Changes

'''Charleston''' is the county seat of and largest city in [[Mississippi County, Missouri|Mississippi County]], [[Missouri]]. It had a population of 5,947 at the 2010 census.

'''Charleston''' is the county seat of and largest city in [[Mississippi County, Missouri|Mississippi County]], [[Missouri]]. It had a population of 5,947 at the 2010 census.

 

==History==

==History==

Charleston is located in north-central Mississippi County, about 12 miles east of Sikeston and 14 miles west of Cairo and the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Its exact coordinates are 36°55’17”N, 89°20’47”W.  

Charleston is located in north-central Mississippi County, about 12 miles east of Sikeston and 14 miles west of Cairo and the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Its exact coordinates are 36°55’17”N, 89°20’47”W.  

The city has a total area of 4.86 square miles, and an average elevation of 322 feet.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt</ref> It sits on a sandy "ridge" about five to ten feet higher than the land to the south and east, making it an attractive place for settlers in the 19th century.

The city has a total area of 4.86 square miles, and an average elevation of 322 feet.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt</ref> It sits on a sandy "ridge" about five to ten feet higher than the land to the south and east, making it an attractive place for settlers in the 19th century.[[File:Mchs_house_Charleston,_MO.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Mississippi County Historical Society House]]

The main thoroughfare in Charleston is U.S. Route 62, which runs from west to east as Marshall Street and provides access to Interstate 57, which passes through the southeastern part of the community. Generally speaking, the neighborhoods to the north of Marshall are wealthier and mostly white, while the section to the south is poorer and majority African-American.

The main thoroughfare in Charleston is U.S. Route 62, which runs from west to east as Marshall Street and provides access to Interstate 57, which passes through the southeastern part of the community. Generally speaking, the neighborhoods to the north of Marshall are wealthier and mostly white, while the section to the south is poorer and majority African-American.