Lexington County, South Carolina facts for kids

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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

388.045/sq mi (149.8252/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

2nd

Lexington County is a county in the state of South Carolina. A county is like a large area of land with its own local government. In 2020, about 293,991 people lived here. The main town and biggest community is Lexington.

Lexington County was started in 1785. It was named after Lexington, Massachusetts. This was where the Battle of Lexington happened during the American Revolutionary War. Lexington County is the sixth-most populated county in South Carolina. It is also part of the larger Columbia area. You can find it in the middle part of South Carolina, known as the Midlands.

History

Lexington County was officially created in 1785. It got its name from the Battles of Lexington and Concord. These battles were some of the first fights in the American Revolutionary War.

Geography

Lexington County covers about 757 square miles. Most of this area, about 699 square miles, is land. The rest, about 58 square miles, is water. The biggest body of water is Lake Murray. Other important waterways include the Broad River, the Saluda River, and the Congaree River.

Lexington County has different kinds of landscapes. You can find busy city areas, suburbs with many homes, and quiet countryside areas. The eastern and northeastern parts of the county have the most cities and towns. The land in the county is about 392 feet above sea level.

Climate

Lexington County gets about 47 inches of rain each year. This is more than the average for the whole U.S., which is 38 inches. It usually snows about 1 inch per year. The U.S. average is 28 inches. On average, there are 103 days with some rain or snow.

The county enjoys about 218 sunny days every year. In July, the temperature usually gets up to about 92.3°F. In January, the low temperature is around 33.2°F. The county's "comfort index" is 7.3 out of 10. A higher number means the climate is more comfortable. The U.S. average is 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

Neighboring Counties

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

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	6,641	—
1820	8,083	21.7%
1830	9,065	12.1%
1840	12,111	33.6%
1850	12,930	6.8%
1860	15,579	20.5%
1870	12,988	−16.6%
1880	18,564	42.9%
1890	22,181	19.5%
1900	27,264	22.9%
1910	32,040	17.5%
1920	35,676	11.3%
1930	36,494	2.3%
1940	35,994	−1.4%
1950	44,279	23.0%
1960	60,726	37.1%
1970	89,012	46.6%
1980	140,353	57.7%
1990	167,611	19.4%
2000	216,014	28.9%
2010	262,391	21.5%
2020	293,991	12.0%
2023 (est.)	309,528	18.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 Census

In 2020, the census counted 293,991 people living in Lexington County. There were 118,193 households and 81,118 families.

Lexington County racial composition
Race	Number of People	Percentage (%)
White (not Hispanic)	208,854	71.04%
Black or African American (not Hispanic)	42,382	14.42%
Native American	894	0.3%
Asian	6,644	2.26%
Pacific Islander	185	0.06%
Other/Mixed	13,235	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino	21,797	7.41%

Economy

UPS Airplanes at Columbia Metropolitan Airport in Lexington County

In 2022, the total value of all goods and services produced in Lexington County was about $16.7 billion. This is called the GDP. It shows how much money the county's economy makes.

Many big companies have distribution centers in Saxe Gotha Industrial Park, near Cayce. These include Amazon, Chick-fil-A, The Home Depot, and Nephron Pharmaceuticals. Near Lexington, there is a Michelin tire factory. Other companies like Shaw Industries, Southeastern Freight Lines, and Flex also have operations here.

Top Employers

Two towers of Lexington Medical Center

These are the top employers in Lexington County as of 2021:

Top ten employers (2021)
Rank	Employer	Employees
1	Lexington Medical Center	7,893
2	Lexington School District 1	3,674
3	Amazon	3,050
4	Wal-Mart	2,603
5	State government	2,308
6	Michelin	2,240
7	County of Lexington	1,855
8	Dominion Energy	1,486
9	Lexington School District 2	1,274
10	Lexington School District Five	1,136

Transportation

Interstates

I-20 Interstate 20 goes from west to east. It connects Columbia to cities like Atlanta and Augusta. It also serves towns like Pelion, Lexington, and West Columbia.
I-26 Interstate 26 runs from northwest to southeast. It links the Columbia area to Greenville-Spartanburg and Charleston.
I-77 Interstate 77 starts in Lexington County. It goes all the way to Cleveland, Ohio. Many people traveling to or from Florida use this highway.

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 arriving at Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the main airport for the Columbia area. In 2018, over 1.1 million passengers used the airport. It also handles a lot of cargo. The airport is a major hub for UPS Airlines, moving millions of pounds of freight. During World War II, the airport was called Lexington County Airport. It was used to train pilots for B-25 Mitchell planes.

Public Transportation

A COMET Bus in West Columbia, Lexington County

Public transportation in Lexington County is provided by COMET. This is the bus system for the greater Columbia area. In Lexington County, COMET buses run in areas like West Columbia, Cayce, and Irmo. COMET also offers a special service called DART. This service helps passengers with disabilities get around.

Education

Lexington County has five different school districts.

Education in Lexington County
Public school district name	Enrollment	Teachers	Schools
Lexington County School District One	27,072	1,959	31
Lexington County School District Two	8,582	636	13
Lexington County School District Three	2,020	160	4
Lexington County School District Four	3,245	224	6
Lexington & Richland County School District Five	16,780	1,332	22
Colleges	Enrollment	Campuses
Midlands Technical College	15,000	3
Public libraries	Visitors (counted once)	Branches
Lexington County Public Library	160,336	10