Visit Charleston
Charleston, WV, US
Destination profile
About Charleston
Charleston pairs a newly renovated 100,000 sq ft convention center and a 13,500-seat arena with a walkable downtown of hotels, restaurants and riverfront parks — within a day's drive of 60% of the U.S. population and about ten minutes from Yeager Airport.
Charleston is the capital of West Virginia and the centre of its meetings industry. The city sits at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, ringed by the Appalachian foothills, and its downtown core is compact enough to walk: hotels, restaurants, microbreweries, the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences, Capitol Market and the riverfront are all within a few blocks of the convention campus.
The meeting anchor is the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, which completed a $110 million expansion and renovation. The campus combines the convention centre — 100,000 sq ft of meeting space across 25 spaces, including a 25,000 sq ft ballroom, a 72,400 sq ft single room and 50,000 sq ft of exhibit space — with the 13,500-seat Coliseum, the 3,483-seat Municipal Auditorium and a 738-seat theatre. An 8,000 sq ft reception space overlooks the Elk River, with terraces, a patio and a boat dock.
Lodging is concentrated and close: the Charleston Marriott Town Center (352 rooms), Embassy Suites (253), Four Points by Sheraton (176) and Courtyard Downtown/Civic Center (119) put roughly 1,200–1,600 rooms within walking distance, and the metro area holds more than 4,000. The city's traditional strength is in military reunions, faith-based gatherings and competitive youth sports, alongside state association and corporate business that comes with being the seat of government.
Access is simple. Yeager Airport (CRW) is about five miles and ten minutes from downtown, with nonstop service to Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Charlotte and Washington–Reagan plus seasonal Breeze routes to Orlando and Newark. Interstates 64, 77 and 79 meet at the city — one of the few places in the country where three interstates converge — putting 60% of the U.S. population inside a day's drive. Amtrak's Cardinal stops in downtown Charleston, and the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority runs trolley-styled buses through the centre.
City-wide profile
Why meet in Charleston
Capacity, access and planner support for Charleston, at a glance.
Top reasons to visit
Why planners choose Charleston
- Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center: 100,000 sq ft of meeting space in 25 spaces after a $110 million renovation
- 25,000 sq ft ballroom, 72,400 sq ft single room and 50,000 sq ft of exhibit space
- 13,500-seat Coliseum, 3,483-seat Municipal Auditorium and 738-seat theatre on one campus
- About 1,200–1,600 hotel rooms within walking distance; Marriott Town Center, Embassy Suites, Four Points and Courtyard all on foot
- Big-city infrastructure at small-town prices — hotel rates and venue rentals well below larger U.S. markets
Inventory & capacity
Access & district
- Airport proximity
- Yeager Airport (CRW) is ~5 mi / 10 min from downtown: nonstop to Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Charlotte and Washington–Reagan, plus seasonal Breeze to Orlando and Newark. No international routes — connect via ATL, CLT, ORD or DCA.
- Air lift access
- CRW runs about 13 departures a day on Delta, American, United and Breeze; Atlanta is the busiest route. Amtrak's Cardinal (New York–Chicago) serves Charleston three days a week. International traffic connects via ATL, CLT, ORD or DCA.
- District transit & walkability
- The hall sits one block from the CBD. Marriott Town Center, Embassy Suites, Four Points and Courtyard are within ~15 minutes on foot — 1,200–1,600 rooms walkable. KRT trolley buses serve downtown; the State Capitol is ~2 mi east.
Operations & incentives
- Labor & vendor status
- West Virginia is a right-to-work state; Charleston crews are typically non-union for AV, electrical, rigging and security. The Coliseum & Convention Center caters in-house — confirm exclusive F&B and utility rules with the venue.
- Local taxes & fees
- 6% City of Charleston hotel occupancy tax plus 7% sales tax (6% state + 1% municipal) — about 13% combined on rooms. Rooms billed directly to federal, state or local government are occupancy-tax exempt; 501(c)(3)s are not.
- Planner incentives & subvention
- Charleston CVB provides free RFP distribution to member hotels, site inspections and fam trips, housing and room-block coordination, registration staffing, attendance-marketing assets and on-site services. KRT shuttle partnerships available. No published rebate.
Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center
Charleston, WV, US
Located in the capital city of West Virginia boasts the entertainment and convention centerpiece, theCharlesto...
By air: West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW) is about 5 mi / 10 min from downtown, with nonstop service to Atlanta (ATL), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Charlotte (CLT) and Washington–Reagan (DCA), plus Breeze Airways a few times a week to Orlando (MCO) and Newark (EWR). No international routes — connect through Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago or Washington.
By car: I-64 (east–west), I-77 (north–south) and I-79 all meet at Charleston, one of the few U.S. cities where three interstates converge. The city is within a day's drive of roughly 60% of the U.S. population — about 5 h from Columbus, 4 h from Cincinnati, 3 h from Pittsburgh and 2 h from Lexington.
By rail: Amtrak's Cardinal (New York–Chicago) stops at Charleston Station on the south bank of the Kanawha, a short walk or taxi from downtown; service runs three days a week.
Getting around: the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority (KRT) runs trolley-styled buses through the downtown core, and rideshare, taxis and hotel shuttles cover the airport run. Much of downtown is walkable, and the convention campus sits one block from the central business district.
Parking
Downtown Charleston is served by municipal garages and hotel parking structures, with additional surface and garage parking around the Coliseum & Convention Center campus. Several downtown hotels charge a nightly self-parking fee, and event parking at the convention campus is priced per event. Confirm current rates and bus/coach drop-off points with the venue and with each hotel when contracting.
