1984 Map of Charleston

About this map

The Kanawha River serves as the industrial and civic spine of this West Virginia landscape, winding past the State Capitol and through a dense corridor of river towns. The 1980s infrastructure is well-defined, showing the intersection of heavy rail lines like the Chesapeake & Ohio RR and Conrail with the interstate expansion of I-64 and I-79. Beyond the urban centers of Charleston, South Charleston, and Saint Albans, the terrain is marked by extensive Strip Mines and the deep relief of the New River Gorge. Educational and transit hubs are prominent, from West Virginia State College in Institute to Yeager Airport perched above the valley. This survey captures the region at a peak of its extraction-based economy and transportation development, balanced by large protected areas such as Kanawha State Forest and Babcock State Park.