Kanawha County, West Virginia
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Kanawha County, West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
 Kanawha County Courthouse in Charleston | ||
| ||
 Location in the U.S. state of West Virginia | ||
 West Virginia's location in the U.S. | ||
| Founded | October 5, 1789 | |
| Named for | Kanawha River | |
| Seat | Charleston | |
| Largest city | Charleston | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 911 sq mi (2,359 km2) | |
| • Land | 902 sq mi (2,336 km2) | |
| • Water | 9.3 sq mi (24 km2), 1.0% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2015) | 188,332 | |
| • Density | 211/sq mi (81/km2) | |
| Congressional district | 2nd | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC−5/−4 | |
| Website | www.kanawha.us | |
Kanawha County (/kəˈnɔː/ kə-NAW or /kəˈnɔːə/ kə-NAW-ə) is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 193,063,[1] making it West Virginia's most populous county. Its county seat is Charleston,[2] the state capital.
Kanawha County is part of the Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Adjacent counties
2.2 Major highways
3 Demographics
3.1 2000 census
3.2 2010 census
4 Politics
5 Government
5.1 Elected officials
6 Economy
7 Recreation
8 Events
9 Attractions
10 Sports
11 Communities
11.1 Cities
11.2 Towns
11.3 Census-designated places
11.4 Unincorporated communities
12 Notable people
13 See also
14 References
15 Further reading
16 External links
History
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 for the Kanawha River, which in turn was named after the Indian tribe that lived in the area.[3] The county was the site of a bloody miners' strike in 1912 and a major textbook controversy in 1974 that included bombings and received national attention.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 911 square miles (2,360 km2), of which 902 square miles (2,340 km2) is land and 9.3 square miles (24 km2) (1.0%) is water.[4] 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
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
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 3,239 | — | |
| 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. 2016 | 186,241 | [5] | −3.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010–2015[1] | |||
2000 census
As of the census[10] 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.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 193,063 people, 84,201 households, and 52,172 families residing in the county.[11] The population density was 214.1 inhabitants per square mile (82.7/km2). There were 92,618 housing units at an average density of 102.7 per square mile (39.7/km2).[12] 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.[11] In terms of ancestry, 14.8% were German, 14.2% were Irish, 13.9% were English, and 13.4% were American.[13]
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.[11]
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, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.[14]
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. However, 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.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 57.0% 43,850 | 36.8% 28,263 | 6.2% 4,775 |
2012 | 54.9% 41,364 | 43.1% 32,480 | 2.0% 1,468 |
2008 | 49.4% 40,952 | 49.0% 40,594 | 1.6% 1,341 |
2004 | 50.5% 44,430 | 48.9% 43,010 | 0.6% 488 |
2000 | 48.0% 36,809 | 50.3% 38,524 | 1.8% 1,337 |
1996 | 38.3% 29,311 | 52.8% 40,357 | 8.9% 6,827 |
1992 | 38.4% 31,358 | 46.9% 38,315 | 14.7% 11,998 |
1988 | 48.0% 38,140 | 51.7% 41,144 | 0.3% 258 |
1984 | 57.5% 51,499 | 42.3% 37,832 | 0.2% 211 |
1980 | 46.4% 42,604 | 46.7% 42,829 | 6.9% 6,327 |
1976 | 44.1% 42,213 | 55.9% 53,602 | |
1972 | 63.1% 65,021 | 36.9% 38,032 | |
1968 | 41.8% 41,712 | 46.7% 46,650 | 11.5% 11,524 |
1964 | 35.3% 38,383 | 64.8% 70,511 | |
1960 | 51.2% 57,130 | 48.8% 54,484 | |
1956 | 53.8% 58,597 | 46.2% 50,289 | |
1952 | 51.0% 56,861 | 49.0% 54,540 | |
1948 | 43.5% 41,144 | 56.2% 53,213 | 0.4% 338 |
1944 | 43.5% 36,488 | 56.5% 47,400 | |
1940 | 40.9% 40,113 | 59.1% 57,932 | |
1936 | 41.0% 35,387 | 58.9% 50,801 | 0.1% 113 |
1932 | 47.4% 35,455 | 51.6% 38,617 | 1.0% 749 |
1928 | 58.2% 35,788 | 41.5% 25,563 | 0.3% 184 |
1924 | 49.1% 26,018 | 42.9% 22,726 | 8.0% 4,207 |
1920 | 54.3% 23,781 | 44.1% 19,284 | 1.6% 704 |
1916 | 48.1% 10,096 | 49.0% 10,276 | 2.9% 598 |
1912 | 10.0% 1,780 | 37.3% 6,658 | 52.8% 9,431[16] |
Government
| 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
| Agency | Elected Official |
|---|---|
| Kanawha County Commission | Commissioner W. Kent Carper, President Commissioner Ben Salango Commissioner Henry "Hoppy" Shores |
| Kanawha County Assessor | Sallie Robinson |
| Kanawha County Circuit Clerk | Cathy Gatson |
| Kanawha County Clerk | Vera McCormick |
| Kanawha County Prosecutor | Charles "Chuck" Miller |
| Kanawha County Sheriff | Johnny Rutherford |
Economy
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.[17] 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 is 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.
Recreation
| 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 |
Events
- FestivALL[18]
- Live on the Levee[19]
- Vandalia Gathering[20]
- Rib Fest[21]
- Charleston Rod Run Doo Wop[22]
- Majorette Festival - Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival
- Pinch Reunion[23]
- St. Albans Festival of Lights[24]
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
West Virginia Power - Baseball team
West Virginia Chaos - Soccer club
Communities
Cities
Charleston (county seat)- Dunbar
- Marmet
Montgomery (part)
Nitro (part)
Smithers (part)- South Charleston
- St. Albans
Towns
- Belle
- Cedar Grove
- Chesapeake
- Clendenin
- East Bank
- Glasgow
- Handley
- Pratt
Census-designated places
Alum Creek (part)- Big Chimney
- Chelyan
- Coal Fork
- Cross Lanes
- Elkview
- Jefferson
- Pinch
- Rand
- Shrewsbury
- Sissonville
- Tornado
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
- Cinco
- Coalburg
- Coalridge
- Coco
- Corton
- Crede
- Crown Hill
- Davis Creek
- Dawes
- Decota
- Dial
- Diamond
- 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
- Hollygrove
- Hollyhurst
- Hugheston
- Institute
- Island Branch
- Ivydale
- Jarrett
- Jarretts Ford
- Joplin
- Kanawha City
- Kanawha Estates
- Kayford
- Kelly Hill
- Kendalia
- Laing
- Leewood
- Loudendale
- Lower Falls
- Mammoth
- Meadowbrook
- Mink Shoals
- Pocatalico
- Pond Gap
- Port Amherst
- Putney
- Quick
- Quincy
- River Bend
- Rocky Fork
- Rock Lake Village
- Rutledge
- Sanderson
- Tyler Heights
- Tyler Mountain
Notable people
George Crumb, composer
Caleb Ellis, touring guitarist for American emo band Dashboard Confessional
Conchata Ferrell, actress, best known for her role as Berta on Two and Half Men
Jennifer Garner, actress
Elizabeth Harden Gilmore, businesswoman and civil rights advocate
Earl Lloyd, one of the first African American NBA players, who also played for West Virginia State College (University)
Kathy Mattea, country singer / songwriter
Randy Moss, NFL player
Lou Myers, actor, best known for his role as Mr. Gaines on A Different World
Les Palmer, NFL football player
Phil Pfister, strongman champion
Kristen Ruhlin, actress, best known from film and TV roles opposite Charlie Sheen in She Wants Me, Hilary Duff in Gossip Girl and daytime drama One Life to Live
Jason Williams, NBA player
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Kanawha County, West Virginia
- Kanawha County textbook controversy
References
^ ab "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2014..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
^ "West Virginia Counties". West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on September 23, 2001. Retrieved February 24, 2014. (WV County Etymology)
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
^ abc "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
^ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 3,071 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 1,780 votes.
^ "State & County QuickFacts". Archived from the original on 2011-07-12.
^ "Home | FestivAll". www.festivallcharleston.com. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
^ "Live on the Levee". liveontheleveecharleston.com. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
^ "Vandalia Gathering". www.wvculture.org. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
^ "South Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau | 18th Annual Barbecue Ribfest". southcharlestonwv.org. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
^ "2017 Charleston Rod Run & Doo Wop". www.charlestonwvcarshow.com. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
^ "WV MetroNews – Pinch Lays Claim To Oldest Reunion". wvmetronews.com. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2013-02-28.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
Further reading
- 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
- 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 - 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
Places adjacent to Kanawha County, West Virginia | ||||||||||
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Kanawha County, West Virginia
Municipalities and communities of Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States | ||
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County seat: Charleston | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
 State of West Virginia | ||
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Charleston (capital) | ||
| Topics |
|  Seal of West Virginia |
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Coordinates: 38°20′N 81°32′W / 38.34°N 81.53°W / 38.34; -81.53
