Summary for Charleston
About Charleston (Click for our profile page)
Located in: Kanawha County (see below)
Time Zone: Charleston lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT)
Telephone Area Codes: 304 & 681<1>
ZIP Codes: 25301-25306, 25309, 25311-25315, 25317, 25320--25339, 25350, 25356-25358, 25360-25362, 25364-25365, 25375, 25387, 25389, 25392, 25396<2>
Elevation: 590 feet [179.83 m] above sea level<3>
From the 2010 US Census (For more detail, see our Census Page for Charleston)
Population
| Year | Population |
| 2019 Est:<4> | 46,548 (9.44% decrease since 2010) |
| 2010: | 51,400 (3.78% decrease since 2000) |
| 2000: | 53,421 |
Total Area:<5> 32.66 sq. miles [84.6 km²] - of which 3.49% is water (1.14 sq. miles [2.9 km²])
Housing Units:<6> 26,205
Official Website: www.cityofcharleston.org/
GPS Coordinates (Latitude/Longitude)<7>
For the purpose of mapping and calculating distances, we have chosen the following reference point for Charleston:
Lat: 38.347800° (or 38°20'52" N)
Lon: -81.628200° (or -81°37'41" W)
USGS Topo Map: Charleston West<8>
Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for Charleston
GNIS ID: 2390575
FIPS State / Place Code: 54 / 14600
(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Charleston)
About Kanawha County
The city of Charleston is the County Seat for Kanawha County.
From the 2010 US Census (For more detail, see our Census Page for Kanawha)
Population
| Year | Population |
| 2019 Est: | 178,124 (7.67% decrease since 2010) |
| 2010 | 192,917 (3.58% decrease since 2000) |
| 2000: | 200,073 |
Total Area: 910 sq. miles [2,359.3 km²] - of which 1.02% is water (9.33 sq. miles [24.2 km²])
Housing Units: 92,618
Official Website: www.kanawha.us/
Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for Kanawha
GNIS ID: 1550026
FIPS State / County Code: 54 / 039
(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Charleston)
About West Virginia
From the US Census
Population
| Year | Population |
| 2019 Est: | 1,795,263 (3.12% decrease since 2010) |
| 2010: | 1,852,994 (2.47% increase since 2000) |
| 2000: | 1,808,344 |
Websites for State of West Virginia
Official Website: https://www.wv.gov/
Tourism: https://wvtourism.com/
Parks: https://wvstateparks.com/
Fishing: https://wvdnr.gov/fishing/
Hunting: https://wvdnr.gov/hunting/
Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for State of West Virginia
GNIS ID: 1779805
FIPS State: 54
(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Charleston)
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for Charleston: www.cityofcharleston.org/
The official website for Kanawha County: www.kanawha.us/
The official website for State of West Virginia: https://www.wv.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | When there's a risk of an area code running out of phone numbers, an 'Overlay Area Code' is created that has the same geographic boundaries as the existing area code. In this case, the 304 code has been Overlayed with the 681 area code. New phone numbers in the Charleston area will be assigned with one of these codes: 304 or 681. As a result, placing a call in the Charleston area will require 10-digit dialing (where you enter both the area code and then the phone number). |
| <2> | ZIP Codes have been created by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a way of grouping addresses to make delivery more efficient. The boundaries of the ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned, eliminated or overlapped with other ZIP Codes. So keep in mind that any given ZIP Code is only 'loosely' associated with a city (such as Charleston). When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Charleston or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS). Our list of ZIP Codes for Charleston includes: 25301, 25302, 25303, 25304, 25305, 25309, 25311, 25312, 25313, 25314, 25317, 25350, 25356, 25357, 25360, 25361, 25364, 25375, 25387, 25389, 25392 & 25396. |
| <3> | The elevation is an estimate for the area around Charleston - it will be higher in some places and lower in others. |
| <4> | Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019. |
| <5> | The area value has been supplied by the US Census Bureau and it can be different than the geographic boundaries of Charleston. The value given by the Census Bureau reflects their statistical (or sampling) requirements. For example, if there is a cluster of people living just outside of the community's official boundary, the Census-defined area might be expanded to include that group. |
| <6> | A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway). |
| <7> | Longitude & latitude values may not be the geographic center of Charleston, rather it may be a prominent intersection or the center of population, etc. It will vary depending on the source. |
| <8> | Name of the USGS 7.5 Minute topographic map which includes Charleston. |