Lexington County, South Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lexington County
U.S. county
Lexington County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Motto(s):  "Grow with us"
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
Founded	1785
Named for	Battle of Lexington and Concord
Seat	Lexington
Largest community	Lexington
Area
• Total	757.62 sq mi (1,962.2 km2)
• Land	699.00 sq mi (1,810.4 km2)
• Water	58.62 sq mi (151.8 km2)  7.74%
Population  (2020)
• Total	293,991
• Estimate  (2023)	309,528
• Density	420.59/sq mi (162.39/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Lexington County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 293,991. Its county seat and largest community is Lexington. The county was chartered in 1785 and was named in commemoration of Lexington, Massachusetts, the site of the Battle of Lexington in the American Revolutionary War. Lexington County is the sixth-most populous county in South Carolina by population and is part of the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the Midlands region of South Carolina.

History

Lexington County was charted in 1785 and was named after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought at the outset of the American Revolutionary War.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 757.62 square miles (1,962.2 km²), of which 699.00 square miles (1,810.4 km²) is land and 58.62 square miles (151.8 km²) (7.74%) is water. The largest body of water is Lake Murray, while other waterways include the Broad River, the Saluda River and the Congaree River. Lexington County has urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. Much of the county's urbanization is in its eastern and northeastern areas. The elevation in the county is 392 feet (119 m).

Climate

Lexington County averages 47 inches (1,200 mm) of rain per year; the U.S. average is 38 inches (970 mm). The average snowfall is 1 inch (25 mm); the U.S. average is 28 inches (710 mm). The average number of days with any measurable precipitation is 103.

On average, there are 218 sunny days per year in Lexington County. The July high is around 92.3 °F (33.5 °C) and the January low is 33.2 °F (0.7 °C). The comfort index rates the county a 7.3 out of 10, where higher is more comfortable. The U.S. average on the comfort index is a 7 out of 10.

State and local protected areas

• Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve
• Lake Murray Dam North Recreational Area
• Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve
• Saluda Shoals Park
• Shealy's Pond Heritage Preserve

Major water bodies

• Congaree River
• Lake Murray
• North Fork Edisto River
• Red Bank Creek
• Saluda River

Adjacent counties

• Richland County – east
• Orangeburg County – southeast
• Calhoun County – southeast
• Aiken County – southwest
• Saluda County – west
• Newberry County – northwest

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 293,991 people, 118,193 households, and 81,118 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 262,391 people, 102,733 households, and 70,952 families living in the county. The population density was 375.4 inhabitants per square mile (144.9 inhabitants/km²). There were 113,957 housing units at an average density of 163.0 units per square mile (62.9 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.3% white, 14.3% black or African American, 1.4% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 2.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.2% were German, 14.0% were American, 12.5% were English, and 11.8% were Irish.

Of the 102,733 households, 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.9% were non-families, and 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 37.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $52,205 and the median income for a family was $64,630. Males had a median income of $44,270 versus $34,977 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,393. About 8.5% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

UPS Airplanes Columbia Metropolitan Airport in Lexington County

In 2022, the GDP was $16.7 billion (about $53,814 per capita), and the real GDP was $13.8 billion (about $44,563 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars.

The Saxe Gotha Industrial Park near Cayce houses multiple distribution sites for major national companies, including Amazon, Chick-fil-A, The Home Depot and Nephron Pharmaceuticals. Near Lexington is the Michelin tire-production plant. Other manufacturers include Shaw Industries, Southeastern Freight Lines, and Flex, at which president Biden spoke in July 2023.

Top Employers

Two towers of Lexington Medical Center

Transportation

Interstates

• I-20 Interstate 20 travels from west to east and connects Columbia to Atlanta and Augusta in the west and Florence in the east. It serves the nearby towns and suburbs of Pelion, Lexington, West Columbia, Sandhill, Pontiac, and Elgin. Interstate 20 is also used by travelers heading to Myrtle Beach, although the interstate's eastern terminus is in Florence.
• I-26 Interstate 26 travels from northwest to southeast and connects the Columbia area to the other two major population centers of South Carolina: the Greenville-Spartanburg area in the northwestern part of the state and North Charleston – Charleston area in the southeastern part of the state.
• I-77 Interstate 77 begins in Lexington county and ends in Cleveland, Ohio and is frequently used by travelers on the east coast heading to or from Florida.

U.S. Routes

• US 1
• 
  US 1 Conn.
• US 176
• US 178
• US 321
• US 378

State Routes

• SC 6
• 
  SC 6 Conn.
• SC 12
• 
  SC 12 Conn.
• SC 113
• SC 245
• SC 302
• SC 391
• SC 602

Columbia Metropolitan Airport

President Donald Trump arrives at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport greeted by Governor Henry McMaster, Senator Tim Scott, and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette.

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport serves as the main airport system for the greater Columbia area. In 2018, the airport served 1,197,603 passengers with 12,324 flights. Additionally, the airport is also the regional hub for UPS Airlines, transporting 136.7 million pounds of freight/mail in 2018. The airport was named Lexington County Airport, and during World War II, trained pilots for B-25 Mitchell crews.

Public Transportation

COMET Bus in West Columbia, Lexington County

Public transportation in Lexington County is provided by the COMET, or officially the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (CMRTA). The bus system is the main public transit system for the greater Columbia area. In Lexington County, the bus system runs in the areas of West Columbia, Cayce, Irmo, Springdale, Seven Oaks, and Harbison. Additionally, COMET offers Dial-a-ride transit (DART), which provides personalized service passengers with disabilities.

Education

Attractions

Lake Murray Dam generates electricity for the region. The lake serves as an attraction for fishing, boating, swimming, and walking.

Riverbanks Zoo Waterpark (Lexington County portion)

• Lake Murray
• Riverbanks Zoo
• Riverbanks Botanical Garden
• Riverbanks Waterfall Junction and waterpark
• Lexington County Museum
• Lake Murray Dam
• Lexington County Baseball Stadium
• Cayce-West Columbia Riverwalk
• Fourteen-mile Creek Trail
• Columbiana Centre

Communities

Lexington County (Cayce) from the banks of the Congaree River.

Walking trail in Cayce, crossing beneath railroad tracks

Columbiana Mall in Columbia

A farm in rural Lexington County near Swansea

Cities

• Cayce (partly in Richland County)
• Columbia (mostly in Richland County)
• West Columbia

Towns

• Batesburg-Leesville
• Chapin (partly in Richland County and Newberry County)
• Gaston
• Gilbert
• Irmo (partly in Richland County)
• Lexington (county seat and largest community)
• Pelion
• Pine Ridge
• South Congaree
• Springdale
• Summit
• Swansea

Census-designated places

• Edmund
• Fairview Crossroads
• Oak Grove
• Red Bank
• Seven Oaks
• White Knoll

Ghost town

• Granby

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Lexington County.

† = county seat

Notable person

• Floyd Spence, former representative for South Carolina's 2nd congressional district

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Lexington para niños