Fairfield County is a county in South Carolina, United States, in the Piedmont region between the Broad and Wateree rivers. It had a population of 20,948 at the 2020 census and covers 709.87 square miles (1,838.6 km2), of which 686.31 square miles are land and 23.56 square miles are water, centred near 34°24′N 81°08′W.
Winnsboro is the county seat, and its postal code is 29180. The county has 3 incorporated towns, roughly three dozen unincorporated communities, and no civil townships. Fairfield sits in the Eastern time zone; its FIPS code is 45039.
Towns & Villages in Fairfield County
Fairfield County has 38 named places on record: 3 incorporated towns and about 35 unincorporated communities and crossroads. South Carolina counties have no civil townships, so this table has no Township column. “Unincorp.” marks a place with no town government of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnsboro | Town · seat | — | 29180 |
| Jenkinsville | Town | — | 29065 |
| Ridgeway | Town | — | 29130 |
| Adger | Unincorp. | — | 29180 |
| Alston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blackstock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blair | Unincorp. | — | 29015 |
| Bucklick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clayton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Colonel Creek Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cool Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dawkins | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Douglass | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dutchman Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Feasterville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flint Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jennings | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lebanon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Longtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mitford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Monticello | Unincorp. | — | 29065 |
| Old Buckhead | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parr | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richtex | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rion | Unincorp. | — | 29132 |
| Rock Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Salem Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shelton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Simpson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smallwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stover | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Strother | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Taylors Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wallaceville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Oak | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Winnsboro Mills | Unincorp. | — | 29180 |
| Woodward | Unincorp. | — | — |
Blythewood, in the county’s far south, is split between Fairfield and Richland counties, with most of the town and its population inside Richland — it is not counted in the table above.
ZIP Codes
- 29180 — Winnsboro (also serves Adger and Winnsboro Mills)
- 29130 — Ridgeway
- 29015 — Blair
- 29065 — Jenkinsville (also serves Monticello)
- 29132 — Rion (PO Box only)
The county’s smaller crossroads communities do not have their own ZIP code and use one of the five above based on which post office serves them.
Geography
Fairfield County lies in South Carolina’s Piedmont, rolling hill country cut by the Broad River on its western edge and the Wateree River on its east. Lake Wateree, formed by a dam on the Wateree River, forms part of the county’s eastern boundary and feeds the Lake Wateree State Recreation Area. The Enoree Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest covers a stretch of the county’s pine and hardwood uplands, drawing deer and wild-turkey hunters in season.
Fairfield borders six counties: Chester County to the north, Lancaster County to the northeast, Kershaw County to the east, Richland County to the south, Newberry County to the southwest, and Union County to the northwest.
Demographics
Fairfield County had 20,948 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 30.5 people per square mile. Winnsboro is the largest community, followed by Ridgeway. Household income in the county has historically trailed the state as a whole; the most recent county-level estimate available put the median household income near $36,000, well below the South Carolina median of $67,804.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing is the county’s largest employment sector, accounting for close to a quarter of all jobs. Dominion Energy’s V.C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station, near Jenkinsville on the Broad River, is among the county’s largest employers, alongside equipment maker BOMAG and a Food Lion distribution operation. Winnsboro’s namesake blue granite, quarried locally and marketed historically as “the silk of the trade,” has supplied stone for buildings across the country.
History
Fairfield County was organized in 1785, carved from what was then Camden District. Local tradition credits the county’s name to British general Charles Cornwallis, who is said to have remarked on “how fair these fields” while occupying the area during the Revolutionary War in 1780–81. The Fairfield County Courthouse in Winnsboro, designed by architect Robert Mills, dates to 1823, and the town’s landmark clock tower was added in 1837.
Getting There
U.S. Route 321 and U.S. Route 21 cross the county and meet at Winnsboro; South Carolina Highway 34 and Highway 200 provide secondary east-west and north-south links.
- Columbia — about 30 miles south
- Chester — about 20 miles north
- Camden — about 35 miles east
- Rock Hill — about 45 miles northeast
Columbia Metropolitan Airport, in neighboring Richland County, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Fairfield County, South Carolina?
It sits in the Piedmont of north-central South Carolina, between Columbia and the Chester-Lancaster area, bordered by the Broad and Wateree rivers.
What is the population of Fairfield County?
20,948 people, as of the 2020 census.
How big is Fairfield County?
709.87 square miles (1,838.6 km2), of which 686.31 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Fairfield County?
Winnsboro is the county seat.
How many towns are in Fairfield County?
Three incorporated towns — Winnsboro, Jenkinsville, and Ridgeway — plus roughly 35 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Fairfield County?
29180 (Winnsboro), 29130 (Ridgeway), 29015 (Blair), 29065 (Jenkinsville), and 29132 (Rion).
What is Fairfield County known for?
Its blue granite quarries, Lake Wateree recreation area, and the V.C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station near Jenkinsville.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in South Carolina.