Charles Townsend may refer to:
- Charlie Townsend (1876–1958), Gloucestershire cricketer
- Charles Champlain Townsend (1841–1910), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
- Charles E. Townsend (1856–1924), U.S. Representative Senator from Michigan
- Charles E. Townsend (linguist) (1932–2015), American Slavist and linguist
- Charles Harrison Townsend (1851–1928), English architect
- Charles Haskins Townsend (1859–1944), American zoologist
- Charles Henry Tyler Townsend (1863–1944), American Entomologist
- Charles Townsend (BMX rider) (born 1967), American former professional BMX racer
- Charles Townsend (fencer) (1872–1906), American fencer and Olympic silver medalist
- Charles Townsend (Ohio politician) (1834–1900), Republican politician in Ohio
- Charles Townsend (British politician), British politician of the 1890s
- Charles H. Townsend, president and CEO of the Condé Nast publishing company
- Charles Townsend, community-college instructor, see 7781 Townsend
- Charles Townsend (Wyoming politician), Wyoming state senator
- Charles "Charlie" Townsend, fictional unseen character on the Charlie's Angels television and motion picture series