Charleston, WV elevation
Downtown Charleston sits at 596 ft (182 m) above sea level. The city limits climb well above that: the highest of our USGS sample points is 1,254 ft, 4.9 mi from downtown.
USGS elevation downtown
596ft
182 m above sea level
Ground elevation at 38.34982, -81.63262 (GNIS populated-place coordinates (city center)).
Source: USGS 3D Elevation Program, via the Elevation Point Query Service
- Range inside city limits (sampled)
- 565 to 1,254 ft
- 172 to 382 m · 161 USGS points
- Source: USGS 3DEP + 2024 Census boundary
- Average of sampled points
- 828 ft (252 m)
- Source: USGS 3DEP
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made
Check your exact spot in Charleston
Elevation changes from street to street. Use your location, search an address or click the map to get the USGS value for one point. Green pins mark the points named on this page.
Your spot
—ft
Choose a location to see its elevation.
…ft
Looking up elevation…
ft
m
How accurate is this?
Data sources:
Elevation range inside the city limits
Charleston covers 31.4 sq mi of land. Across it, USGS elevations at 161 sampled points run from 565 ft (172 m) to 1,254 ft (382 m), a spread of 689 ft. The average of those points is 828 ft, higher than downtown.
Method: Sampled: USGS 3DEP elevation at 161 points (the city center plus a regular grid about 724 m apart) inside the 2024 Census boundary. The true highest and lowest points can lie between grid points.
Life at 596 ft
Standard-atmosphere estimates for downtown Charleston (596 ft). Weather moves the real values a little from day to day.
- Oxygen per breath
- 98 % of sea level
- Air is still 20.9% oxygen; there is just less air.
- Oxygen calculator
- Home canning
- At or below 1,000 ft, use the standard USDA sea-level times.
- Canning adjustments · Baking
Sources: pressure from the U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976 (NOAA, NASA, USAF); boiling point from the Antoine equation for water (Lange's Handbook of Chemistry); canning thresholds from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. Not medical or food-safety advice; follow the tested USDA recipe for your altitude.
Charleston compared with nearby and similar-size cities
- Hurricane, WV707 ft
- Jefferson City, MO630 ft
- St. Albans, WV611 ft
- South Charleston, WV603 ft
- Charleston (downtown)596 ft
- Dunbar, WV595 ft
- Nitro, WV594 ft
- Harrisburg, PA334 ft
- Concord, NH274 ft
- Annapolis, MD44 ft
Landmark elevations
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Charleston | 596 ft (182 m) | USGS 3DEP at GNIS populated-place coordinates |
| Highest sampled point | 1,254 ft (382 m) · 4.9 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Lowest sampled point | 565 ft (172 m) · 0.5 mi from downtown | USGS 3DEP grid sample |
| Nearest public airport: West Virginia Intl Yeager (KCRW) | 947 ft (289 m) · 2.8 mi away | FAA field elevation |
Charleston at a glance
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 46,482 (July 1, 2024) | U.S. Census Bureau estimate |
| Land area | 31.4 sq mi (81.3 km²) | Census 2024 Gazetteer |
| County | Kanawha | USGS GNIS |
| USGS 7.5-minute topo map | Charleston West | USGS GNIS |
| Downtown coordinates | 38.34982, -81.63262 | USGS GNIS |
More places and tools
Nearest city pages
- Columbus, OH — 780 ft, 133 mi (214 km) away
- Pittsburgh, PA — 765 ft, 169 mi (272 km) away
- Winston-Salem, NC — 911 ft, 173 mi (279 km) away
- Frankfort, KY — 504 ft, 176 mi (283 km) away
- Charlotte, NC — 763 ft, 220 mi (354 km) away
- All West Virginia elevations
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Charleston, WV?
Downtown Charleston is 596 ft (182 m) above sea level, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program at the city-center coordinates. Inside the city limits, USGS values at 161 sampled points run from 565 to 1,254 ft.
What is the highest point in Charleston?
The highest of our 161 USGS sample points inside the 2024 Census city boundary is 1,254 ft (382 m), about 4.9 mi from downtown (38.2844, -81.5993). The true high point can be slightly higher because it may fall between grid points.
What is the lowest point in Charleston?
The lowest sampled point is 565 ft (172 m), about 0.5 mi from downtown. That is 689 ft below the highest sampled point.
At what temperature does water boil in Charleston?
At 596 ft, water boils at about 210.9 °F (99.4 °C) and standard air pressure is 29.28 inHg (992 hPa), so each breath holds about 98% of the oxygen it would at sea level. Cooking times for pasta, eggs and beans run a little longer than at sea level.
What is the elevation of the airport near Charleston?
West Virginia Intl Yeager (KCRW), 2.8 mi from downtown, has an FAA field elevation of 947.1 ft (289 m).
Do I need to adjust canning times in Charleston?
Downtown Charleston is at 596 ft, so the USDA 0–1,000 ft column applies there. Parts of the city reach 1,254 ft, where the 1,001 ft and higher columns apply.
Sources
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) — downtown elevation and every sampled point
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files (places, states; 1:500,000) — city boundary used for sampling
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files (places) — land area and Census place match
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates (cities and towns, July 1, 2024) — population
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), Domestic Names — city-center coordinates, county and topo map name
- FAA Aeronautical Information Services, Airports (field elevation) — airport field elevation
- U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976 (NOAA/NASA/USAF); water boiling point by the Antoine equation (Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry) — boiling point, air pressure and oxygen
- USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning — canning altitude thresholds
How each number is produced: methodology and data sources.
Data updated · By Ankit Kumar, compiled from public U.S. government and open datasets · How these numbers are made