2019 Map of Charleston West

About this map

The Kanawha River serves as the central artery for this portion of Kanawha County, separating the industrial and urban centers of Charleston and Dunbar from the densely forested ridges to the south. Along the northern banks, historical districts like the West Side and East Side connect via a series of spans including the Lee Street Bridge and the South Side Bridge. To the south, the terrain rises sharply into the Kanawha State Forest, a preserved landscape crisscrossed by an extensive network of footpaths such as the Mary Draper Ingles Trail and the Alligator Rock Trail. This topography has historically dictated the settlement patterns of South Charleston and its satellite communities like Ruthdale and Loudon Heights, which are defined by their position within hollows and along creek beds like Davis Creek. The map documents a complex modern infrastructure of overpasses and bridges laid over a landscape steeped in local history, evidenced by numerous family and memorial grounds including Dutch Hollow Cem and Graceland Cem.