What is the county seat of Kanawha County?

The county seat of Kanawha County is Charleston.

Is there an online parcel map for Kanawha County?

Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 114,951 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Kanawha County's boundary or name changed?

Kanawha County was created in 1789 from Greenbrier County and Montgomery County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 24 later changes, chiefly involving Fayette County, Jackson County and Lincoln County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Kanawha County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 54039

Kanawha CountyWest Virginia

Kanawha County is a county in West Virginia with its seat in Charleston. The county was created in 1789 by Virginia from Greenbrier and Montgomery counties and was named after the Kanawha River.

Founded1789
County seatCharleston
Named forKanawha River, West Virginia
Land area902 sq mi + 9.3 sq mi water
Population180,745 2020 Census
Parcels mapped114,951 checked 16 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Kanawha County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1789 from Greenbrier County and Montgomery County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Kanawha County was created by Virginia on October 1, 1789, from Greenbrier and Montgomery counties. Over the following decades, the county lost territory through the creation of Wood, Mason, Cabell, Nicholas, and Logan counties, as well as through exchanges and adjustments. On June 20, 1863, Kanawha County separated from Virginia and became part of the new state of West Virginia.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1789
Kanawha County created Kanawha created by Virginia from Greenbrier and Montgomery (Virginia).
from Greenbrier from Montgomery (Va.)
1 October 1789 · Hening, 12:670-672
1795
Gained territory Kanawha gained from Greenbrier.
from Greenbrier
5 December 1795 · Shepherd, 1:388-389
1800
Lost territory Kanawha lost to Wood.
to Wood
30 December 1800 · Shepherd, 2:263
1804
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Mason.
to Mason
1 May 1804 · Shepherd, 3:77-78
1863
Became part of West Virginia Kanawha separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363

Show all 27 changes (22 more)

1789
Kanawha County created Kanawha created by Virginia from Greenbrier and Montgomery (Virginia).
from Greenbrier from Montgomery (Va.)
1 October 1789 · Hening, 12:670-672
1795
Gained territory Kanawha gained from Greenbrier.
from Greenbrier
5 December 1795 · Shepherd, 1:388-389
1800
Lost territory Kanawha lost to Wood.
to Wood
30 December 1800 · Shepherd, 2:263
1804
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Mason.
to Mason
1 May 1804 · Shepherd, 3:77-78
1809
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Cabell.
to Cabell
2 January 1809 · Va. Acts 1808-1809, ch. 45, sec. 1/pp. 44-46
1817
Exchanged territory Kanawha exchanged with Mason.
with Mason
27 January 1817 · Va. Acts 1816-1817, ch. 89, sec. 1/p. 157
1818
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Nicholas.
to Nicholas
30 January 1818 · Va. Acts 1817-1818, ch. 33, sec. 1/pp. 34-35
1824
Boundary clarified Boundary between Kanawha and Mason clarified (no change).
with Masonno change
7 January 1824 · Va. Acts 1823-1824, ch. 75, sec. 1/p. 81
1824
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Logan.
to Logan
12 January 1824 · Va. Acts 1823-1824, ch. 11, sec. 1/pp. 20-21
1824
Lost territory Kanawha lost to Nicholas.
to Nicholas
23 January 1824 · Va. Acts 1823-1824, ch. 74, sec. 1/p. 80
1830
Lost territory Kanawha lost to Logan.
to Logan
26 January 1830 · Va. Acts 1829-1830, ch. 118, sec. 1/p. 117
1831
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Fayette.
to Fayette
28 February 1831 · Va. Acts 1830-1831, ch. 70, sec. 1/pp. 134-136
1831
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Jackson.
to Jackson
1 March 1831 · Va. Acts 1830-1831, ch. 73, sec. 1/pp. 138-140
1836
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Braxton.
to Braxton
15 January 1836 · Va. Acts 1835-1836, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 18-20
1839
Gained territory Kanawha gained from Fayette.
from Fayette
29 March 1839 · Va. Acts 1839, Jan. sess., ch. 51, sec. 1/p. 33
1845
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Gilmer.
to Gilmer
3 February 1845 · Va. Acts 1844-1845, ch. 43, sec. 1/pp. 45-49
1847
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Boone.
to Boone
11 March 1847 · Va. Acts 1846-1847, ch. 55, sec. 1/pp. 49-52
1848
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Putnam.
to Putnam
11 March 1848 · Va. Acts 1847-1848, ch. 59, sec. 1/pp. 34-38
1850
Lost territory Kanawha lost to Putnam.
to Putnam
12 March 1850 · Va. Acts 1849-1850, Dec. reg. sess., ch. 26, sec. 1/pp. 24-25
1850
Lost territory Kanawha lost to Fayette.
to Fayette
21 March 1850 · Va. Acts 1849-1850, Dec. reg. sess., ch. 27, sec. 1/pp. 25-26
1856
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Roane.
to Roane
11 March 1856 · Va. Acts 1855-1856, ch. 109, sec. 1/pp. 91-94
1858
Lost territory Kanawha lost small area to creation of Clay.
to Clay
29 March 1858 · Va. Acts 1857-1858, Dec. reg. sess., ch. 158, sec. 1/pp. 111-113; W. Va. Acts 1863, ch. 64, sec. 1/p. 61
1863
Became part of West Virginia Kanawha separated from Virginia and became a county in the state of West Virginia. 20 June 1863 · Swindler, 10:363
1867
Lost territory Kanawha lost to creation of Lincoln.
to Lincoln
23 February 1867 · W. Va. Acts 1867, 5th sess., ch. 61, sec. 1/pp. 76-79
1868
Exchanged territory Kanawha exchanged with Lincoln.
with Lincoln
27 July 1868 · W. Va. Acts 1868, June ext. sess., ch. 92/pp. 63-64
1927
Gained territory Kanawha gained small area from Jackson.
from Jackson
25 July 1927 · W. Va. Acts 1927, 38th sess., ch. 156/pp. 336-338
1955
Boundary clarified Boundary between Kanawha and Putnam redefined (no change).
with Putnamno change
8 March 1955 · W. Va. Acts 1955, 52d sess., ch. 186, sec. 1/pp. 536-539

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Kanawha

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 114,951 parcels from West Virginia University GIS Technical Center. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 101,827 in all from WV GIS Technical Center (WVGISTC, West Virginia University — the state's GIS clearinghouse) serving WV Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (WVDHSEM) SAMS-II address points.
checked 13 October 2026
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Kanawha by the Census

Population

180,745 2020 Census count

Housing units

90,294 2020 Census count

Land area

902 square miles

Water area

9.3 square miles

People per sq mi

200 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Records

Assessor and property recordsfrom kanawha.us · checked 13 October 2026

County government

County government
The official website of Kanawha County.
kanawha.us

See your own lot on these maps

Open Kanawha County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Kanawha County

When was Kanawha County founded?: Kanawha County was founded in 1789, formed from Greenbrier County and Montgomery County, and named after Kanawha River, West Virginia.
What is the county seat of Kanawha County?: The county seat of Kanawha County is Charleston.
Is there an online parcel map for Kanawha County?: Yes. West Virginia University GIS Technical Center publishes a parcel map of 114,951 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Kanawha County's boundary or name changed?: Kanawha County was created in 1789 from Greenbrier County and Montgomery County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 24 later changes, chiefly involving Fayette County, Jackson County and Lincoln County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Kanawha County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby