Kanawha County ( ) is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the U.S. state of

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 180,745, making it West Virginia's most populous county. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Charleston, which is also the state capital and most populous city. Kanawha County is part of the Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county began taking formation on November 14, 1788, under the authorization of the Virginia General Assembly and was founded on October 5, 1789. The county was named for the Kanawha River, which in turn was named after a Native American tribe that lived in the area. (WV County Etymology) During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, a number of state

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

and

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

regiments were organized in the county for both

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

and Union Army service. In 1863 West Virginia's counties were divided into

civil township A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a County (United States), county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England town, Ne ...

s, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts. Kanawha County was divided into ten districts: Big Sandy, Cabin Creek, Charleston, Elk, Jefferson, Loudon, Malden, Poca, Union, and Washington. In the 1970s the historic districts were consolidated into five new magisterial districts: District 1, District 2, District 3, District 4, and District 5. A District 6 was created in the 1980s, but in the 1990s the county was redistricted again, reducing the number of magisterial districts to four: District 1, District 2, District 3, and District 4. Kanawha County was the site of a bloody miners' strike in 1912, and a school textbook controversy in 1974, that resulted in bombings, and received national attention.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.0%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in West Virginia by area.

Adjacent counties

* Roane County (north) * Clay County (northeast) * Nicholas County (east) * Fayette County (east) * Raleigh County (southeast) * Boone County (south) * Lincoln County (southwest) * Putnam County (west) * Jackson County (northwest)

Major highways

* Interstate 64 * Interstate 77 * Interstate 79 * U.S. Route 60 * U.S. Route 119 * West Virginia Route 4 * West Virginia Route 25 * West Virginia Route 34 * West Virginia Route 61 * West Virginia Route 62 * West Virginia Route 94 * West Virginia Route 114 * West Virginia Route 214 * West Virginia Route 501 * West Virginia Route 601 * West Virginia Route 622 * West Virginia Route 817

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 180,745 people and 77,634 households residing in the county. There were 90,234 housing units in Kanawha. The racial makeup of the county was 85%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 7.5%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.75% from other races, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.6% of the population. Of the 23,278 households, 43% were married couples living together, 30.3% had a female householder with no spouse present, 19.8% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 2.89. The median age in the county was 43.7 years with 20.2% of the population under 18. The median income for a household was $56,112 and the poverty rate was 15.8%

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 193,063 people, 84,201 households, and 52,172 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 92,618 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 89.1% white, 7.3% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 14.8% were German, 14.2% were Irish, 13.9% were English, and 13.4% were American. Of the 84,201 households, 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.0% were non-families, and 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 42.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $42,669 and the median income for a family was $54,203. Males had a median income of $42,522 versus $31,754 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,439. About 9.7% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 200,073 people, 86,226 households, and 55,960 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 93,788 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 90.46%

, 6.97% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.21% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. There were 86,226 households, out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.00% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. 30.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.84. The age distribution was 21.30% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $33,766, and the median income for a family was $42,568. Males had a median income of $33,842 versus $24,188 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $20,354. About 11.20% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the

, including 20.60% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Kanawha County was dominated by the Democratic Party for much of the 20th century, albeit to a lesser extent than much of West Virginia. Since 2004 it has been won by Republicans in presidential elections, although, as an urban county, the swing to the Republicans has not been as vast as in much of the rest of the state. The county seat and state capital of Charleston is heavily Democratic.

Elected officials

Economy

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there are approximately 5,481 private sector businesses within Kanawha County. There are 89,768 people who are currently employed who live in Kanawha County.

Recreation

Events

* FestivALL *Charleston Sternwheel Regatta (Returning 2022) * Live on the Levee * Vandalia Gathering * Rib Fest * Charleston Rod Run Doo Wop * Majorette Festival - Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival * Pinch Reunion * St. Albans Festival of Lights

Attractions

* Clay Center (West Virginia) * West Virginia State Capitol * West Virginia Cultural Center * South Charleston Mound * Mardi Gras Casino and Resort * Charleston Civic Center * Heritage Tower Museum

Sports

* Charleston Dirty Birds - Baseball team * West Virginia United - Soccer club

Communities

Cities

* Charleston (county seat) *

Dunbar Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the Anglo–Scottish border, English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and ...

* Marmet * Montgomery (part) * Nitro (part) * Smithers (part) * South Charleston * St. Albans

Towns

* Belle * Cedar Grove * Chesapeake * Clendenin * East Bank *

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

* Handley * Pratt

Magisterial districts

*District 1 *District 2 *District 3 *District 4

Census-designated places

* Alum Creek (part) * Big Chimney * Chelyan * Coal Fork * Cross Lanes * Elkview * Jefferson * Pinch * Rand * Shrewsbury * Sissonville *

Tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

Unincorporated communities

* Aarons * Acme * Acup *Airport Village * Amandaville * Amelia * Annfred * Arborland Acres * Barren Creek * Blackhawk * Blakeley * Blount * Blue Creek * Blundon * Bream * Brounland * Burnwell * Cabin Creek *

Carbon Carbon () is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalence, tetravalent—meaning that its atoms are able to form up to four covalent bonds due to its valence shell exhibiting 4 ...

* Cinco * Coalburg * Coalridge * Coco * Corton * Crede * Crown Hill * Davis Creek * Dawes * Decota * Dial *

Diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...

* Dickinson * Donwood * Dry Branch * Dungriff * Dupont City * East Nitro * East Side * Edgewood * Elk * Elk Forest * Elk Hills * Emmons (part) * Eskdale * Etowah * Falling Rock * Ferrell * Fivemile * Forest Hills * Forks of Coal * Fort Hill * Frame * Gallagher * Giles * Green Valley * Greencastle * Grippe * Guthrie * Hansford * Hernshaw * Hicumbottom * Highlawn * Hillsdale * Hitop *

Holly ''Ilex'' () or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

* Hollygrove * Hollyhurst * Hugheston * Institute * Island Branch * Ivydale * Jarrett * Jarretts Ford * Joplin * Kanawha Estates * Kayford * Kelly Hill * Kendalia * Laing * Leewood * Loudendale * Lower Falls * Malden *

Mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus.'' They lived from the late Miocene epoch (from around 6.2 million years ago) into the Holocene until about 4,000 years ago, with mammoth species at various times inhabi ...

* Meadowbrook * Mink Shoals * Pocatalico * Pond Gap * Port Amherst * Putney * Quick * Quincy * River Bend * Rocky Fork * Rock Lake Village * Rutledge * Sanderson * Sharon * Tyler Heights * Tyler Mountain

Notable people

* Robert Alexander, NFL football player * Anthony Bass, NFL football player * George Crumb, composer * Aaron Dobson, Super Bowl champion football player * Ryan Dorsey, actor * Jon Elmore, NBA basketball player * Conchata Ferrell, actress best known for her role as Berta on '' Two and a Half Men'' * Jennifer Garner, actress and Golden Globe and SAG award winner * Elizabeth Harden Gilmore, business leader and civil rights advocate * Gary Gregor, NBA basketball player * Alex Hawkins, two-time NFL champion football player * Alexis Hornbuckle, two-time WNBA champion basketball player * T. D. Jakes, megachurch pastor * Carl Lee, NFL football player * Earl Lloyd, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and the first African-American basketball player to play in an NBA game * Kathy Mattea, country music and bluegrass singer * Ann Magnuson is an American actress, performance artist, and nightclub performer. * Renee Montgomery, two-time WNBA champion basketball player * Randy Moss,

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

inductee and holder of the NFL record for receiving touchdowns in a season * Lou Myers, actor, best known for his role as Vernon Gaines on '' A Different World'' * Les Palmer, NFL champion football player * Phil Pfister, strongman competitor and winner of the 2006 World's Strongest Man competition * Kristen Ruhlin, actress * Ryan Switzer, NFL football player * Booker T. Washington, highly influential educator, author, orator, presidential advisor, and co-founder of the Tuskegee Institute * Jerry West, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and the basis for the silhouette on the NBA logo since 1971 * Jason Williams, NBA basketball player

Footnotes

References

External links

Kanawha County CommissionKanawha County Public LibraryKanawha County SchoolsWVGenWeb Kanawha County
;Convention & Visitors Bureau * Charleston, WV - http://www.charlestonwv.com/ * Dunbar, WV - http://www.wvcommerce.org/travel/travelplanner/attraction/Dunbar-Convention-and-Visitors-Bureau-CVB/3843/default.aspx * Nitro, WV - https://web.archive.org/web/20130727150319/http://nitrowvcvb.org/ * South Charleston, WV - https://web.archive.org/web/20121019071540/http://www.southcharlestonwv.org/SCCVB/Welcome.html {{authority control 1789 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1789 Charleston, West Virginia metropolitan area West Virginia placenames of Native American origin