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Chester, South Carolina
City
Chester County Courthouse, built in 1852
Chester County Courthouse, built in 1852
Official seal of Chester, South Carolina
Seal
Nickname(s): 
The Picture Perfect City; The Little City on the Big Hill
Motto(s): 
"At The Center Of It All"
Location of Chester, South Carolina
Location of Chester, South Carolina
Country United States
State South Carolina
County Chester
Government
 • Type Council
Area
 • Total 3.31 sq mi (8.56 km2)
 • Land 3.31 sq mi (8.56 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
541 ft (165 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,269
 • Density 1,593.77/sq mi (615.42/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code
29706
Area code(s) 803, 839
FIPS code 45-14095
GNIS feature ID 1247275

Chester is a small city located in Chester County, South Carolina, United States. It is the main town, also known as the county seat, of Chester County. In 2020, about 5,269 people lived there.

History of Chester

Chester is home to several important historical sites. These places are so special that they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are protected because of their historical value.

Some of these important places include:

  • The Catholic Presbyterian Church
  • The Chester City Hall and Opera House
  • The Chester Historic District
  • The Colvin-Fant-Durham Farm Complex
  • Fishdam Ford
  • Kumler Hall
  • Lewis Inn
  • McCollum Mound

Geography and Climate

Chester is found in the western part of Chester County. It's located at coordinates 34.705553 degrees North and -81.211638 degrees West.

Several main roads pass near or through Chester. U.S. Route 321 goes around the city. It connects Chester to York, which is about 22 miles north, and Winnsboro, about 25 miles south.

South Carolina Highway 9 runs through the city center. This highway leads east about 11 miles to Interstate 77 near Richburg. It also goes west about 49 miles to Spartanburg. Highways 72 and 121 connect Chester to Rock Hill (19 miles northeast) and Whitmire (28 miles southwest).

The city covers a total area of about 8.5 square kilometers (3.3 square miles). All of this area is land.

Springstein Mill. John Lewis (boy with hat), 12 years old, 1 year in mill. Weaver - 4 looms. 40 (cents) a day to... - NARA - 523117
Young mill workers in Chester, 1908, photographed by Lewis Hine
Climate data for Chester, South Carolina, normals 1981–2010, extremes 1923-present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 82
(28)		 83
(28)		 88
(31)		 96
(36)		 102
(39)		 105
(41)		 106
(41)		 106
(41)		 105
(41)		 100
(38)		 90
(32)		 80
(27)		 106
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 52.1
(11.2)		 56.4
(13.6)		 64.7
(18.2)		 73.6
(23.1)		 80.7
(27.1)		 87.5
(30.8)		 90.5
(32.5)		 88.9
(31.6)		 82.9
(28.3)		 73.4
(23.0)		 64.2
(17.9)		 54.4
(12.4)		 72.4
(22.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 29.0
(−1.7)		 31.4
(−0.3)		 37.9
(3.3)		 45.6
(7.6)		 55.6
(13.1)		 64.9
(18.3)		 68.7
(20.4)		 67.8
(19.9)		 60.6
(15.9)		 48.0
(8.9)		 38.4
(3.6)		 30.8
(−0.7)		 48.2
(9.0)
Record low °F (°C) −3
(−19)		 −1
(−18)		 4
(−16)		 21
(−6)		 28
(−2)		 38
(3)		 50
(10)		 47
(8)		 37
(3)		 16
(−9)		 9
(−13)		 −5
(−21)		 −5
(−21)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.13
(105)		 3.78
(96)		 4.16
(106)		 3.38
(86)		 2.99
(76)		 4.37
(111)		 4.01
(102)		 4.85
(123)		 3.66
(93)		 3.35
(85)		 3.48
(88)		 3.59
(91)		 45.75
(1,162)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.1
(2.8)		 1.0
(2.5)		 0.5
(1.3)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 — 0.5
(1.3)		 2.8
(7.1)
Source: NOAA

Population Information

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 1,899 —
1890 2,703 42.3%
1900 4,075 50.8%
1910 4,754 16.7%
1920 5,557 16.9%
1930 5,528 −0.5%
1940 6,392 15.6%
1950 6,893 7.8%
1960 6,906 0.2%
1970 7,045 2.0%
1980 6,820 −3.2%
1990 7,158 5.0%
2000 6,476 −9.5%
2010 5,607 −13.4%
2020 5,269 −6.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

How Many People Live Here?

According to the 2020 United States census, 5,269 people lived in Chester. There were 2,244 households and 1,131 families in the city at that time.

Education

Chester has a public library. It is a part of the Chester County Library System.

Police Department

The Chester Police Department helps keep the city safe. It has a team of three police officers.

Chester in Movies and TV

Chester has been featured in a TV show!

In 2014, a special event was held in Chester to celebrate the filming of Chiefs. The author, Stuart Woods, even came to visit.

Notable People from Chester

Many talented people have come from Chester, South Carolina. Here are a few:

  • Debbie Allen (born 1950), an actress, dancer, and director.
  • Sheldon Brown (born 1979), a professional football player.
  • Marion Campbell (1929–2016), a football player and coach.
  • Devan Downey (born 1987), a basketball player.
  • John Dunovant (1825-1864), a Confederate Brigadier General.
  • Allison Feaster (born 1976), a basketball player in the WNBA.
  • Carroll Glenn (1918–1983), a concert violinist.
  • James Hamilton (born 1938), an attorney.
  • Robert W. Hemphill (1915-1983), a U.S. Congressman and Federal Judge.
  • J. Charles Jones (1937–2019), a civil rights activist.
  • Donnie McClurkin (born 1959), a pastor and gospel singer.
  • Maurice Morris (born 1979), a professional football player.
  • Ron Rash (born 1953), an author.
  • Phylicia Rashad (born 1948), an actress known for The Cosby Show.
  • Britt Robertson (born 1990), a film actress.
  • Elizabeth Talford Scott (1916–2011), an artist.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Chester (Carolina del Sur) para niños

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