Kanawha West Virginia Map

About Kanawha, West Virginia

Kanawha is a locality in Wood County, West Virginia, United States. It is a small community with a population of 192. The population density is 57.3 people per km². Kanawha is located at 39.1990°N, 81.4601°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/New_York) timezone. ZIP code: 26142.

Kanawha lies where the land begins to stir, a place of rolling hills that cradle the sky, their slopes a patchwork of greens and browns under the vast West Virginian expanse. It lies 7.2 miles south-east of Parkersburg, WV (from Parkersburg, WV: bearing 131°T), and is situated 8.0 miles south-east of Belpre. The air here, especially in the early morning, carries a damp, earthy scent, a promise of the fertile soil that defines this corner of Wood County. Ancient trees, their branches reaching like gnarled hands, stand sentinel over fields that slope down towards unseen hollows, their presence a quiet testament to seasons past. Sunlight, when it breaks through the frequent cloud cover, often falls in broad, luminous shafts, illuminating the persistent mist that can cling to the valleys long after dawn. The history of Kanawha is etched not in grand monuments, but in the enduring spirit of its people and the quiet industry that has shaped its character. This is a land that once echoed with the clang of industry, a legacy still felt in the resilient spirit of its residents, who have found new paths forward as the old ones have faded. The local economy, once tied to the bounty of the earth and the sinews of labor, now finds its strength in a more diversified approach, with small businesses and a deep connection to the surrounding natural beauty forming its backbone. The nearby Ohio River, a constant murmur in the distance, has always been a vital artery, shaping trade and offering a timeless rhythm to life in Kanawha.

About This Kanawha Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Kanawha, West Virginia — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 39.198965, -81.460121. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Kanawha and Wood County.

Detailed location data for Kanawha includes the ZIP code (26142), telephone area code (304), county seat of Wood County (Parkersburg), and school district assignment (Wood County School District). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Kanawha is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.