Exhibit 10(i)


                          INTERIM EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
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     THIS INTERIM EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ("Agreement") effective as of January 31,
2001, between CITY HOLDING COMPANY, a West Virginia corporation ("Employer"),
and Gerald R. Francis ("Employee"), recites and provides:

Recitals:
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     A.   Employer and Employee are entering into an Employment Agreement (the
          "Employment Agreement") pursuant to which Employee will be employed as
          President and Chief Executive Officer of Employer and its subsidiary,
          City National Bank Of West Virginia ("City National").

     B.   Before Employee can become President and Chief Executive Officer of
          Employer and City National, the Office of the Comptroller of the
          Currency ("OCC") must issue a notice of non-objection to such
          appointment.

     C.   Employer desires to employ Employee as a special assistant to the
          Board of Directors of Employer and City National until commencement of
          the term of the Employment Agreement.

Agreement:
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     In consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein, the parties
agree as follows:

     1.   Employment.  Employee is employed as special assistant to the Board of
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          Directors of Employer and City National, with such duties and
          responsibilities as are assigned to him by the Board of Directors.
          While employed as a special assistant, Employee shall not perform any
          policy-making functions.

     2.   Term of Employment.  The term of this Interim Employment Agreement
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          will commence on the date hereof and end on the date that the OCC
          gives notice of non-objection or notice of objection to Employer's
          employment of Employee.

     3.   Compensation.  For services rendered by Employee to Employer herewith,
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          Employee will be paid from the effective date hereof at the annual
          rate of $250,000, payable in accordance with the payroll practices of
          Employer applicable to its officers.  Employee will be eligible to
          participate in the benefit programs described in Section 3 of the
                                                           ---------
          Employment Agreement.

     4.   Stock Options.  Effective January 31, 2001, Employer's Board of
          -------------
          Directors granted Employee an option to purchase 200,000 shares of
          Employer Common


          Stock under Employer's 1993 Stock Incentive Plan, provided, that if
          the Employment Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 6(h)
                                                             ------------
          thereof, Employee agrees to surrender such options unexercised. The
          exercise price shall be $5.75 per share, the stock's fair market value
          on the date of grant.

     5.   OCC Regulations.  Employee is aware of and agrees to abide by the
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          prohibition of the dissemination of non-public information as provided
          in 12 CFR, (S) 4.37(b)(1) and agrees not to use such non-public OCC
          information for any purpose other than to provide services to Employer
          and City National.

     6.   Termination.  This Interim Employment Agreement will terminate and
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          have no further force and effect (except for the provisions of Section
          4, which will survive) when the OCC gives notice of non-objection or
          notice of objection to Employer's employment of Employee.  If the OCC
          gives notice of non-objection, the Employment Agreement between
          Employer and Employee entered into on the date hereof will commence as
          of the date of such notice.  If the OCC gives notice of objection of
          Employer's employment to Employee, the Employment Agreement, as
          provided in Section 6(h) thereof, will terminate and this Interim
          Agreement will terminate, all without any further obligation of either
          party to the other except as otherwise provided in each agreement.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Interim Employment
Agreement effective the date and year first above written.

                                 CITY HOLDING COMPANY


                                 By:  /s/ Philip L. McLaughlin
                                    --------------------------
                                    Name:  Philip L. McLaughlin
                                    Title: Chairman of the Board of Directors


                                 EMPLOYEE:


                                 /s/ Gerald R. Francis
                                 ---------------------
                                 Gerald R. Francis