Chester County is a county in South Carolina, United States, along Interstate 77 about 45 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina. It had a population of 32,294 at the 2020 census and covers 586.16 square miles (1,518.1 km2) of the Piedmont, centred near 34°41′N 81°10′W.
Chester is the county seat, and its postal code is 29706. The county has one city, four towns, two census-designated places and more than 40 unincorporated communities, all in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Chester County
Chester County lists 48 named places on the ground, from the county seat down to rural crossroads. Only five places are incorporated — the city of Chester and the towns of Fort Lawn, Great Falls, Lowrys and Richburg — while Eureka Mill and Gayle Mill are Census Bureau-designated places (CDPs) and the rest are unincorporated communities, mill villages or lake subdivisions with no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester | City · seat | — | 29706 |
| Great Falls | Town | — | 29055 |
| Fort Lawn | Town | — | 29714 |
| Richburg | Town | — | 29729 |
| Lowrys | Town | — | — |
| Eureka Mill | CDP | — | — |
| Gayle Mill | CDP | — | — |
| Blackstock | Unincorp. | — | 29014 |
| Edgemoor | Unincorp. | — | 29712 |
| Lando | Unincorp. | — | 29724 |
| Leeds | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandy River | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilksburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Airlee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Armenia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bascomville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baton Rouge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beckhamville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brooklyn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cabal | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caldwell Crossroad | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cornwell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dinber | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Evans | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forest Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hicklin Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hilltop Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Knox | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Landsford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lewis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McKeown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountain Lakes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nitrolee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Orrs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Peden Oaks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pineview Lakes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quail Hollow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rodman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rolling Hills Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rossville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rowell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ruckers Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smith | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Springwood Lakes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stringfellow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wellridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| York Terrace | Unincorp. | — | — |
Several of the unincorporated names above — Lake View, Lakewood, Mountain Lakes, Pineview Lakes, Quail Hollow, Rolling Hills Estates and Springwood Lakes — are lake-front subdivisions rather than historic settlements, clustered near Fishing Creek Lake and the Catawba River in the county’s east. They carry no ZIP or population of their own and are served by the nearest post office town.
ZIP Codes
- 29706 — Chester (also serves most of the central and southern county)
- 29055 — Great Falls (also serves Nitrolee and the Catawba riverfront)
- 29714 — Fort Lawn (also serves Landsford and the county’s northeast corner)
- 29729 — Richburg (also serves Cornwell and Peden Oaks)
- 29712 — Edgemoor (also serves Wilksburg and Cedar Grove)
- 29014 — Blackstock (also serves Armenia and Rossville)
- 29724 — Lando (PO Box delivery only)
Lowrys, Eureka Mill, Gayle Mill, Leeds, Sandy River and the smaller crossroads communities have no dedicated ZIP code and use whichever of the seven post-office towns lies closest.
Geography
Chester County sits in the South Carolina Piedmont, a belt of rolling hills between the Blue Ridge foothills and the coastal plain. The Catawba River forms much of the county’s eastern edge, widening into Fishing Creek Lake near Great Falls, where a string of Duke Energy hydroelectric dams has shaped the local landscape since the early 1900s. The Broad River touches the county’s southwestern corner near the Union County line.
Chester County borders York County to the north, Lancaster County to the east, Fairfield County to the south, and Union County to the west.
Demographics
Chester County had 32,294 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 55.6 people per square mile of land. Chester, the county seat, is the largest community, followed by the town of Great Falls. Household incomes in the county trend below the South Carolina median of $67,804, reflecting an economy still anchored in manufacturing and rural, small-town employment rather than the higher-wage service jobs found closer to Charlotte and Rock Hill.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing is the largest employment sector in Chester County, accounting for roughly 37.5% of jobs, ahead of wholesale trade (10.0%) and retail (9.5%). Named employers include the Chester County School District, the E & J Gallo Winery bottling and distribution facility, and Walmart. Great Falls grew up around textile mills and Catawba River hydroelectric power, and the dams there remain a defining feature of the town. Chester’s historic downtown, built around the county courthouse, anchors most local civic and retail life.
History
Chester County was organized in 1785, one of the original judicial districts created after South Carolina reorganized its colonial parish system. It was named for Chester, Pennsylvania, itself named for Chester, England. In April 1865, Confederate president Jefferson Davis and his cabinet passed through Chester during their retreat south from Richmond, holding one of their final full cabinet meetings in the town before continuing toward Georgia. Textile manufacturing and, later, hydroelectric power on the Catawba River at Great Falls shaped the county’s economy through the 20th century.
Getting There
Interstate 77 runs north–south through the county, linking Chester directly to Charlotte and Columbia. US Routes 21 and 321 and several state highways (SC 9, 49, 72, 97, 99, 121, 215, 223, 901 and 909) cross the county as well.
- Rock Hill, SC — about 25 miles north
- Charlotte, NC — about 45 miles north
- Columbia, SC — about 50 miles south
- Winnsboro, SC — about 20 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport, roughly 45 miles north of Chester.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chester County, South Carolina?
It is in the north-central Piedmont of South Carolina, along Interstate 77 about 45 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina.
What is the population of Chester County?
32,294 people, according to the 2020 census.
How big is Chester County?
586.16 square miles (1,518.1 km2) in total, of which 580.66 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Chester County?
Chester is the county seat and the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Chester County?
One city (Chester) and four towns — Fort Lawn, Great Falls, Lowrys and Richburg — plus two census-designated places and dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Chester County?
Seven: 29706 (Chester), 29055 (Great Falls), 29714 (Fort Lawn), 29729 (Richburg), 29712 (Edgemoor), 29014 (Blackstock) and 29724 (Lando, PO Box only).
What is Chester County known for?
Its Catawba River hydroelectric dams around Great Falls and its role as a stop on Jefferson Davis’s 1865 retreat, when the Confederate cabinet held one of its last meetings in downtown Chester.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in South Carolina.