Kanawha County | |
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![]() Kanawha County Courthouse in Charleston | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia | |
![]() West Virginia's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 38°20′N 81°32′W / 38.34°N 81.53°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | October 5, 1789 |
Named for | Kanawha River |
Seat | Charleston |
Largest city | Charleston |
Area | |
• Total | 911 sq mi (2,360 km2) |
• Land | 902 sq mi (2,340 km2) |
• Water | 9.3 sq mi (24 km2) 1.0% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 180,745 |
• Estimate (2021) | 177,952 ![]() |
• Density | 200/sq mi (77/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 1st |
Website | www |
Kanawha County (/kəˈnɔːə/ kə-NAW-ə) is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 180,745,[1] making it West Virginia's most populous county.[2] The county seat is Charleston,[3] which is also the state capital and most populous city. Kanawha County is part of the Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.