Charleston is a city in Mississippi County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,056 at the 2020 census, down from 5,947 in 2010. It is the county seat of Mississippi County and is home to the Southeast Correctional Center.

Mississippi County is a county located in the Bootheel of the U.S. state of Missouri, with its eastern border formed by the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,577. The largest city and county seat is Charleston. The county was officially organized on February 14, 1845, and was named after the Mississippi River.