Charleston Population 2010: 51,400, #1 in West Virginia 1950: 73,501 2010
Metropolitan Area: 304,284, #154 in U.S. 1950 Metropolitan Area: 322,072, #59 in U.S. Setting Charleston, located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, had its first permanent settlement in 1788. Buildings Tallest office building: Kanawha Valley Building, 256 feet (1929) List of tallest buildings The domed State Capitol (1931) is 292 feet tall. Stores The Charleston Town Center, an enclosed mall built in 1983, has a JC Penney store. Trains Amtrak’s Cardinal goes through Charleston three times a week in each direction, west to Cincinnati and Chicago, and east to Washington, D.C., and New York City. Amtrak uses the old Chesapeake and Ohio Depot (1905), across the Kanawha River from downtown. |  Downtown Charleston and Kanawha River Museums The West Virginia State Museum and the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences are in the downtown area. Theaters The
Park Place Stadium Cinema shows first-run movies. The theater at the Clay Center (2003) hosts the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, touring Broadway shows, and a variety of other concerts. The Charleston Stage is also downtown. Sports The West Virginia Power, Single-A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, play at Appalachian Power Park (2005). The Charleston Civic Center Coliseum (1980) hosts sporting events and concerts. Convention and Visitors Bureau
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