Charleston is the capital of West Virginia and the state's largest city, sitting at the confluence of the Kanawha and Elk rivers. With a population of around 50,000 in the city proper and 200,000 in the wider metro, it punches above its weight as a regional hub for government, healthcare, and what remains of the chemical industry that defined this valley for most of the 20th century.
The city's most striking feature is the State Capitol, whose gold dome catches the light from across the river. The building dates from 1932, designed by Cass Gilbert — the same architect behind the US Supreme Court — and the grounds are genuinely worth a stroll. The adjacent State Museum and the nearby Governor's Mansion round out the complex.
Downtown Charleston rewards an hour on foot. Capitol Street, running from Washington Street down to the Kanawha Boulevard, still has its original department-store architecture largely intact, now occupied by coffee shops, galleries, and independent restaurants such as Taylor Books. The Clay Center on the riverfront houses art, science and a performance hall under one roof, and the Capitol Market in a converted freight depot is the best stop for a slow lunch.
The East End neighbourhood, east of downtown along the riverfront, is where Charleston's historic character is best preserved — Victorian houses, riverside paths, and the handsome St. John's Episcopal Church. For greenery, Kanawha State Forest sits a few miles south of downtown: heavily wooded hills, decent hiking and biking trails, and a public swimming pool.
Charleston isn't a destination in its own right for most travelers, but if you're passing through West Virginia on I-64, I-77, or I-79, it's worth a half-day stop. The Capitol alone is better than you'd expect.