.8 ) 46.6 ( 8.1 ) 56.2 ( 13.4 ) 67.7 ( 19.8 ) 74.8 ( 23.8 ) 82.2 ( 27.9 ) 85.2 ( 29.6 ) 84.2 ( 29 ) 77.8 ( 25.4 ) 67.7 ( 19.8 ) 57.0 ( 13.9 ) 45.6 ( 7.6 ) 65.6 ( 18.7 ) Daily mean ° F ( ° C ) 34.4 ( 1.3 ) 37.7 ( 3.2 ) 45.8 ( 7.7 ) 56.1 ( 13.4 ) 63.7 ( 17.6 ) 71.9 ( 22.2 ) 75.4 ( 24.1 ) 74.3 ( 23.5 ) 67.3 ( 19.6 ) 56.5 ( 13.6 ) 47.0 ( 8.3 ) 37.4 ( 3 ) 55.7 ( 13.2 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 26.3 ( − 3.2 ) 28.7 ( − 1.8 ) 35.4 ( 1.9 ) 44.5 ( 6.9 ) 52.7 ( 11.5 ) 61.6 ( 16.4 ) 65.7 ( 18.7 ) 64.5 ( 18.1 ) 56.9 ( 13.8 ) 45.4 ( 7.4 ) 36.9 ( 2.7 ) 29.2 ( − 1.6 ) 45.7 ( 7.6 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) − 16 ( − 27 ) − 12 ( − 24 ) − 5 ( − 21 ) 18 ( − 8 ) 26 ( − 3 ) 33 ( 1 ) 46 ( 8 ) 41 ( 5 ) 32 ( 0 ) 17 ( − 8 ) 6 ( − 14 ) − 17 ( − 27 ) − 17 ( − 27 ) Average precipitation inches ( mm ) 3.00 ( 76.2 ) 3.18 ( 80.8 ) 3.90 ( 99.1 ) 3.23 ( 82 ) 4.80 ( 121.9 ) 4.28 ( 108.7 ) 4.94 ( 125.5 ) 3.74 ( 95 ) 3.25 ( 82.6 ) 2.68 ( 68.1 ) 3.73 ( 94.7 ) 3.26 ( 82.8 ) 43.99 ( 1,117.4 ) Average snowfall inches ( cm ) 11.5 ( 29.2 ) 9.6 ( 24.4 ) 5.6 ( 14.2 ) 1.5 ( 3.8 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) . 1 ( 0.3 ) 1.3 ( 3.3 ) 6.7 ( 17 ) 36.3 ( 92.2 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 15.0 13.4 14.4 13.6 14.1 12.7 12.1 10.3 9.3 9.7 11.7 14.4 150.8 Average snowy days ( ≥ 0.1 in ) 8.5 6.7 3.5 . 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.5 5.4 26.5 Source : NOAA ( extremes 1892 − present ) , Weather.com Government ( edit ) Charleston City Hall , West Virginia , in 2009 Charleston functions under the Mayor - Council form of city government . The Mayor is the designated Chief Executive Officer of the city with the duty to see that all of the laws and ordinances of the city are enforced . The Mayor gives general supervision over all executive departments , offices and agencies of the city government and is the presiding officer of the Council and a voting member thereof . The current mayor is an Independent , Danny Jones , who was elected in 2003 , and re-elected in 2007 , 2011 and 2015 . Jones was elected all four times as a Republican , but he announced on June 17 , 2016 , that he had decided to leave the Republican Party and register unaffiliated . Charleston also has a City Manager who is appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Council . The City Manager has supervision and control of the executive work and management of the heads of all departments under his control as directed by the Mayor , makes all contracts for labor and supplies , and generally has the responsibility for all of the business and administrative work of the city . With twenty - six members , the Charleston City Council is somewhat larger than usual for a city with a population of less than 50,000 . Twenty of the council members are elected from a specific ward within the city , and an additional six members are elected by the city at - large . General Elections for Mayor , City Council and other city officers take place in May every four years ( Primary Elections are held in March ) . The most recent election was in May 2015 . List of mayors of Charleston , West Virginia ( show ) Jacob Goshorn , 1861 ( elected but did not serve ) John A. Truslow , circa 1865 John Williams George Ritter , 1868 - 1869 John W. Wingfield , 1870 H. Clay Dickinson , 1871 ( died in office ) John P. Hale , 1871 John Williams , 1872 C.P. Snyder , 1873 John D. White , 1874 John C. Ruby , 1875 - 1876 C.J. Botkin , 1877 - 1881 R.R. Delaney , 1881 - 1882 John D. Baines , 1883 - 1884 James Hall Huling , 1885 - 1886 Joseph L. Fry , 1887 - 1890 James B. Pemberton , 1891 - 1892 E.W. Staunton , 1893 - 1894 J.A. deGruyter , 1895 - 1898 W. Herman Smith , 1899 - 1900 ( died in office ) John B. Floyd , 1900 - 1901 George S. Morgan , 1901 - C.E. Rudesill John A. Jarrett James A. Holley William W. Wertz , 1929 R.P. DeVan , 1934 D. Boone Dawson , 1935 - 1947 R. Carl Andrews , 1947 - 1950 John T. Copenhaver , 1951 - 1959 John A. Shanklin , 1959 - 1967 Elmer H. Dodson , 1967 - 1971 John G. Hutchinson , 1971 - 1980 Joe F. Smith , 1980 - 1983 James E. Roark , 1983 - 1987 Charles R. Gardner , 1989 Kemp Melton , circa 1990s Jay Goldman , circa 2000 - 2003 Danny Jones , 2003 - Demographics ( edit ) Historical population Census Pop . % ± 1850 1,050 -- 1860 1,520 44.8 % 1870 3,162 108.0 % 1880 4,192 32.6 % 1890 6,742 60.8 % 1900 11,099 64.6 % 1910 22,996 107.2 % 1920 39,608 72.2 % 1930 60,408 52.5 % 1940 67,914 12.4 % 1950 73,501 8.2 % 1960 85,796 16.7 % 1970 71,505 − 16.7 % 1980 63,968 − 10.5 % 57,287 − 10.4 % 2000 53,421 − 6.7 % 51,400 − 3.8 % Est. 2016 49,138 − 4.4 % U.S. Decennial Census 2014 Estimate DownTown 2010 Census ( edit ) As of the census of 2010 , there were 51,400 people , 23,453 households , and 12,587 families residing in the city . The population density was 1,630.7 inhabitants per square mile ( 629.6 / km ) . There were 26,205 housing units at an average density of 831.4 per square mile ( 321.0 / km ) . The racial makeup of the city was 78.4 % White , 15.5 % African American , 0.2 % Native American , 2.3 % Asian , 0.3 % from other races , and 3.2 % from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4 % of the population . There were 23,453 households of which 24.6 % had children under the age of 18 living with them , 35.6 % were married couples living together , 14.1 % had a female householder with no husband present , 3.9 % had a male householder with no wife present , and 46.3 % were non-families. 39.4 % of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5 % had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older . The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.83 . The median age in the city was 41.7 years . 20.1 % of residents were under the age of 18 ; 9 % were between the ages of 18 and 24 ; 24.9 % were from 25 to 44 ; 29.9 % were from 45 to 64 ; and 16.1 % were 65 years of age or older . The gender makeup of the city was 47.6 % male and 52.4 % female . 2000 Census ( edit ) As of the census of 2000 , there were 53,421 people , 24,505 households , and 13,624 families residing in the city . The population density was 1,690.4 people per square mile ( 652.7 / km2 ) . There were 27,131 housing units at an average density of 858.5 per square mile ( 331.5 / km2 ) . The racial makeup of the city was 80.63 % White , 15.07 % Black or African American , 0.24 % Native American , 1.83 % Asian , 0.03 % Pacific Islander , 0.30 % from other races , and 1.91 % from two or more races. 0.81 % of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race . The five most common ancestries were German ( 12.4 % ) , English ( 11.6 % ) , American ( 11.4 % ) , Irish ( 10.6 % ) , and Italian ( 3.9 % ) . There were 24,505 households out of which 23.7 % had children under the age of 18 living with them , 38.9 % were married couples living together , 13.5 % had a female householder with no husband present , and 44.4 % were non-families. 38.9 % of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5 % had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older . The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.82 . The age distribution was 20.7 % under 18 , 8.4 % from 18 to 24 , 27.9 % from 25 to 44 , 25.3 % from 45 to 64 , and 17.6 % who were 65 or older . The median age was 41 years . For every 100 females there were 87.3 males . For every 100 females age 18 and over , there were 83.7 males . The median income for a household in the city was $34,009 , and the median income for a family was $47,975 . Males had a median income of $38,257 versus $26,671 for females . The per capita income for the city was $26,017 . About 12.7 % of families and 16.7 % of the population were below the poverty line , including 24.5 % of those under age 18 and 11.3 % of those age 65 or over . Education ( edit ) The city of Charleston has numerous schools that are part of Kanawha County Schools . The three high schools are : Capital High School , a public school located in the community of Meadowbrook . It was established by the consolidation of Charleston High School and Stonewall Jackson High School . It opened in 1989 . George Washington High School , a public school located in the South Hills neighborhood . It opened in 1964 . Charleston Catholic High School , a Catholic school at the eastern edge of the city 's downtown . It opened in 1923 . Former High schools ( edit ) Charleston High School , located across the street from where CAMC General Hospital is located . It was founded in 1916 and closed in 1989 . Stonewall Jackson High School , located on the West Side . It was founded in 1940 and closed in 1989 to become a middle school . Middle schools ( edit ) Stonewall Jackson Middle School on the West Side . John Adams Middle School in South Hills . Horace Mann Middle School in Kanawha City . Elementary schools ( edit ) Chamberlain Elementary School Edgewood Elementary School Elk Elementary School Grandview Elementary School Holz Elementary School Kanawha City Elementary School Kenna Elementary School Piedmont Elementary School Overbrook Elementary School Ruffner Elementary School Shoals Elementary School Weberwood Elementary School Bible Center School ( Private - Christian / Non-Denominational ) Charleston Montessori School ( Private - Non-Sectarian ) Mountaineer Montessori School ( Private - Non-Sectarian ) Sacred Heart School ( Private - Catholic ) St. Agnes School ( Private - Catholic ) Montrose Elementary School Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary School Colleges and universities ( edit ) Charleston hosts a branch campus of West Virginia University that serves as a clinical campus for the university 's medical and dental schools . Students at either school must complete their class work at the main campus in Morgantown but can complete their clinical rotations at hospitals in Morgantown , the Eastern Panhandle , or Charleston . Students from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine may also complete their clinical rotations at the branch campus , after completing their first two academic years at the main campus in Lewisburg . The city is also home to a 1,000 - student private college , the University of Charleston , formerly Morris Harvey College . The college is located on MacCorkle Avenue along the banks of the Kanawha River in the community of South Ruffner . Located within the immediate area are West Virginia State University in Institute , BridgeValley Community and Technical College -- South Charleston Campus , and the Marshall University -- South Charleston Campus , both in South Charleston . The region is also home to the Charleston Branch of the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing , an independent program administered by Marshall University ; it provides access to computer numerical control ( CNC ) equipment for businesses in two states . Located approximately 30 miles ( 50 km ) from Charleston , West Virginia University Institute of Technology has its campus in Montgomery , West Virginia . West Virginia University Institute of Technology is the largest regional campus of the University and focuses mainly on engineering programs . BridgeValley Community and Technical College -- Montgomery Campus is also located in Montgomery . Charleston is also home to West Virginia Junior College 's Charleston campus . Located in downtown Charleston at 1000 Virginia Street , WV Junior College is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to award diplomas and associate degrees . Part of the Kanawha Valley for almost 115 years , WV Junior College was originally established as Capitol City Commercial College on September 1 , 1892 . The College was originally established to train students in secretarial and business skills and has undergone changes in location and curriculum through the years . Hospitals ( edit ) CAMC ( Charleston Area Medical Center ) a complex of hospitals throughout the city . CAMC Memorial Hospital ( located in the Kanawha City neighborhood ) CAMC General Hospital ( located in eastern downtown ) CAMC Women and Children 's Hospital ( located on the banks of the Elk River in downtown ) Saint Francis Hospital ( located in downtown ) Economy ( edit ) Notable companies headquartered in the Charleston area ( edit ) Appalachian Power , owned by American Electric Power of Columbus , Ohio Mountaineer Gas Company City Holding Company ( City National Bank ) Charleston Newspapers GESTAMP MATRIC ( Mid-Atlantic Technology , Research and Innovation Center ) ( South Charleston ) Mountain Stage Radio Show , produced by WV Public Broadcasting Tudor 's Biscuit World ( Nitro ) United Bank of West Virginia , Inc . Walker Machinery located in Belle West Virginia - American Water Company Notable companies founded in Charleston ( edit ) Shoney 's restaurants Heck 's / L.A. Joe discount department stores Economic development ( edit ) The City of Charleston recognizes the Charleston Area Alliance as its economic development organization . Culture ( edit ) Annual events and fairs ( edit ) Charleston is home to numerous annual events and fairs that take place throughout the city , from the banks of the Kanawha River to the capitol grounds . The West Virginia Dance Festival , held between April 25 and 30 , features dance students from across the state that attend classes and workshops in ballet , jazz and modern dance . At the finale , the students perform in the West Virginia State Theatre ; these are free to the public . Beginning in 1982 , Symphony Sunday , held annually usually the first weekend in June , is a full day of music , food , and family fun , culminating in a free performance by the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and a fireworks display following . Throughout the day , local performing community dance and music ensembles present a series of their own selected pieces with the final performance being by the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra . The local performing community dance and music ensembles that perform for Symphony Sunday include the Kanawha Valley Ringers , the West Virginia Kickers , the Charleston Metro Band , the West Virginia Youth Symphony , the Mountain State Brass Band , and the Kanawha Valley Community Band . The now defunct Charleston Neophonic Orchestra has also performed at the event . The NPR program Mountain Stage was founded in Charleston in 1983 . The live performance music program , produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting , and heard on the Voice of America and via NPR Music , records episodes regularly at the Culture Center Theater on the West Virginia State Capitol grounds . Twice a year , in late April and again in early November , the West Virginia International Film Festival occurs , where many domestic and international films are shown that range from full - length feature films , shorts , documentaries , animation and student films . Charleston hosts the annual Gazette - Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival for the eight public high schools in Kanawha County . The festival began in 1947 and has continued on as an annual tradition . The festival is held at the University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field in downtown Charleston . It is the state 's oldest music festival . On Memorial Day weekend , the Vandalia Gathering is held on the grounds of the state capitol . Thousands of visitors each year enjoy traditional music , art , dance , stories , crafts and food that stems from the `` uniqueness of West Virginia 's mountain culture . '' Since 2005 FestivALL has provided the Charleston area with cultural and artistic events beginning on June 20 ( West Virginia Day ) and including dance , theater , and music . FestivALL provides local artists a valuable chance to display their works and help get others interested in , and involved with , the local artistic community . Highlights include an art fair on Capitol Street and local bands playing live music at stages set up throughout downtown , as well as a wine and jazz festival on the campus of the University of Charleston featuring local and nationally known jazz artists and showcasing the products of West Virginia vineyards . The Charleston Sternwheel Regatta founded in 1970 , is a former annual event that was held on Labor Day weekend of each year . The event had carnival style rides and attractions and live music from local and nationally known bands . It was held on the Kanawha Boulevard by Haddad Riverfront Park on the Kanawha River . The event started the Wednesday before Labor Day Weekend and ended the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend with a fireworks show on Sunday evening . Due to political differences between local sternwheel owners and factions of city government , sternwheel attendance declined in recent years . Once a promising regatta , rivaling Tall Stacks in Cincinnati , it was discontinued after the 2008 festival season . Charleston , home to the largest population of privately owned sternwheel vessels in the United States is the only city in the region not home to an annual river festival . Historical structures and museums ( edit ) Kanawha County Courthouse Charleston possesses a number of older buildings which represent a variety of historical architectural styles . About fifty places in Charleston are included on the National Register of Historic Places . A segment of the East End consisting of several blocks of both Virginia and Quarrier Streets , encompassing an area of nearly a full square mile , has been officially designated as a historical neighborhood . This residential neighborhood has many houses dating from the late 19th and early 20th century as well as a few art deco style apartment buildings dating from the 1920s and early 30s . Security Building Downtown Charleston is home to several commercial buildings that are between 80 and 115 years old , including such notable structures as the Security Building ( corner of Virginia and Capitol Street ) , 405 Capitol Street ( the former Daniel Boone Hotel ) , the Union Building ( at the southern end of Capitol Street ) , the Kanawha County Courthouse , the Public Library ( corner of Capitol and Quarrier Streets ) and the Masonic Temple ( corner of Virginia and Dickenson Street ) . Also of note are several historic churches grouped closely together in a neighborhood just to the east of downtown ; Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart ( one of the two cathedrals of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling - Charleston ) , First Presbyterian Church , Kanawha United Presbyterian Church , St. John 's Episcopal Church , Charleston Baptist Temple , St. Paul 's Evangelical Lutheran Church , and Christ Church United Methodist . Additional historic buildings can be found throughout the city , particularly in the broader East End , the West Side and Kanawha City . Some of these buildings include : Avampato Discovery Museum -- ( Part of the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences . ) Sunrise Museum -- ( Now part of the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences . ) West Virginia State Museum South Charleston Museum -- ( Located in South Charleston . ) St. George Orthodox Cathedral , founded in 1892 . St. Marks United Methodist Church The Capitol Theater Woman 's Club of Charleston Parks and outdoor attractions ( edit ) University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field -- Used for football , soccer , track , and festivals Appalachian Power Park -- Stadium of the West Virginia Power Cato Park -- Charleston 's largest municipal park , including a golf course , Olympic - size swimming pool and picnic areas Pickle Park -- Includes swimming pool , boathouse , clubhouse with dining facilities , tennis courts , putt putt golf , an 18 - hole par 3 golf course , driving range , and fishing lake . Schoenbaum Soccer Field and Amphitheatre inside the park is the home of the West Virginia Chaos soccer team Daniel Boone Park -- A 4 - acre ( 16,000 m ) park with a boat ramp , fishing and picnic facilities Danner Meadow Park Kanawha State Forest -- ( A 9,300 - acre ( 38 km ) forest , including 46 campsites ( located in the community of Loudendale ) ) Little Creek Park -- Used for soccer , baseball , softball , basketball , tennis , disc golf and soapbox derbies . Picnic facilities are also available . Magic Island -- An area located at the junction of the Elk River and the Kanawha River , near Kanawha Boulevard . Davis Park Haddad Riverfront Park Ruffner Park Shawnee Park Sports ( edit ) Club Sport Founded League Venue West Virginia Power Baseball 2005 South Atlantic League ( Class - A ) Appalachian Power Park West Virginia Chaos Soccer 2003 USL Premier Development League Schoenbaum Stadium West Virginia Wildfire Women 's American football 2008 Women 's Spring Football League TBA The West Virginia Chaos is a soccer team that plays its home games at Schoenbaum Stadium in Charleston . The team plays in the USL Premier Development League ( PDL ) -- the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid -- in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . Shopping ( edit ) The Charleston Town Center opened in 1983 , the Town Center Mall is a three - story shopping and dining facility , with 130 specialty stores . Macy 's and J.C. Penney are the mall 's current anchor stores . The fourth anchor pad is occupied by the headquarters for BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co. , a private West Virginia -- based workers ' compensation insurance carrier . There are also six major restaurants located on street level and 12 fast food restaurants representing the food court , located on the third floor of the mall . There are five major shopping plazas located in Charleston , two in the Kanawha City neighborhood - The Shops at Kanawha and Kanawha Landing along with three in the Southridge area , divided between Charleston and South Charleston -- Southridge Centre , Dudley Farms Plaza , and The Shops at Trace Fork . Major stores include The Shops at Kanawha plaza , Southridge Centre plaza , Dudley Farms Plaza , and The Shops at Trace Fork plaza . Notable people ( edit ) Jim Justice , Governor of West Virginia Diplomat and attorney Harriet C. Babbitt , born in Charleston Olympic shotput gold and silver medalist Randy Barnes MMA fighter Brian Bowles , bantamweight champion Extreme metal band Byzantine formed and based in Charleston Professional wrestler Kevin Canady , founder of IWA East Coast Actress Jean Carson Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers H. Rodgin Cohen , banker Newspaper publisher and U.S. Senator William E. Chilton Chemist Basudeb DasSarma Actor Douglas Dick Classical composer George Crumb was born in Charleston Actress Conchata Ferrell William Frischkorn , cyclist Actress and Alias star Jennifer Garner was born in Houston , moved with her family to Princeton , West Virginia , then Charleston as a child and grew up there , graduating from city 's George Washington High School Alexis Hornbuckle , professional basketball player , NCAA champion at Tennessee Professional baseball player and coach J.R. House Basketball player and broadcaster Hot Rod Hundley John G. Hutchinson , mayor 1971 - 80 Televangelist T.D. Jakes was born and raised in adjacent city of South Charleston ; ministry was based in suburban community of Cross Lanes Soap opera actress Lesli Kay who has appeared on As the World Turns , General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful George King , NBA player and head coach of West Virginia and Purdue Former Major League Baseball player and current sportscaster John Kruk was born in Charleston , but grew up in Keyser in state 's Eastern Panhandle Special effects artist Robert `` RJ '' Haddy was born and resides in Charleston Actress Allison Hayes Actress Ann Magnuson Country singer Kathy Mattea was born in South Charleston , lived in Cross Lanes , graduating from Nitro High School NASA astronaut Jon McBride was born in Charleston George Armitage Miller , one of the founders of the field of cognitive psychology , was born here . Would - be presidential assassin Sara Jane Moore was born in Charleston National Football League player Randy Moss grew up in Rand , adjacent to Malden , graduating from DuPont High School , which is now Dupont Middle School . Actor Nick Nolte lived in the South Hills neighborhood of Charleston during the 1980s National Football League player Rick Nuzum was born in Charleston Pop singer Caroline Peyton Phil Pfister , winner of strongest man competition , is a firefighter for CFD Creator of Droodles and television personality Roger Price Actress Kristen Ruhlin Civil rights activist Rev. Leon Sullivan was born in Charleston NFL player Russ Thomas , general manager of Detroit Lions 1967 - 89 , attended high school in Charleston Actor and True Blood star Sam Trammell was born in New Orleans , but grew up in Charleston , graduating from city 's George Washington High School For a time , Booker T. Washington , the writer , educator , and early civil rights leader , lived in Malden , just upriver from Charleston Tennis player Anne White attended John Adams Junior High School and graduated from George Washington High School . Miami Heat point guard Jason Williams , who grew up in Belle in the same vicinity , was a high school teammate of Moss Daniel Webster , longest - serving Florida legislator , was born in Charleston Athlete and coach Harry Young , member of College Football Hall of Fame Media ( edit ) See also : List of newspapers in West Virginia , List of radio stations in West Virginia , and List of television stations in West Virginia Print ( edit ) Charleston 's only major newspaper is the Charleston Gazette - Mail . Radio ( edit ) Charleston has a total of 11 radio stations ( AM and FM ) licensed in the city . Most of the stations are owned either by the West Virginia Radio Corporation or by the Bristol Broadcasting Company . Call sign Frequency Format Description / Notes WCHS * 580 AM News / Talk 58 WCHS WKAZ * 680 AM Oldies The Oldies format was formerly on 107.3 . WBES * 950 AM Sportstalk WSWW * 1490 AM Sports ESPN 1490 WVPB * 88.5 FM Public Radio NPR News , Classical Music , Mountain Stage , and other local and national programs . WKVW 93.3 FM KLOVE Contemporary Christian WXAF * 90.9 FM Religious WZAC - FM 92.5 FM Classic Country WYNL 94.5 FM Contemporary Christian New Life Ninety Four Five WKWS * 96.1 FM Country 96.1 The Wolf . The station plays mostly country music , but also has a mix of Southern rock . WQBE - FM * 97.5 FM Country 97.5 WQBE . The Charleston MSA 's # 1 rated radio station , according to Arbitron . WRVZ 98.7 FM Rhythmic Top 40 98.7 The Beat . Despite the station 's low ERP , it still competes well with Electric 102.7 . WVAF * 99.9 FM Adult Contemporary V - 100 WMXE 100.9 FM Classic Hits 100.9 The Mix WVSR - FM * 102.7 FM Top 40 Electric 102.7 WKLC - FM 105.1 FM Rock Rock 105 WAMX 106.3 FM Rock X 106.3 WKAZ - FM 107.3 FM Variety Hits Tailgate 107.3 * represents radio stations that are licensed to the city of Charleston . Television ( edit ) The Charleston -- Huntington TV market , is the second largest television market ( in terms of area ) east of the Mississippi River and 64th largest in terms of households in the US serving counties in central West Virginia , eastern Kentucky , and southern Ohio . There are four VHF and ten UHF television stations in the market . Call sign Channel Description WSAZ Huntington ( NBC ) / ( MyNetworkTV on DT2 ) WCHS - TV 8 Charleston ( ABC ) WVAH 11 Charleston ( Fox ) WOWK 13 Charleston ( CBS ) WOUB 20 Athens , Ohio ( PBS ) WOCW - LP 21 Charleston ( The CW ) WKPI 22 Pikeville , Kentucky ( PBS / KET ) WKAS 25 Ashland , Kentucky ( PBS / KET ) WLPX 29 Hurricane ( ION ) WQCW 30 Portsmouth , Ohio ( The CW ) WVPB 33 Charleston ( PBS ) WPBO 42 Portsmouth , Ohio ( PBS ) WVCW - LP 45 Huntington ( The CW ) WYMT 57 Hazard , Kentucky ( CBS ) WTSF 61 Ashland , Kentucky ( Daystar ) Infrastructure ( edit ) Tallest buildings ( edit ) Downtown Charleston as viewed from the south bank of the Kanawha River in 2007 . Kanawha Valley Building There are 21 high - rise buildings located in Charleston . Laidley Tower is the tallest structure in the downtown area . Tallest buildings Name Stories Height West Virginia State Capitol 292 ft ( 89 m ) Laidley Tower 18 ( 22 total ) 256 ft ( 78 m ) BB&T Square 18 250 ft ( 76.2 m ) Kanawha Valley Building 20 238 ft ( 73 m ) Chase Tower 20 230 ft ( 70 m ) Huntington Square 17 207 ft ( 63.1 m ) Dow Chemical Building 14 206 ft. ( 63 m ) United Center 12 205 ft ( 62.5 m ) Columbia Gas Transmission Building ( Tower 2 ) 13 200 ft ( 61 m ) AT&T Building 15 195 ft ( 60 m ) Imperial Tower 19 191 ft ( 58 m ) City Center West 13 186 ft ( 57 m ) Union Building 14 183 ft ( 56 m ) Columbia Gas Transmission Building ( Tower 1 ) 12 177 ft ( 54 m ) Charleston Marriott Town Center 16 175 ft ( 53.3 m ) 405 Capitol Street Building 12 136 ft ( 41 m ) Carroll Terrace 13 ? ft ( ? m ) Holiday Inn Charleston House 12 ? ft ( ? m ) Boulevard Tower 12 ? ft ( ? m ) Jarrett Terrace 12 ? ft ( ? m ) Security Building 11 ? ft ( ? m ) Airports ( edit ) Yeager Airport is West Virginia 's largest airport serving more than twice as many passengers as all other WV airports combined . It is located 2 - mile ( 3 km ) north of Interstate 64 and Interstate 77 , accessible via WV 114 . Rail ( edit ) See also : Charleston , West Virginia ( Amtrak station ) Amtrak , the national passenger rail service , provides tri-weekly service to Charleston via the Cardinal routes . The Amtrak station is on the south side of the Kanawha River , at 350 MacCorkle Avenue near downtown . River ( edit ) The Elk River near its mouth in Charleston in 2001 . Interstate 64 crosses the Kanawha River four times as it passes through the Charleston metropolitan area . The Elk River flows into the Kanawha River in downtown Charleston . Roads ( edit ) Interstate 64 crosses through downtown Charleston on a viaduct . Main article : Roads of Charleston , West Virginia Charleston is served by Interstate 64 , Interstate 77 , and Interstate 79 . The West Virginia Turnpike 's northern terminus is at the southeastern end of the city . Two U.S. routes , US 60 , and US 119 , cut through the city center . US 21 and US 35 formerly ran through Charleston . WV 25 , WV 61 , WV 62 , and WV 114 are all state highways that are within Charleston 's city limits . Mass transit ( edit ) Charleston is served by Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority . Taxi service ( edit ) C&H Taxi services the Kanawha valley . Utilities ( edit ) Electricity in Charleston is provided by Appalachian Power , a division of American Electric Power of Columbus , Ohio . Appalachian Power is headquartered in Charleston . Suddenlink Communications provides the Charleston area 's Cable TV . Landline phone service in Charleston is provided by Frontier Communications . The city 's water supply is provided by Charleston - based West Virginia American Water , a subsidiary of American Water of Voorhees , NJ . The water that supplies Charleston is pumped from the Elk River and treated at the Kanawha Valley Water Treatment Plant . Charleston 's natural gas is supplied by Mountaineer Gas , a division of Allegheny Energy of Greensburg , Pennsylvania . Sister city ( edit ) Charleston 's sister city is : Banská Bystrica , Slovakia ( 2009 ) See also ( edit ) USAT General Frank M. Coxe was built in Charleston in 1922 by the Charles Ward Engineering Works . She served as an Army transport and later a cruise ship on San Francisco Bay . She is now preserved as a floating restaurant in Burlingame , California , just south of San Francisco . References ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` I 'm Charlie West '' . Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau . Archived from the original on June 20 , 2015 . Retrieved June 5 , 2015 . ^ Jump up to : `` US Gazetteer files 2010 '' . United States Census Bureau . Archived from the original on February 20 , 2011 . Retrieved January 24 , 2013 . ^ Jump up to : `` American FactFinder '' . United States Census Bureau . Archived from the original on February 17 , 2012 . Retrieved January 24 , 2013 . ^ Jump up to : `` Population and Housing Unit Estimates '' . Archived from the original on May 29 , 2017 . Retrieved June 9 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` US Board on Geographic Names '' . United States Geological Survey . October 25 , 2007 . Archived from the original on February 26 , 2012 . Retrieved January 31 , 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Nielsen US Media Market rankings '' ( PDF ) . Archived ( PDF ) from the original on March 18 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` First Natural Gas Well - West Virginia ( WV ) Cyclopedia '' . Wvexp.com . December 10 , 2005 . Archived from the original on March 15 , 2013 . Retrieved March 12 , 2013 . ^ Jump up to : Richard A. Andre . `` Charleston '' . West Virginia Encyclopedia . Charleston , WV : West Virginia Humanities Council . Archived from the original on March 5 , 2017 . Retrieved March 7 , 2017 . ( Includes timeline ) ^ Jump up to : Federal Writers ' Project 1941 . ^ Jump up to : `` U.S. Newspaper Directory '' . Chronicling America . Washington DC : Library of Congress . Archived from the original on March 7 , 2017 . Retrieved March 7 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Hellmann 2006 . Jump up ^ Davies Project . `` American Libraries before 1876 '' . Princeton University . Archived from the original on March 2 , 2015 . Retrieved March 7 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Britannica 1910 . ^ Jump up to : `` West Virginia State Archives '' . West Virginia Division of Culture and History . Archived from the original on March 16 , 2017 . Retrieved March 7 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Appleton Prentiss Clark Griffin ( 1907 ) , Bibliography of American Historical Societies , Annual Report of the American Historical Association ( 2nd ed . ) , Washington DC : Government Printing Office , pp. 942 + , West Virginia ^ Jump up to : Chamber of Commerce 1901 . Jump up ^ History of West Virginia , Old and New . Chicago : American Historical Society , Inc. 1923 . OCLC 42346040 . Archived from the original on March 8 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : `` About Us : History '' . Charleston : Kanawha County Public Library . Archived from the original on March 7 , 2017 . Retrieved March 7 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : `` West Virginia Encyclopedia '' . Charleston , WV : West Virginia Humanities Council . Archived from the original on March 19 , 2017 . Retrieved March 8 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : `` Movie Theaters in Charleston , WV '' . CinemaTreasures.org . Los Angeles : Cinema Treasures LLC . Archived from the original on March 7 , 2017 . Retrieved March 7 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Jack Alicoate , ed. ( 1939 ) , `` Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States : West Virginia '' , Radio Annual , New York : Radio Daily , OCLC 2459636 ^ Jump up to : `` Our History '' . University of Charleston . Archived from the original on March 8 , 2017 . Retrieved March 8 , 2017 . ( Timeline ) ^ Jump up to : Charles A. Alicoate , ed. ( 1960 ) , `` Television Stations : West Virginia '' , Radio Annual and Television Year Book , New York : Radio Daily Corp. , OCLC 10512206 Jump up ^ `` City of Charleston , West Virginia '' . Archived from the original on December 5 , 1998 -- via Internet Archive , Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ Kevin Hyde ; Tamie Hyde ( eds . ) . `` United States of America : West Virginia '' . Official City Sites . Utah . OCLC 40169021 . Archived from the original on September 25 , 2000 . Jump up ^ `` Charleston city , West Virginia '' . QuickFacts . U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved March 7 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Charleston : History '' . City-Data.com . Advameg , Inc . Archived from the original on December 28 , 2008 . Retrieved February 14 , 2009 . Jump up ^ Kanawha County was named in honor of the Great Kanawha River that runs through the county . The River was named for the Indian tribe that once lived in the area . The spelling of the Indian tribe varied at the time from Conoys to Conois to Kanawha . The latter spelling was used and has gained acceptance over time . `` Archived copy '' . Archived from the original on June 16 , 2010 . Retrieved 2009 - 10 - 31 . ( 12 - 29 - 08 ) Jump up ^ Nelson , Clarence M. ( December 28 , 2005 ) . `` Institute and WWII : Creation of Synthetic Rubber Plant Was Exciting '' . redOrbit . Archived from the original on September 20 , 2009 . Retrieved February 14 , 2009 . ^ Jump up to : Mountain Stage - Where Musicians Come to Play Archived October 30 , 2009 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` US Gazetteer files : 2010 , 2000 , and 1990 '' . United States Census Bureau . February 12 , 2011 . Archived from the original on March 12 , 2012 . Retrieved April 23 , 2011 . Jump up ^ `` Level III Ecoregions of West Virginia '' . U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . Archived from the original on June 28 , 2014 . Retrieved September 29 , 2013 . Jump up ^ https://www.maptechnica.com/us-city-boundary-map/city/Charleston/state/WV/cityid/5414600 Jump up ^ `` Charleston - Huntington Climate Summary - Eyewitness News Storm Team Weather '' . Wchstv.com . Archived from the original on March 4 , 2013 . Retrieved March 12 , 2013 . ^ Jump up to : `` Average Weather for Charleston , WV - Temperature and Precipitation '' . The Weather Channel . Archived from the original on October 7 , 2010 . Retrieved September 24 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data '' . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Archived from the original on September 20 , 2012 . Retrieved February 29 , 2012 . Jump up ^ `` Archived copy '' . Archived from the original on June 18 , 2016 . Retrieved June 17 , 2016 . Jump up ^ W.S. Laidley ( 1911 ) , History of Charleston and Kanawha County , West Virginia , and Representative Citizens , Chicago : Richmond - Arnold Publishing Co. , pp. 166 -- 169 , OCLC 3645365 -- via Internet Archive , List of mayors ^ Jump up to : Charleston Chamber of Commerce ( 1901 ) . Century Chronicle , Devoted to the Capital City . p. 31 -- via HathiTrust . ^ Jump up to : `` West Virginia Encyclopedia '' . Charleston , WV : West Virginia Humanities Council . Archived from the original on March 19 , 2017 . Retrieved March 7 , 2017 . Jump up ^ * Thomas Condit Miller ; Hu Maxwell ( 1913 ) . West Virginia and Its People . 3 . New York : Lewis Historical Publishing Company . Archived from the original on July 1 , 2014 . Jump up ^ `` Mayor 's Office '' . Cityofcharleston.org . Archived from the original on December 16 , 2000 -- via Internet Archive , Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` Office of the Mayor '' . Cityofcharleston.org . Archived from the original on August 10 , 2003 . Jump up ^ `` U.S. Decennial Census '' . Census.gov . Archived from the original on May 12 , 2015 . Retrieved June 5 , 2013 . Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates '' . United States Census Bureau . Archived from the original on May 22 , 2015 . Retrieved June 19 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Charleston , West Virginia ( WV ) profile : population , maps , real estate , averages , homes , statistics , relocation , travel , jobs , hospitals , schools , crime , moving , houses , news '' . City-data.com . Archived from the original on March 4 , 2013 . Retrieved March 12 , 2013 . Jump up ^ http://aep.com Archived March 4 , 2007 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ Mountaineer Gas Company - West Virginia - Home Archived July 26 , 2010 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` City National Bank '' . Cityholding.com . Archived from the original on March 2 , 2013 . Retrieved March 12 , 2013 . Jump up ^ United Bank Archived May 5 , 2009 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ Home Charleston Area Alliance Archived May 31 , 2013 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` Symphony Sunday '' . West Virginia Symphony League . Archived from the original on June 8 , 2009 . Jump up ^ National Park Service ( 2009 - 03 - 13 ) . `` National Register Information System '' . National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service . Jump up ^ `` Astronaut Biography : Jon McBride '' . Spacefacts.de . Archived from the original on October 10 , 2012 . Retrieved March 12 , 2013 . Jump up ^ Simms , J.T. ( July 6 , 1999 ) . `` Women have long sports history '' . Daily Mail . Archived from the original on June 15 , 2008 . Retrieved April 24 , 2008 . Jump up ^ Hollis , Mark ( August 14 , 1996 ) . `` Webster is Poised to Become House Speaker '' . The Ledger . Lakeland , Florida . The New York Times Company . p . D4 . Retrieved September 1 , 2010 . Jump up ^ WCHS Radio 58 Archived January 7 , 2007 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ WVPubcast - West Virginia Public Broadcasting Archived June 5 , 2009 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` Charleston 's Supertalk 950 WVTS - Home '' . Wvtsam950.com . January 11 , 2008 . Archived from the original on December 13 , 2012 . Retrieved March 12 , 2013 . Jump up ^ 96.1 The Wolf Archived January 8 , 2007 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ Home WQBE Archived January 8 , 2007 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ 98.7 The Beat Jump up ^ V100 FM Jump up ^ Homepage - Classic Hits 100.9 The Mix Archived December 5 , 2006 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ http://www.electric102.com Jump up ^ Homepage - ROCK 105 Archived February 6 , 2007 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ X 106.3 - Huntington 's Rock Station Archived May 16 , 2008 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ WKAZ - 107.3 KRock.com Archived September 2 , 2011 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived September 26 , 2011 , at the Wayback Machine . Bibliography ( edit ) J.A. Gibbons ( 1872 ) . Kanawha Valley : Its Resources and Developments ; Also , Special Business Directory of Charleston and Other Cities . Charleston : Gibbens , Atkinson & Co. , Printers . D.H. Strother ( 1872 ) . Capital of West Virginia and the Great Kanawha Valley . Charleston : Journal Office . J.H. Chataigne , ed. ( 1882 ) . `` Charleston '' . Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Directory . Richmond , VA . pp. 349 -- 356 . OCLC 23244118 . `` Charleston '' . West Virginia State Gazetteer and Business Directory . Detroit : R.L. Polk & Co. 1882 . History of Kanawha County , and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men . Charleston : Miller & Graham . 1885 . Charleston Chamber of Commerce ( 1901 ) . Century Chronicle , Devoted to the Capital City . `` Charleston '' , Encyclopaedia Britannica ( 11th ed . ) , New York , 1910 , OCLC 14782424 W.S. Laidley ( 1911 ) , History of Charleston and Kanawha County , West Virginia , and Representative Citizens , Chicago : Richmond - Arnold Publishing Co. , OCLC 3645365 -- via Internet Archive Thomas Condit Miller ; Hu Maxwell ( 1913 ) . `` Kanawha County '' . West Virginia and Its People . New York : Lewis Historical Publishing Company . Code of Ordinances of the City of Charleston , West Virginia . 1921 . Federal Writers ' Project ( 1941 ) . `` Charleston '' . West Virginia : A Guide to the Mountain State . American Guide Series . New York : Oxford University Press . pp. 177 + -- via Google Books . + chronology Jean Callahan ( August 1978 ) . `` Cancer Valley '' . Mother Jones . San Francisco . George Thomas Kurian ( 1994 ) , `` Charleston , West Virginia '' , World Encyclopedia of Cities , 1 : North America , Santa Barbara , Calif. : ABC - CLIO -- via Internet Archive ( fulltext ) Stan Bumgardner ( 2006 ) . Charleston . Postcard History Series . Charleston , SC : Arcadia . ISBN 978 - 0 - 7385 - 4265 - 2 . Paul T. Hellmann ( 2006 ) . `` West Virginia : Charleston '' . Historical Gazetteer of the United States . Taylor & Francis . ISBN 1 - 135 - 94859 - 3 . External links ( edit ) Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charleston , West Virginia . Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Charleston ( West Virginia ) . City of Charleston , WV Items related to Charleston , various dates ( via Digital Public Library of America ) . `` Research Guides : Genealogy in Kanawha County '' . Charleston : Kanawha County Public Library . Texts on Wikisource : `` Charleston , a city , the capital of West Virginia '' . The American Cyclopædia. 1879 . `` Charleston . The capital of West Virginia '' . New International Encyclopedia . 1905 . `` Charleston , the capital of West Virginia '' . Encyclopædia Britannica ( 11th ed . ) . 1911 . `` Charleston , capital of West Virginia '' . The New Student 's Reference Work . 1914 . `` Charleston , a city , capital of the State of West Virginia '' . Collier 's New Encyclopedia . 1921 . Articles relating to Charleston , West Virginia City of Charleston Topics Culture Economy Education Geography Government Mayors History Timeline Infrastructure Media People Transportation Top subjects Appalachian Power Park Charleston Civic Center The Charleston Gazette - Mail Charleston Town Center Clay Center Kanawha State Forest Magic Island University of Charleston Vandalia Gathering West Virginia Power West Virginia State Capitol Yeager Airport Neighborhoods Charleston Heights Davis Creek East End Edgewood Elk Forest Hills Fort Hill Kanawha City Louden Heights North Charleston Oakwood Riverview Shadowlawn South Park South Hills South Ruffner West Side Suburbs Cross Lanes Dunbar Hurricane Nitro South Charleston St. Albans Teays Valley Upper Falls Municipalities and communities of Kanawha County , West Virginia , United States County seat : Charleston Cities Charleston Dunbar Marmet Montgomery ‡ Nitro ‡ St. Albans Smithers ‡ South Charleston Towns Belle Cedar Grove Chesapeake Clendenin East Bank Glasgow Handley Pratt CDPs Alum Creek ‡ Big Chimney Chelyan Coal Fork Cross Lanes Elkview Jefferson Pinch Rand Shrewsbury Sissonville Tornado Unincorporated communities Aarons Acme Acup Airport Village Amandaville Amelia Annfred Apgah Arborland Acres Barren Creek Blackhawk Blakeley Blount Blue Creek Blundon Bream Brounland Burnwell Cabin Creek Carbon Carney Cinco Coal Coalburg Coalridge Coco Copenhaver Corton Crede Crown Hill Davis Creek Dawes Decota Dial Diamond Dickinson Donwood ‡ Dry Branch Dungriff Dupont City East Nitro East Side Edgewood Elk Elk Forest Elk Hills Emmons ‡ Eskdale Etowah Falling Rock Ferrell Fivemile Forest Hills Forks of Coal Fort Hill Frame Fuquay Gallagher Gazil Giles Green Valley Greencastle Grippe Guthrie Hansford Heatherman Hernshaw Hicumbottom Highlawn Hillsdale Hitop Holly Hollygrove Hollyhurst Hugheston Indian Institute Island Branch Ivydale Jarrett Jarretts Ford Joplin Kanawha Estates Kayford Kelly Hill Kendalia Laing Leewood Legg Lico Lincoln Livingston London Loudendale Lower Belle Lower Falls Malden Mammoth Meadowbrook Miami Milliken Mink Shoals Monarch Mound Notomine Nuckolls Ohley Olcott Pentacre Pocatalico Pond Gap Port Amherst Putney Quarrier Quick Reamer Red Warrior Rensford Republic River Bend Riverside Rocky Fork Rock Lake Village Ronda Rosina Ruth Ruthdale Rutledge Sanderson Sandy Sattes Schrader Sharon Snow Hill Sproul Standard Tad Three Mile Turner Twomile Tyler Heights Tyler Mountain United Victor Walgrove Wallace Ward Weir Wellford Wevaco Whittaker Wilson Winifrede Youngs Bottom Ghost towns Morris Footnotes ‡ This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties Municipalities of West Virginia Cities Beckley Benwood Bluefield Bridgeport Buckhannon Cameron Ceredo Charles Town Charleston Chester Clarksburg Dunbar Elkins Fairmont Follansbee Gary Glen Dale Grafton Hinton Huntington Hurricane Kenova Keyser Kingwood Lewisburg Logan Madison Mannington Marmet Martinsburg McMechen Montgomery Morgantown Moundsville Mount Hope Mullens New Cumberland New Martinsville Nitro Oak Hill Paden City Parkersburg Parsons Pennsboro Petersburg Philippi Pleasant Valley Point Pleasant Princeton Ravenswood Richwood Ripley Romney Ronceverte Salem Shinnston Sistersville Smithers South Charleston Spencer St. Albans St. Marys Stonewood Thomas Vienna War Weirton Welch Wellsburg Weston Westover Wheeling White Sulphur Springs Williamson Williamstown Towns Addison ( Webster Springs ) Albright Alderson Anawalt Anmoore Ansted Athens Auburn Bancroft Barrackville Belmont Bath ( Berkeley Springs ) Bayard Belington Belle Bethany Beverly Blacksville Bolivar Bradshaw Bramwell Brandonville Bruceton Mills Buffalo Burnsville Cairo Camden - on - Gauley Capon Bridge Carpendale Cedar Grove Chapmanville Chesapeake Clay Clendenin Cowen Danville Davis Davy Delbarton Durbin East Bank Eleanor Elizabeth Elk Garden Ellenboro Fairview Falling Spring Farmington Fayetteville Flatwoods Flemington Fort Gay Franklin Friendly Gassaway Gauley Bridge Gilbert Glasgow Glenville Grant Town Grantsville Granville Hambleton Hamlin Handley Harman Harpers Ferry Harrisville Hartford City Hedgesville Henderson Hendricks Hillsboro Hundred Huttonsville Iaeger Jane Lew Junior Kermit Kimball Leon Lester Lost Creek Lumberport Mabscott Man Marlinton Mason Masontown Matewan Matoaka Meadow Bridge Middlebourne Mill Creek Milton Mitchell Heights Monongah Montrose Moorefield New Haven Newburg North Hills Northfork Nutter Fort Oakvale Oceana Paw Paw Pax Peterstown Piedmont Pine Grove Pineville Poca Pratt Pullman Quinwood Rainelle Reedsville Reedy Rhodell Ridgeley Rivesville Rowlesburg Rupert Sand Fork Shepherdstown Smithfield Sophia Star City Summersville Sutton Sylvester Terra Alta Thurmond Triadelphia Tunnelton Union Wardensville Wayne West Hamlin West Liberty West Logan West Milford West Union White Hall Whitesville Winfield Womelsdorf ( Coalton ) Worthington Villages Barboursville Beech Bottom Bethlehem Clearview Valley Grove Windsor Heights State of West Virginia Charleston ( capital ) Topics Cities Towns Villages Census - designated places History Environment People Government Governors Delegations Colleges and universities Tourist attractions Seal of West Virginia Society Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Elections Media Newspapers Radio TV Insignia Coat of arms Flag Motto Seal Regions Allegheny Mountains Allegheny Plateau Baltimore - Washington Metropolitan Area Blue Ridge Charleston Metropolitan Area Cumberland Plateau Cumberland Mountains Eastern Panhandle Huntington Metropolitan Area North - Central West Virginia Northern Panhandle Potomac Highlands Ridge - and - Valley Appalachians Shenandoah Valley Southern West Virginia Western West Virginia Metro areas Charleston Huntington Morgantown Martinsburg Parkersburg - Vienna Wheeling Winchester Weirton Largest cities Beckley Charleston Fairmont Huntington Martinsburg Morgantown Parkersburg Wheeling Weirton Counties Barbour Berkeley Boone Braxton Brooke Cabell Calhoun Clay Doddridge Fayette Gilmer Grant Greenbrier Hampshire Hancock Hardy Harrison Jackson Jefferson Kanawha Lewis Lincoln Logan Marion Marshall Mason McDowell Mercer Mineral Mingo Monongalia Monroe Morgan Nicholas Ohio Pendleton Pleasants Pocahontas Preston Putnam Raleigh Randolph Ritchie Roane Summers Taylor Tucker Tyler Upshur Wayne Webster Wetzel Wirt Wood Wyoming Capitals of the United States by jurisdiction Nation : US Washington States : AL Montgomery AK Juneau AZ Phoenix AR Little Rock CA Sacramento CO Denver CT Hartford DE Dover FL Tallahassee GA Atlanta HI Honolulu ID Boise IL Springfield IN Indianapolis IA Des Moines KS Topeka KY Frankfort LA Baton Rouge ME Augusta MD Annapolis MA Boston MI Lansing MN Saint Paul MS Jackson MO Jefferson City MT Helena NE Lincoln NV Carson City NH Concord NJ Trenton NM Santa Fe NY Albany NC Raleigh ND Bismarck OH Columbus OK Oklahoma City OR Salem PA Harrisburg RI Providence SC Columbia SD Pierre TN Nashville TX Austin UT Salt Lake City VT Montpelier VA Richmond WA Olympia WV Charleston WI Madison WY Cheyenne Territories : AS Pago Pago GU Hagåtña MP Saipan PR San Juan VI Charlotte Amalie VIAF : 248256449 LCCN : n81055346 GND : 4376528 - 2 BNF : cb120990265 ( data ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charleston,_West_Virginia&oldid=818722336 '' Categories : Charleston , West Virginia Charleston , West Virginia metropolitan area Cities in West Virginia County seats in West Virginia Populated places established in 1788 Cities in Kanawha County , West Virginia Populated places on the Kanawha River 1788 establishments in Virginia Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from September 2015 Coordinates on Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from March 2017 Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from The American Cyclopaedia Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from The American Cyclopaedia with a Wikisource reference Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the New International Encyclopedia Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference Wikipedia articles incorporating citation to the NSRW Wikipedia articles incorporating citation to the NSRW with an wstitle parameter Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from Collier 's Encyclopedia Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Afrikaans Ænglisc Aragonés Asturianu Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Български Brezhoneg Català Cebuano Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Diné bizaad Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Føroyskt Français Frysk Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Ido Ilokano Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Interlingue Ирон Italiano עברית ქართული Kernowek Kiswahili Kurdî Кыргызча Кырык мары Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Ligure Lumbaart Magyar Македонски Malagasy മലയാളം मराठी Nederlands नेपाल भाषा 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan पालि پنجابی Papiamentu Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский संस्कृतम् Sardu Scots Shqip Sicilianu Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt Volapük Winaray 粵語 Žemaitėška 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 5 January 2018 , at 05 : 33 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia

Question: what river flows through charleston west virginia’s capital