Charleston is the capital of West Virginia, a city named for King Charles I of England.
Charleston was established in 1788 by George and Robert Clendenin at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers. It was first called Charles Town, honoring George Clendenin’s father, Charles. The name was later shortened to Charleston, a form shared by several American cities.
West Virginia became a separate state in 1863 during the American Civil War. Charleston became the permanent state capital in 1875 after the government moved there from Wheeling, although the capital temporarily returned to Wheeling from 1875 to 1885. Charleston has remained the capital since 1885.
Charleston is sometimes confused with Charleston, South Carolina, a much older coastal city. West Virginia’s capital is an inland Appalachian city associated with the Kanawha Valley and the state’s political and cultural institutions.