About Charleston
Welcome to Charleston!
Explore the Capital City
Charleston is the capital city of WV with a population of just under 50,000. You’ll find that it’s large enough to offer plenty of interesting options and small enough so that it is easy to navigate.
From the tiny (the Mortar Man sculpture, located downtown and sculpted by one of our alums) to the tallest (the State Capitol building across from campus is the tallest building in the state), it’s hard to measure everything the area – and the state – have to offer.
Whether you are looking for a great new place to eat, unique shopping, or something fun to do on a night off from studying, you’ll find it here.
Fun Fact: Kanawha (Ka-NAH-wah) derives from the region’s Iroquoian dialects meaning “water way” or “canoe way”. It is both the name of the river that flows beside campus and the county in which UC is located. It was also once in consideration for the state name.
Getting Around Town
Charleston is easy to navigate whether you have your own car or take advantage of the many transportation options here.
Charleston is served by the KRT bus system, which stops on campus and can take you most places in the area. UC students ride free with their UC ID.
Rides are also available via Uber, Lyft, or taxi.
There are also designated biking trails around campus. (The Boat House offers free bike rentals for students.)
Charleston is served by Yeager International Airport, Amtrak, and Greyhound. Three major highway systems – I-64, I-77 and I-79 all converge in Charleston.
Start Here
Fun fact: West Virginia holds the record for having the most towns named after cities in other countries, including Athens, Berlin, Cairo, Calcutta, London, Egypt (a country, but still), and Rome.