Cherokee County is a county in South Carolina, United States, on the North Carolina border in the Piedmont region of the Upstate. It had a population of 56,216 at the 2020 census and covers 397 square miles (1,029 km2) centred near 35°03′N 81°37′W.
Gaffney is the county seat, and its postal code is 29340. The county contains one city, one town, two census-designated places and roughly sixty unincorporated communities and subdivisions. Cherokee County observes Eastern Time and carries FIPS code 45021.
Towns & Villages in Cherokee County
Cherokee County has one incorporated city (Gaffney, the seat), one incorporated town (Blacksburg), two census-designated places (Cherokee Falls and East Gaffney), and dozens of unincorporated communities and residential subdivisions scattered across the county. Chesnee, a small city on the county’s western edge, sits mostly in neighboring Spartanburg County with only a fraction of its footprint in Cherokee, so it is not counted among Cherokee’s own incorporated places below. “Unincorp.” in the table means the place has no city or town government of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaffney | City · seat | 12,764 | 29340 |
| Blacksburg | Town | — | 29702 |
| Cherokee Falls | CDP | — | — |
| East Gaffney | CDP | — | — |
| Abingdon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Antioch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arrowood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Asbury | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beaverdam | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belmont Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Briar Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookwood Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buffalo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buford Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Canterbury | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carter Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cashion Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cherokee Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| College Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Connecticut Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Country Club Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crestmont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dogwood Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dogwood Springs Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Draytonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Easterly Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forest Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forest Lake Homes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Garden Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenhaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenwood Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goucher | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grassy Pond | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harmony Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hidden Acres Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillbrook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Huntington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kings Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kings Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laurelwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Love Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Macedonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maplewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maud | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Northgate | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Penn Jones | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Meadows | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quail Hollow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rosehill Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rutledge Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rutledge Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saratt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shalimar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smith Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| State Line | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stuart Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tanglewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Thicketty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wellington Manor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westerly Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Plains | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilkinsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wood Haven Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| York Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two names in the county need a note. Smyrna, a small incorporated town, lies mostly across the line in York County and is not listed here as a Cherokee County place. Chesnee is likewise mostly a Spartanburg County city, with only its eastern edge reaching into Cherokee.
ZIP Codes
- 29340 — Gaffney (also serves East Gaffney and the surrounding unincorporated communities)
- 29341 — Gaffney
- 29342 — Gaffney (PO Box)
- 29702 — Blacksburg (also serves Cherokee Falls)
Smaller unincorporated communities near the county line, such as Draytonville and Wilkinsville, generally share the Gaffney or Blacksburg ZIP nearest to them rather than having their own postal code.
Geography
Cherokee County sits in the Piedmont, where the rolling hills of the Upstate begin to rise toward the Blue Ridge foothills just across the North Carolina line. Of the county’s 397 square miles, about 393 square miles are land and roughly 4.5 square miles are water. Broad River and its tributaries, including Thicketty Creek and Buffalo Creek, drain the county, and Grassy Pond and Cherokee Falls take their names from local streams and impoundments.
Cherokee County borders four other counties and two counties in a neighboring state. York County lies to the east, Union County to the south, and Spartanburg County to the west; Cleveland County and Rutherford County, both in North Carolina, form the northern boundary. Of these, York County and Union County have their own pages on this site: York County and Union County. Spartanburg County’s page is also live at Spartanburg County. Cleveland County and Rutherford County are named here without a link, as neither currently has a matching page on this site.
Demographics
Cherokee County had 56,216 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 143 people per square mile of land. Gaffney, with 12,764 residents, is by far the county’s largest community; East Gaffney, immediately adjacent to the city, is the county’s second-largest population center. Median household income in Cherokee County runs below the South Carolina median of $67,804, reflecting the county’s manufacturing-heavy economy and its history as a mill town region.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing remains Cherokee County’s largest employment sector, a legacy of its cotton-mill past that has shifted toward diversified industry. Major employers include Nestlé, the Timken Company, Dollar Tree’s regional distribution operation, and Walmart, alongside Limestone University, a private liberal-arts university in Gaffney that anchors much of the city’s civic and cultural life. Gaffney markets itself as the “Peach Capital of South Carolina,” a nod to the county’s long history of peach orchards, and its water tower painted and shaped like a peach — known locally as the Peachoid — is a regional landmark visible from Interstate 85.
History
Cherokee County was formed in 1897 from portions of York, Union, and Spartanburg Counties, making it one of South Carolina’s younger counties. It takes its name from the Cherokee people, who occupied the area before European settlement pushed them westward in the 18th century. Gaffney, the seat, grew around a 19th-century crossroads store and developed into a textile-manufacturing center over the following century, a role that shaped much of the county’s built landscape and its unincorporated mill villages.
Getting There
Interstate 85 runs through the heart of the county, connecting Gaffney to Spartanburg to the southwest and Charlotte, North Carolina, to the northeast. US 29 and US 221, along with several state routes including SC 5, SC 11, and SC 18, provide additional access across the county.
- Spartanburg, SC — about 20 miles southwest
- Charlotte, NC — about 55 miles northeast
- Greenville, SC — about 55 miles southwest
- Shelby, NC — about 20 miles north
The nearest commercial airports are Charlotte Douglas International Airport, roughly an hour’s drive northeast, and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, about an hour southwest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cherokee County, South Carolina?
It sits in the Upstate, on the North Carolina border, between Spartanburg and York Counties.
What is the population of Cherokee County?
56,216 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Cherokee County?
397 square miles (1,029 km2), most of it land.
What is the county seat of Cherokee County?
Gaffney is the county seat.
How many towns are in Cherokee County?
One city (Gaffney), one town (Blacksburg), two census-designated places, and roughly sixty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Cherokee County?
29340, 29341, and 29342 (all Gaffney), plus 29702 (Blacksburg).
Why is Gaffney called the Peach Capital of South Carolina?
The area has grown peaches commercially since the late 19th century, and the city’s giant peach-shaped water tower, the Peachoid, has become a regional icon.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in South Carolina.