Charleston is the most populous city in, and the capital of, the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, the population during the 2017 Census Estimate was 47,929. The Charleston metropolitan area as a whole had 214,406 residents. Charleston is the center of government, commerce, and industry for Kanawha County, of which it is the county seat.
Wood County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 86,956, making it West Virginia's fifth-most populous county. Its county seat is Parkersburg. The county was formed in 1798 from the western part of Harrison County and named for James Wood, governor of Virginia from 1796 to 1799.
Kanawha County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 193,063, making it West Virginia's most populous county. Its county seat is Charleston, the state capital.
The Little Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, 169 mi (269 km) long, in western West Virginia in the United States. Via the Ohio, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 2,320 mi² (6,009 km²) on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau. It served as an important commercial water route in the early history of West Virginia, particularly in the logging and petroleum industries.
The James River and Kanawha Canal was a partially built canal in Virginia intended to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast. Ultimately its towpath became the roadbed for a rail line following the same course.
Magic Island is an island in the Kanawha River near its confluence with the Elk River in Charleston, West Virginia. Kanawha Boulevard separates Magic Island from Charleston's West Side neighborhood. It serves as a public park for the city.
The island gained its name due to the rise and fall of the river level in the Kanawha, which caused the island to slip underwater, as if by "magic".
Scotts Island is a bar island on the Kanawha River between the towns of Belle and Chesapeake in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Tyler Island is a bar island in Kanawha County, West Virginia on the Kanawha River. The island lies within the city boundaries of South Charleston.
Institute is an unincorporated community on the Kanawha River in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Interstate 64 and West Virginia Route 25 pass by the community, which has grown to intermingle with nearby Dunbar. Institute is home to West Virginia State University and the West Virginia State Police Academy. In August 2008 a chemical plant explosion here killed two and injured eight at the Bayer CropScience facility.
Transportation in West Virginia includes the following.
Amherst-Plymouth Wildlife Management Area is a 7,061-acre (2,857 ha) protected area located in Putnam County, West Virginia. The site is along the banks of the Kanawha River and is popular for hunting Canada geese in the fall. Access is from West Virginia Route 62 between Bancroft and Hometown and from Manilla Creek Road and Heizer Creek Road off WV 62 north of Poca, West Virginia. Manilla Creek Road cuts across the north side of the Amherst-Plymouth WMA, and WV 62 follows the southern edge of the area alongside the Kanawha River.
Riverside is an unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Riverside is located on the north bank of the Kanawha River and U.S. Route 60 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Glasgow.
Kanawha Falls is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Kanawha Falls is located on the east bank of the Kanawha River 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Gauley Bridge. Kanawha Falls had a post office, which opened on March 26, 1856, and closed on November 2, 2002.
Diamond is an unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Diamond is located on the north bank of the Kanawha River 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Belle. The community is served by U.S. Route 60.
Dickinson, also known as Quincy, is an unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Dickinson is located on the north bank of the Kanawha River 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Belle. The community is served by U.S. Route 60.
Island Branch is an unincorporated community located in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Joplin is an unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia. It is likely named after an early white settler in Kanawha County, James Jopling. In the early 19th century, Jopling purchased land alongside the creek later called Joplin Branch, a tributary of the Kanawha River. Many of Jopling's children and grandchildren lived along the creek near the family patriarch, and gave the community its name. James Jopling was described as "a man of powerful frame, and loved adventure. He was a noted trapper, hunter, and Indian fighter, and delighted in relating his narrow escapes and wonderful feats in woods life." Jopling also reportedly killed the last elk in the region, nearby on the Elk River.
