Cayce, South Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cayce, South Carolina
City
City Hall
Seal
Motto(s):  "A new kind of city" "Time of Life"
Cayce, South Carolina Location in South Carolina Show map of South Carolina Cayce, South Carolina Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
Counties	Lexington; Richland
Area
• Total	17.74 sq mi (45.95 km2)
• Land	16.88 sq mi (43.72 km2)
• Water	0.86 sq mi (2.23 km2)
Elevation	233 ft (71 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,781
• Density	816.36/sq mi (315.21/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	29033, 29169, 29170, 29171, 29172
Area code(s)	803, 839
FIPS code	45-12655
GNIS feature ID	1247197

Cayce (/ˈkeɪsi/ KAY-see) is a city in South Carolina, a state in the United States. It sits along the Congaree River. In 2020, about 13,781 people lived there. This makes it the third-largest city in Lexington County.

Most of Cayce is in Lexington County. A smaller part, mostly open land, is in Richland County. Cayce is also part of the larger Columbia area. It is located in the central part of South Carolina, known as the Midlands.

Exploring Cayce's Past

The area where Cayce is now has been home to Native Americans for at least 12,000 years. Important ancient sites like the Manning Archeological Site, the SAM Site, and the Taylor Site are found here. These sites show how people lived long ago.

Early European Visits

In 1540, a Spanish explorer named Hernando de Soto came to this area. He found a large Native American village near Congaree Creek, where Cayce stands today. Later, in the late 1600s, another explorer named John Lawson visited and wrote about his journey.

Building Forts

During the time when America was still a group of colonies, the English built their first permanent fort in the Midlands here. This was in 1718. A second fort was built on the river in 1748. These forts were called Congaree Fort #1 and Congaree Fort #2. Today, they are part of a historic area called Congarees Site.

One of the old kilns from the Guignard Brick Works, which started in 1803.

The Guignard Brick Works began operating on the west side of the Congaree River in 1803. This brick-making factory worked for almost 200 years.

A Town's Beginning

The city of Cayce includes an area that was once a town called Granby. Granby used to be an important community and even the county seat. But it was later abandoned. Cayce officially became a town in 1914. It was named after William J. Cayce, a local businessman.

In 2007, Cayce added a large area of land in Richland County. This area was mostly a floodplain, which means it could flood easily. The city had plans to build there, but they later decided it wasn't a good idea because of the flooding risk.

Cayce's Location and Land

Still Hopes, a historic building from 1910.

Cayce is located in eastern Lexington County and western Richland County. The main part of the city is on the west side of the Congaree River. The Congaree River separates Cayce from Columbia, the state capital.

Cayce also shares borders with other towns. To the north is West Columbia. To the northwest is Springdale. And to the southwest is Pine Ridge.

The city covers about 17.6 square miles (45.5 km²) of land and water. Most of this area, about 16.8 square miles (43.5 km²), is land. The rest, about 0.77 square miles (2.0 km²), is water.

Fun Things to Do in Cayce

An exhibit at the Cayce Historical Museum.

Cayce has many trails for hiking and biking. Most of its public attractions are free to visit, except for the Cayce Historical Museum.

• The Cayce Riverwalk is a paved trail about 12-mile (19 km) long. It runs along the Congaree River. The Riverwalk has different sections and places to enter. It also has signs that tell about the area's history. Sometimes, parts of the park might flood if the river gets too high.
• The 12,000-year-old park is built on land that the city says has looked much the same for thousands of years.
• The Timmerman Trail is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) trail for hiking and biking through the woods. It is kept up by Dominion Energy, a large power company.
• The Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve has a 2.7-mile (4.3 km) hiking trail. It goes through the woods along Congaree Creek.
• The Cayce Historical Museum is located at the city's main complex. It has old items from Native American times, the colonial period, and the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
• The Guignard Brick Works were started by the Guignard family in 1801. This historic site has four old brick kilns, an old brick office, and other parts of the brick factory.

Cayce's Economy

Knox Abbott Drive in Cayce.

A corn field in the rural part of Cayce in Richland County.

Cayce is home to Dominion Energy South Carolina. This company is part of Dominion Energy, a large energy provider. Dominion Energy provides power to millions of customers in many states.

Getting Around Cayce

Public Transportation

Bus System

Cayce has a public bus system called the COMET. It is also known as the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority. The COMET has several bus routes in Cayce and serves the wider Columbia area.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport (IATA:CAE) is the main airport for the Columbia area. It is just west of Cayce. In 2018, over a million passengers used the airport. It is also a major hub for UPS Airlines, handling a lot of cargo. During World War II, the airport was used to train pilots.

Roads and Railways

• I-26 runs through the western part of Cayce. It connects the Columbia area to other big cities in South Carolina, like Greenville and Charleston.
• I-77 starts in Cayce at I-26. It goes all the way north to Cleveland, Ohio. Many travelers use it to go to or from Florida.
• US-321 passes through the western and northern parts of Cayce. It goes east into downtown Columbia and south towards Savannah, Georgia.
• SC-2 goes through the center of Cayce on State Street and Frink Street.
• A railroad line owned by CSX Transportation also runs through Cayce.

Learning in Cayce

Cayce is served by Lexington County School District Two.

Public Schools

The Cayce-West Columbia branch of the Lexington County Public Library serves the people of Cayce and West Columbia.

Cayce's Population

Who Lives in Cayce?

In 2020, there were 13,781 people living in Cayce. These people lived in 6,017 households, which are groups of people living together. There were also 2,794 families.

See also

In Spanish: Cayce (Carolina del Sur) para niños