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2011 Map of Charleston West

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Charleston West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

The Kanawha River serves as the industrial and social spine of this region, dividing the urban centers of Dunbar, South Charleston, and the west side of Charleston. Large river islands like Blaine Island and Wilson Island sit alongside heavy infrastructure, including the Fmc Waste Retention Basin Dam. The landscape quickly transitions from the river's commercial corridor to the steep, hollow-pierced terrain of the Kanawha State Forest area to the south.

Residential patterns are defined by established neighborhoods and modern developments, from Loudon Heights and South Hills to Kenna Homes and Rock Lake Village. For genealogists and local historians, the sheet is dense with burial grounds such as Grandview Memorial Cemetery and Ruthdale Graceland Cemetery. The transition from the dense city grid to the named hollows like Kirby Hollow, Shrewsbury Hollow, and Dunlop Hollow illustrates the classic Appalachian settlement pattern where development follows the winding creek beds of Davis Creek and its many branches.