Chesapeake, WV (West Virginia), is a small urban community on the Kanawha River in Kanawha County near Charleston, West Virginia. Its population was 1,336 at the 2020 census.
Established in the level bottomlands between the river and the mountains south, it extends more than two miles along the river but is less than a quarter mile wide. McCorkle Avenue (WV-61) is the town's Main Street. The community is less than a mile from an exit onto the I-77/64.
Chesapeake was established in about 1910 but was not incorporated until 1949. The origin of the community name remains obscure. "Chesepiooc" is an Algonquian word referring to a village "at a big river." However, the name is likely derived from the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, which has served the community since 1873.
Scott's Island
Chesapeake is the home of 51-acre Scott's Island, also known as Witchers Island, a bar island and one of the few in the Kanawha River. The island is the home of Island Airport (WV08), a small private airfield. The island is privately owned.
Lodging near Chesapeake, West Virginia
Location
Chesapeake is approximately 13 miles southwest of the Kanawha County seat at Charleston, West Virginia.
Map of Chesapeake, West Virginia
Regional Information
Chesapeake is located in the Metro Valley Region in western West Virginia.
