Welcome to Charleston, Missouri!

Charleston - rated one of the ten best small towns in America by Travel Holiday Magazine!

Welcome to Charleston!  Platted in 1837, Charleston is the seat of government of Mississippi County, Missouri.  The city lays nestled upon a scenic natural prairie located in the top of Missouri's "Bootheel" only a ten minute drive from the confluence of the mighty Ohio and Mississippi rivers in the heart of North America.  Charleston is a lovely agricultural community situated along the Dwight D. Eisenhower Interstate highway system amid some of the richest alluvial farmland in the world.

Photograph by Teresa Gemeinhardt

Even prior to the completion of Interstate Highway 57 in the mid-1970s generations of Americans from all over the country had regularly passed through town due to our central location along U. S. Highways 60 and 62 which cross the Mississippi River into Mississippi County; making Charleston the first stop for many traveling west, or the last stop for many traveling east, relative to the excitement of crossing the river.  These days Charleston continues to draw consumer dollars from the adjacent states of Illinois and Kentucky due to our favorable tax climate and lower fuel prices.  The person with a factory to situate or with capital to invest needs to know Charleston, Missouri, has the location, infrastructure, services, abundant water, workforce, and other resources necessary to support a thriving modern economy.

Charleston is well known for its beautiful Victorian homes and the lovely gardens surrounding them.  Each April Charleston hosts its annual Dogwood-Azalea Festival.  Mid-April is a wonderful time in Charleston when the entire town glows with the beauty cast by millions of colorful dogwood and azalea blossoms.

We invite you to visit Charleston at your earliest opportunity.  Enjoy our small town atmosphere, our rural lifestyle, and consider participating in our tax-advantaged business environment.  We know you'll love what we have to offer!