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Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia - Centers of trade, government, and education in the region 

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. While the Huntington Metro Area is more populous, it spans three states (West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio), and the core county of the Charleston area, Kanawha County, is more populous than the West Virginia portion of the Huntington area.

Charleston is the capital and largest city in West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2013 Census Estimate, it had a population of 50,821. It is a center of government, commerce, and industry. Early industries important to Charleston included salt and the first natural gas well. Later, coal became central to economic prosperity in the city and the surrounding area. Today, trade, utilities, government, medicine, and education play central roles in the city's economy. Charleston is the home of West Virginia Power, the West Virginia Wild minor league basketball team, and the annual 15-mile Charleston Distance Run. Yeager Airport and the University of Charleston are also located in the city. 

Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in West Virginia, located at the confluence of the Guyandotte River and the Ohio River. The City of Huntington was founded as the western terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in 1871 upon agricultural homesteads, and is eponymously named for the railroad's founder Collis Potter Huntington. The first identifiable permanent settlement, Holderby's Landing, was founded in 1775 in what was then the Colony of Virginia, but the area had been sparsely settled by French as early as 1609. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat.

As of the 2010 census, the metropolitan area is the largest in West Virginia. It spans 7 counties across 3 states, with a population of 364,101. The city is the home of Marshall University as well as the Huntington Museum of Art; the Big Sandy Superstore Arena; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Huntington District); the Collis P. Huntington Historical Society and Railroad Museum; Camden Park, one of the world's oldest amusement parks; the headquarters of the CSX Transportation-Huntington Division, the largest division in the CSX network; and the Port of Huntington Tri-State, the largest river port in the United States.

To get up-to-date road information, go to the West Virginia 511 site. And to find out current weather conditions in Charleston and Huntington, go to Accuweather.com. 

The major freeways of Charleston and Huntington include:

Charleston is served by Interstate 64, Interstate 77, and Interstate 79. The West Virginia Turnpike's northern terminus is at the southeastern end of the city. Two U.S. routes, US 60, and US 119, cut through the city center. US 21 and US 35 formerly ran through Charleston.

WV 25, WV 61, WV 62, and WV 114 are all state highways that are within Charleston's city limits.

The roads of Huntington, West Virginia include one major interstate, Interstate 64; two U.S. highways, U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 52; 6 state routes; and numerous major thoroughfares. Huntington utilizes a grid-like street pattern featuring several wide boulevard-style avenues that run east and west. Most notable of these are Third and Fifth Avenues. The city has a numbered street naming system, with avenues running east and west (parallel to the Ohio River) and streets running north and south. The city is divided into an "East End" and a "West End" by First Street. Streets west of First Street carry as "West" indicator after the street name (i.e. "Fourteenth Street West"). The street plan was originally laid out by Andrew J. Enslow, a professional contractor, making Huntington one of the first professionally planned cities in America.

Here is information on the most recent accidents in Charleston and Huntington:

• Charleston and Huntington car accidents
• Charleston and Huntington motorcycle accidents
• Charleston and Huntington commercial truck accidents
• Charleston and Huntington bus accidents
• Charleston and Huntington aircraft accidents

If you are looking for information on a specific crash that happened in Charleston or Huntington, go to the link above for the accident type you are seeking. 

If you know someone who has been injured in a Charleston or Huntington accident, here are links to the major hospitals in the area: 

• CAMC Memorial Hospital - Charleston;
• Saint Francis Hospital - Charleston;
• Cabell Huntington Hospital

Grief support information for accident victims in Charleston and Huntington 

When a loved one is killed in a motor-vehicle accident, it is often helpful for grieving family and friends to get help from a grief support organization. It can be comforting to talk with others going through a similar situation, and the road to recovering from the loss may go more smoothly. Go here to get information on Charleston grief support and Huntington grief support organizations.

Legal information for accident victims in Charleston and Huntington

When injury or death is the result of a motor-vehicle crash in Charleston or Huntington, many decisions need to be made immediately and questions need to be answered. For example, how much of the medical costs will be covered by the insurance policy? How does PIP insurance help with medical bills immediately? What if the at-fault driver has no insurance?