Kanawha County, West Virginia
| Kanawha County, West Virginia | ||
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 Location in the state of West Virginia |
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 West Virginia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | October 5, 1789 | |
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| Seat | Charleston | |
| Largest city | Charleston | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
911 sq mi (2,359 km²) 903 sq mi (2,339 km²) 8 sq mi (21 km²), 0.87% |
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| PopulationEst. - (2012) - Density |
192,179 223/sq mi (86/km²) |
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| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www.kanawha.us | |
Kanawha County (/kəˈnɑː/ kə-NAH) is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 193,063.[1] Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the capital city of West Virginia. The county was named in honor of the Great Kanawha River.
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History [edit]
The county began taking formation on November 14, 1788 under authorization of the Virginia General Assembly, and was founded on October 5, 1789. The county was named in honor of the Great Kanawha River, which was previously named after the Indian tribe that lived in the area. When Kanawha County was founded there were approximately 3,200 residents.[2]
Geography [edit]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 911 square miles (2,359.5 km2), of which 903 square miles (2,338.8 km2) is land and 8 square miles (20.7 km2) (0.87%) is water.
Adjacent counties [edit]
- 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 [edit]
Demographics [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 3,239 |
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| 1810 | 3,866 | 19.4% | |
| 1820 | 6,399 | 65.5% | |
| 1830 | 9,326 | 45.7% | |
| 1840 | 13,567 | 45.5% | |
| 1850 | 15,353 | 13.2% | |
| 1860 | 16,150 | 5.2% | |
| 1870 | 22,349 | 38.4% | |
| 1880 | 32,466 | 45.3% | |
| 1890 | 42,756 | 31.7% | |
| 1900 | 54,696 | 27.9% | |
| 1910 | 81,457 | 48.9% | |
| 1920 | 119,650 | 46.9% | |
| 1930 | 157,667 | 31.8% | |
| 1940 | 195,619 | 24.1% | |
| 1950 | 239,629 | 22.5% | |
| 1960 | 252,925 | 5.5% | |
| 1970 | 229,515 | −9.3% | |
| 1980 | 231,414 | 0.8% | |
| 1990 | 207,619 | −10.3% | |
| 2000 | 200,073 | −3.6% | |
| 2010 | 193,063 | −3.5% | |
| Est. 2012 | 192,179 | −0.5% | |
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2012 Estimate[4] |
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As of the census of 2000, there were 200,073 people, 86,226 households, and 55,960 families residing in the county. The population density was 222 people per square mile (86/km²). There were 93,788 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile (40/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.46% White, 6.97% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 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 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 for the county was $20,354. About 11.20% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.60% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.
Populated places [edit]
Cities [edit]
- Charleston
- Dunbar
- Marmet
- Montgomery (part)
- Nitro (part)
- Smithers (part)
- South Charleston
- St. Albans
Towns [edit]
Census-designated places [edit]
Below is partial listing of known unincorporated communities within Kanawha County. A complete listing is available here
Unincorporated communities [edit]
Local Government [edit]
| Location | Web Site |
|---|---|
| Kanawha County | http://www.kanawha.us |
| Belle | |
| Cedar Grove | |
| Charleston (County Seat) | http://www.cityofcharleston.org |
| Chesapeake | |
| Clendenin | http://www.clendeninwv.org |
| Dunbar | http://www.cityofdunbarwv.com |
| East Bank | |
| Glasgow | |
| Handley | |
| Marmet | |
| Nitro | http://www.cityofnitro.org |
| Pratt | |
| South Charleston | http://www.cityofsouthcharleston.com |
| St. Albans | http://www.stalbanswv.com |
Elected Officials [edit]
| Agency | Elected Official |
|---|---|
| Kanawha County Commission | Commissioner W. Kent Carper, President Commissioner Dave Hardy Commissioner Henry "Hoppy" Shores |
| Kanawha County Assessor | Sallie Robinson |
| Kanawha County Circuit Clerk | Cathy Gatson |
| Kanawha County Clerk | Vera McCormick |
| Kanawha County Prosecutor | Mark Plants |
| Kanawha County Sheriff | Johnny Rutherford |
Businesses [edit]
According to the 2010 U.S. Census there are approximately 5,481 private sector businesses within Kanawha County. There are 89,768 people that are currently employed that live in Kanawha County.[5] The most notable businesses throughout Kanawha County; Tech Park in South Charleston, Gestamp in South Charleston, Mardi Gras Casino, Chesapeake Energy in Charleston, Walker Machinery in Belle, Charleston Area Medical Center throughout Charleston, Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston, Saint Francis Hospital in Charleston, C&O Motors in Saint Albans, Bert Wolf Ford in Charleston, Smith Motor Company in Charleston, and Joe Holland Chevrolet in South Charleston to name a few. Kanawha County also well known for many businesses in the chemical industry with presence from Dow Chemical Company, Clearon Corporation, and FMC Corporation all located in South Charleston and DuPont in Belle.
Area Parks and Golf Courses [edit]
| Parks | Golf |
|---|---|
| Coonskin Park | Coonskin Golf Course |
| Shawnee Park | Shawnee Golf Course |
| Meadowood Park | Edgewood Country Club |
| Pioneer Park | Little Creek Golf Course |
| Wallace Hartman Nature Preserve | Sleepy Hollow Golf Club |
| Cato Park | Sandy Brae Golf Course |
| Ridenour Park | Berry Hills Country Club |
| Big Bend Park | Big Bend Golf Course |
| Kanawha State Forest | |
| Saint Albans City Park |
Area Events [edit]
- FestivALL - http://www.festivallcharleston.com/
- Vandalia Gathering - http://www.wvculture.org/vandalia/index.html
- Rib Fest - http://www.charlestonwvribfest.com/
- Charleston Rod Run Doo Wop - http://www.charlestonwvcarshow.com/
- Majorette Festival - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Mail_Kanawha_County_Majorette_and_Band_Festival
- Pinch Reunion - http://wvmetronews.com/pinch-lays-claim-to-oldest-reunion/
- St. Albans Festival of Lights - http://www.salights.com/index.cfm
Area Attractions [edit]
- 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 [edit]
- West Virginia Power - Baseball team
- West Virginia Chaos - Soccer Club
Notable people [edit]
- George Crumb - American composer
- Conchata Ferrell - Actress, best known for her role as Berta on "Two and Half Men"
- Jennifer Garner - Actress
- Kathy Mattea - Country Singer / Song Writer
- Earl Lloyd - One of the first African American NBA Players, who also played for West Virginia State College (University)
- Randy Moss - NFL Football Player
- Lou Myers - Actor, best known for his role as Mr. Gaines on "A Different World"
- Phil Pfister - Strongman Champion
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "2010 County Population and Housing Occupancy Status". U.S. Census Bureau.
- ^ Roberts, Dilger. "Kanawha County History". Retrieved 25 February 2013.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Retrieved March 23, 2013.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts".
Further reading [edit]
- Scott A. MacKenzie. "The Slaveholders' War: The Secession Crisis in Kanawha County, Western Virginia, 1860-1861," West Virginia History: A Journal of Regional Studies - New Series, Volume 4, Number 1, Spring 2010, pp. 33–57 in Project MUSE
External links [edit]
- Kanawha County Commission
- Kanawha County Public Library
- Kanawha County Schools
- WVGenWeb Kanawha County
- Kanawha County Obituary Archive
- 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 - http://www.nitrowvcvb.org/
- South Charleston, WV - http://www.southcharlestonwv.org/SCCVB/Welcome.html
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Jackson County | Roane County | Clay County | |
| Putnam County |  |
Nicholas County and Fayette County | ||
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| Lincoln County | Boone County | Raleigh County |
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