| Charleston is a city along coastal South Carolina and is the oldest city in the state. The city dates back to 1670. Charleston elevation is 20 feet and it is located within the Eastern Standard Time Zone. Charleston area code is 843. The population of the city is around 125,000 with an MSA of almost 660,000. The weather is comfortable with winter low temperatures averaging about 42 and summer high temperatures of 88. Charleston rainfall averages slightly less than four inches per month and snow is rare. Charleston events and festivals include the Spoleta Festival USA and the Cooper River Bridge Run. Charleston things to do are numerous and include the Charleston Museum (the nation's first), Gibbes Museum of Art, Market Hall and Sheds, the Powder Magazine Museum, and numerous historic homes. Charleston entertainment includes Theatre 99 and Dock Street Theatre, the first in America. Tourism is a large part of the economy. The city is also one of the largest US shipping ports. The area is served by the Charleston International Airport. Interstate 26 (I-26) and I-95 run near Charleston. The city has the longest cable stayed bridge in the western hemisphere, built in 2005. Charleston hosts several sports teams including professional soccer's Charleston Battery and the New York Yankees minor league affiliate Charleston RiverDogs. The Notebook movie was filmed in Charleston and multiple works of fiction use Charleston as a setting. The area offers many educational institutions including the College of Charleston, Trident Technical College, the Citadel, and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). |
