BlockCharleston, Arkansas
22 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1890 and the latest in 1987. It stands in Prairie Township. It lies in ZIP code area 72933. The Survey maps it on the Charleston quadrangle. 2,588 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 518 feet above sea level.
On record in Charleston
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 2 records
Charleston Commercial Historic Districtlisted 2008
Franklin County Courthouse, Southern Districtlisted 1976
Population over time
2 figuresCharleston grew from 2,494 to 2,588 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,494 | |
| 2020 | 2,588 | +94 (+4%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
12 surveys from 22 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1890 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:125000, 7 printings
- 1906 USGS Lavaca quadrangle1:62500
- 1943 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:125000
- 1946 USGS Charleston quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1946 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000
- 1947 USGS Lavaca quadrangle1:62500
- 1948 USGS Charleston quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1965 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000
- 1967 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000
- 1978 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1978 USGS Fort Smith quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1987 USGS Charleston quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
25 since 1998Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 25 fires within 5 miles of Charleston between 1998 and 2017, burning about 271 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 2 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 10 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | 2.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 September 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 5 September 1998 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 September 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 21 September 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 12 September 2009 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 August 2007 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 August 2011 | Natural | 2.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 104 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Charleston in 104 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 52 thunderstorm wind, 31 hail, 11 flash flood, 7 tornado. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Charleston | 2 hurt, $30,000 | A tornado rolled a trailer, damaged the roofs of two permanent homes, damaged two chicken houses, and snapped or uprooted a number of trees. Two people were injured in the trailer that was damaged. Maximum estimated wind in the tornado based on this damage was about 105 mph. |
| July 2021 | Flash Flood | Charleston | $250,000 | Flood water caused minor damage to twenty homes in Ozark, and damaged portions of several roads in southwestern Franklin County. |
| March 2000 | Hail | Charleston | $200,000 | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Hail | Charleston | $150,000 | Hail larger than baseball size damaged homes, businesses, and vehicles. |
| April 2022 | Hail | Charleston | $100,000 | Hail larger than hen egg size damaged homes, businesses, and vehicles. |
| December 2015 | Flood | Charleston | $100,000 | A bridge northwest of Charleston was washed out at the intersection of Jetton and Kiene roads. |
| September 2025 | Flash Flood | Charleston | $50,000 | Portions of several roads were flooded in and around Charleston, with flood water entering some residences. |
| April 2022 | Hail | Charleston | $50,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged homes, businesses, and vehicles. |
| May 2018 | Tornado (EF1) | Charleston | $50,000 | This tornado developed south of Highway 60 near Grand Prairie Road where large tree limbs were snapped. It moved east-northeast uprooting trees and snapping large limbs. The tornado moved northeast from N Bradbury Street to near the Highway 41 and Highway 60 intersection, where trees were uprooted and large limbs were snapped. East of Highway 41, the tornado moved east-northeast along and across Highway 288 and Compressor Road, where outbuildings were destroyed, chicken houses were damaged, and trees were uprooted. The tornado dissipated before reaching Highway 23. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 85 to 95 mph. |
| October 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds uprooted some trees and damaged several roofs on houses. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $40,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind heavily damage a metal building and caused minor damage to several other buildings. |
| April 2022 | Tornado (EF1) | Charleston | $25,000 | This tornado damaged a home, damaged several outbuildings, and uprooted or snapped trees. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 90 to 100 mph. |
| April 2021 | Flash Flood | Charleston | $25,000 | Portions of Highway 22 were flooded. A home in Charleston was flooded, requiring the resident to be rescued. |
| May 2019 | Tornado (EF1) | Charleston | $25,000 | This is the second segment of a two-segment tornado. Shortly after crossing into Franklin County, this tornado uprooted trees on Robertson Road. It continued northeast uprooting trees, damaging the roofs of homes, and damaging chicken houses on Jetton Road and Highway 217. The tornado dissipated east of N Rattlesnake Road. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 95 to 105 mph. |
| March 2018 | Hail | Charleston | $20,000 | no account filed |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $15,000 | A barn was destroyed north of Charleston. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down throughout Franklin County. |
| April 2016 | Tornado (EF1) | Charleston | $10,000 | This tornado uprooted a number of trees and blew down power poles. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 85 to 95 mph. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $10,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power poles and lines on Arkansas Highway 22. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $10,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind damaged the metal roof of a building at Fort Chaffee military installation. |
| September 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down multiple utility poles and power lines. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power poles. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees and power lines on Highway 22 in Charleston. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour damaged a few poultry houses. |
| January 1998 | Lightning | Charleston | $4,000 | Lightning struck a home in Charleston, resulting in some electrical damage to the home. Several appliances in the home sustained damage. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $3,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted a tree, snapped a power pole, and damaged poultry buildings. |
| October 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $3,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down power lines. |
| April 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down a tree onto power lines. |
| September 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines on Adams Street. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down a large tree, and snapped power poles. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs, and blew down power poles. |
| August 2009 | Lightning | Charleston | $2,000 | Lightning struck a piano workshop and resulted in a fire. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $1,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped a utility pole. |
| February 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew in a window of a house. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew trees and power lines down. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down power lines. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs and power lines. A tree was blown down onto Highway 22, blocking it to through traffic. Half of the city was without power at one time. |
| January 1999 | Hail | Charleston | $1,000 | Large hail caused minor roof damage to the Charleston Post Office. Hail covered the ground in Charleston. |
| March 2000 | Tornado (F0) | Charleston | $500 | A tornado touched down east of Bloomer in Sebastian County and tracked into Franklin County before lifting just west of Charleston. Only tree damage was observed. |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $500 | Thunderstorm winds blew down power lines. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $500 | Several trees were blown down. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $500 | Several trees blown down |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $300 | Several trees in the city of Charleston were uprooted. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $100 | Thunderstorm winds blew a large tree down onto Highway 22. |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $100 | Thunderstorm winds blew down large tree limbs. |
| April 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | $100 | Tree downed by tstm winds |
| November 2022 | Tornado (EFU) | Charleston | - | This is the second segment of a two segment tornado that moved into Franklin County from Sebastian County. The tornado produced a tornadic debris signature (TDS) from the KSRX WSR-88D that persisted from at least 722 pm through 728 pm. The TDS/debris was likely a result of damage to trees, based on aerial imagery. An NWS Tulsa survey team attempted to investigate the area where the damage occurred, but could not access the area. Since no damage could be evaluated, the tornado was rated EF-unknown. |
| January 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Strong thunderstorm winds blew down large tree limbs. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated to 65 mph by personnel with the Charleston Fire Department. |
| October 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted trees and snapped numerous large tree limbs. Several streets were blocked by fallen trees in town. |
| October 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees onto Highway 20 on the west side of town. |
| April 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted several small trees. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Several large tree limbs were blown down by strong thunderstorm wind. |
| April 2015 | Flash Flood | Charleston | - | A few streets in town were closed due to high water. |
| May 2015 | Flash Flood | Charleston | - | Several roads on the east side of town were flooded. |
| October 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down a few trees and numerous large tree limbs. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down several large tree limbs. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Charleston | - | Heavy rain caused numerous city streets to be flooded. |
| December 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Charleston | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down tree limbs. |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thessing (historical) | 0.6 miles | 22 | |
| Fealey (historical) | 2.6 miles | 19 | |
| Leon (historical) | 4.3 miles | 23 | |
| Branch | 4.4 miles | 19 | |
| Effa (historical) | 4.7 miles | 19 | |
| Donald (historical) | 4.8 miles | 19 | |
| Dahoma (historical) | 5.3 miles | 19 | |
| Vesta | 5.7 miles | 25 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Charleston | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q79336 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 76590. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.