Charleston Metropolitan Area | |
|---|---|
| Charleston–Huntington–Ashland, WV–OH–KY | |
 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  West Virginia
 Kentucky Ohio |
| Largest city | Charleston |
| Other cities | - Huntington - Ashland - Portsmouth - Ironton - South Charleston - St. Albans - Dunbar |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,159.9 sq mi (5,594 km2) |
| Highest elevation | Kelly Knob[1]1,512 ft (461 m) |
| Lowest elevation | Ohio River[2]485 ft (148 m) |
| Population (2015 est.) | |
| • Total | 361,580 |
| • Rank | 146th in the U.S. |
| • Density | 167.4/sq mi (64.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
The Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in West Virginia, anchored by the city of Charleston. It is the largest metropolitan area entirely within the state of West Virginia. The Huntington Metro Area adds to the Charleston–Huntington, WV-OH-KY CSA and spans three states (West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio), while the core county of the Charleston area, Kanawha County, is more populous than the West Virginia portion of the Huntington area.
Charleston is its largest and most populous city in the MSA. Cross Lanes is its most populous census-designated place.[3] As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 309,635 (though new standards set on February 28, 2013 placed the population at 240,000).[4] Prior to the 2000 Census, the Charleston MSA consisted of only two counties – Kanawha and Putnam (the latter of which is now considered part of the Huntington metropolitan area).
- ^ "Kelly Knob". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved on 2010-08-19
- ^ Groundwater Resources of Greenup County, Kentucky Retrieved on 2010-08-19
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
- ^ "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 (CBSA-EST2009-01)". 2009 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2010-03-23. Archived from the original (CSV) on 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-24.