South Charleston was established in 1906, but not incorporated until 1917. It is home to the Charleston Ordnance Center, a former naval munitions factory established for use in World World I. It employed over 11,000 workers and produced 130,000 gun barrels for U.S. warships.
Geography
South Charleston is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which, is land and is water.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,905, and the median income for a family was $50,528. Males had a median income of $39,036 versus $25,978 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,928. About 9.7% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
As of the census of 2010, there were 13,450 people, 6,283 households, and 3,675 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 6,819 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 86.9% White, 8.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population. There were 6,283 households of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the city was 42.3 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 29.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.7% male and 54.3% female.
Economy
In South Charleston are the headquarters of International Industries, the parent company of a group of subsidiaries founded in 1947 by James H. "Buck" Harless, based primarily in natural resources such as coal and timber, but which also include the manufacturing, hotel and real estate industries.
Education
There are six : Montrose Elementary, Ruthlawn Elementary, Richmond Elementary, Alum Creek Elementary, Bridgeview Elementary, and Weberwood Elementary. The main middle school is , which is located on 3rd Ave. SCMS houses grades 6-8. is one of eight high schools in Kanawha County. SCHS is located on Eagle Way and houses grades 9-12. There are also two colleges located in the city. A South Charleston campus for BridgeValley Community and Technical College is located at the former Dow Chemical research facility and the Marshall University – South Charleston Campus is a branch of Marshall University.
Arts and culture
South Charleston attractions include Criel Mound, and the . The South Charleston Museum is located in the historic LaBelle Theater on D Street, and features a West Virginia Film Series, Open Mic Night, exhibitions, and other events. The city is also home to a community center, an ice arena, Little Creek Park, Little Creek Country Club and Joplin Park. The Interpretive Center is located at 313 D street and features the Appalachian trail, the Mound, Indian artifacts, arrowheads, chemical history and artifacts, and a Belgium display depicting the first business in South Charleston also Blenko birthday pieces donated by Pearl Watson.
