3/19/2024 0 Comments Charleston wv easy pass![]() ![]() West Side: Across the Elk River from downtown, contains the Elk City business district, blocks of modest homes.East End: Riverfront mansions, the West Virginia State Capitol complex, houses with porches.Most shops and restaurants are on or near Capitol St. Generally off the tourist radar, Charleston has much to offer the curious traveler, and prices tend to be relatively affordable compared to larger and more touristy cities and towns. Together, they make a combined metropolitan area of around 650,000 thus making the combined Charleston-Huntington area the largest metropolitan area for several hours drive in every direction. ![]() It is most similar in culture and architecture to its sister city, Huntington, along the banks of the Ohio River, 50 minutes to the west along I-64. Its location an hour west of New River Gorge National Park makes it the closest large city to the park, putting Charleston in proximity of numerous outdoor recreational attractions it's also a major hub of commerce for the vast rural southern coalfields regions of West Virginia, as well as the sparsely populated rural lands and cute tiny towns to the north, and Mountain Lakes region to the northeast.Ĭharleston has experienced noticeable population decline through the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st, as the United States has de-industrialized, and Charleston has some resemblances to a rust belt city despite being farther south. These steep hillsides make development difficult and costly, so Charleston has a much more dense, urban character than one may expect for a metropolitan area of roughly 250,000. The steep hillsides covered with greenery give Charleston a laid-back, lush atmosphere especially in summer. It is in this steep valley where downtown Charleston is sandwiched in the narrow strips of flat land between river and cliff, an appropriately striking setting for the capital of the 'Mountain State', with striking views of the downtown skyline while driving in from every direction. It's at the junction of Interstates 77, 79, and 64, as well as the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers, the latter of which flows prominently through the city.įlowing west from New River Gorge National Park an hour's drive east of Charleston, the gorge of the New River gets wider and shallower after the New River meets the Gauley River to become the Kanawha River 37 miles east of downtown Charleston. ![]() With a population of about 49,000 in 2020, Charleston is the largest city in West Virginia. Charleston, established in 1794, is the state capital of West Virginia. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |