Greenville ( ; ) is a city in
Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, and its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
. With a population of 70,720 at the
2020 census, it is the
sixth-most populous city in the state.
The Greenville
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
had 928,195 residents in 2020 and is the
largest metro area in
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. Greenville is the anchor city of
Upstate South Carolina, an economic and cultural region with an estimated population of 1.59 million as of 2023.
Greenville was established in 1797 and incorporated in 1831. It is located approximately halfway between
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
and
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
, along
Interstate 85; its metro area also includes Interstates
185 and
385. Numerous companies have offices within the city; examples include
Michelin
Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...
,
Prisma Health,
Bon Secours, and
Duke Energy.
History
From Cherokee land to Greenville County

The land of present-day Greenville was once the hunting ground of the
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
, which was forbidden to colonists. A wealthy settler from
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
named
Richard Pearis arrived in South Carolina around 1754 and established relations with the Cherokee. Pearis had a child with a Cherokee woman and received about from the Cherokee around 1770. Pearis established a plantation on the
Reedy River called the Great Plains in present-day
downtown Greenville. The
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
divided the South Carolina country between the
Loyalists and
Patriots. Pearis supported the Loyalists and together with their allies, the Cherokee, attacked the Patriots. The Patriots retaliated by burning down Pearis' plantation and jailing him in
Charleston. Pearis never returned to his plantation but
Paris Mountain is named after him. The
Treaty of Dewitt's Corner in 1777 ceded almost all Cherokee land, including present-day Greenville, to
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
.
Greenville County was created in 1786. Some sources state it was named for its physical appearance, while others say the county is named after
General Nathanael Greene in honor of his service in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, or after early settler Isaac Green.
Lemuel J. Alston came to Greenville County in 1788 and bought and a portion of Pearis' former plantation. In 1797 Alston used his land holdings to establish a village called Pleasantburg where he also built a stately mansion. In 1816, Alston's land was purchased by
Vardry McBee, who then leased the Alston mansion for a summer resort, before making the mansion his home from 1835 until his death in 1864.
Pleasantburg was renamed as Greenville in 1821 and became a village in 1831.
Considered to be the father of Greenville, McBee donated land for many structures such as churches, academies, and a cotton mill.
Furman University was funded by McBee who helped bring the university to Greenville from
Winnsboro, South Carolina
Winnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,550 at the 2010 census. The population was 3,215 at the 2020 census, a population decrease of approximately 9.5% for the same 10 year period. It is the ...
, in 1851. In 1853 McBee and other Greenville County leaders funded a new railroad called the
Greenville and Columbia Railroad. Greenville boomed to around 1,000 in the 1850s due to the growth of McBee's donations and the attraction of the town as a summer resort for visitors.
Latter 19th century

In December 1860 Greenville supported a convention to debate the issue of secession for
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. The Greenville District sent James Furman, William K. Easley, Perry E. Duncan, William H. Campbell, and James P. Harrison as delegates for the convention. On December 20, 1860, the South Carolina state convention, along with the Greenville delegation, voted to secede from the
Union. Greenville County provided over 2,000 soldiers to the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
. The town supplied food, clothing, and firearms to the
Confederacy. Greenville saw no action from the war until 1865 when
Union troops came through the town looking for
President Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy who had fled south from
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
. In June 1865, President
Andrew Johnson appointed Greenville County native
Benjamin Franklin Perry as
Governor of South Carolina.
In February 1869, Greenville's
town charter was amended by the S. C. General Assembly establishing Greenville, the town, as a city. Construction boomed in the 1870s such as the establishment of a bridge over the
Reedy River, new mills on the river, and new railroads.
The Greenville News
''The Greenville News'' is a daily morning newspaper published in Greenville, South Carolina. After ''The State (newspaper), The State'' in Columbia and Charleston's ''The Post and Courier'', it is the third largest paper in South Carolina.
Hi ...
was established in 1874 as Greenville's first daily newspaper.
Southern Bell installed the first telephone lines in the city. The most important infrastructure that came to the city were cotton mills. Prominent cotton mill businesses operated near Greenville making it a cotton mill town. By 1915 Greenville became known as the "Textile Center of the South."
From 1915 to 2004, the city hosted an important textile manufacturing trade fair, the
Southern Textile Exposition.
20th century

During World War I, Greenville served as a training camp center for US Army recruits. After World War I commercial activity expanded with new movie theaters and department stores. The Mansion House was demolished and replaced with the
Poinsett Hotel in 1925.
The
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
hurt the economy of Greenville forcing mills to lay off workers. Furman University and the Greenville Women's College also struggled in the crippling economy forcing them to merge in 1933. The
Textile Workers Strike of 1934 had a major impact in the city and surrounding mill towns, and the
National Guard
National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
...
subdued the strike. The
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...
established
Sirrine Stadium and a new
Greenville High School. The
Greenville Army Air Base was established in 1942 during World War II contributing to the further growth of Greenville.
After the war, a
November 19, 1946, propane explosion left 6 dead and over 150 injured. The explosion involved a tank containing about of
propane
Propane () is a three-carbon chain alkane with the molecular formula . It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, but becomes liquid when compressed for transportation and storage. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum ref ...
and could be heard from
Gaffney, away.

On February 16, 1947,
Willie Earle, a black man accused of stabbing a cab driver, was taken from his jail cell by a mob of mostly taxi drivers and
murdered
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excu ...
. Thirty-one white men were jointly tried for the crime; most of the accused signed confessions, many of them naming Roosevelt Carlos Hurd as the lynch mob leader and the person who ultimately killed Earle with the shotgun. On May 21, 1947, a jury of 12 white men returned verdicts of not guilty for every defendant.
After World War II, Greenville's economy surged with the establishment of new stores and the expansion of the city limits. Furman University doubled its student population and moved to a new location. Higher education facilities such as
Bob Jones University in 1947 and
Greenville Technical College in 1962 were established in Greenville. The
Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport was established in nearby
Greer in 1962. The 1966 construction of the
Landmark Building added what remains the city's tallest building. Greenville's economy waned in the 1970s, leaving a void due to the flight of many retailers. Mayor Max Heller then began a revitalization with the
Greenville County Museum of Art and the Hughes Main Library. Main Street was then converted into a two-lane road lined with trees and sidewalks. With a 1978 federal grant, a convention center and hotel were built, bringing business back to the area.
After a succession of several mayors in the early 1980s,
Bill Workman was elected in 1983 and made economic development a priority. He and the chamber of commerce convinced
Michelin
Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...
to move its North America headquarters to Greenville in 1984. Tens of other companies also moved to Greenville in following years, including pulp and paper business
Bowater in 1992. The
Greenville Municipal Stadium was constructed in 1984. The city acted as developer for the West End Market project, which later brought an arts and entertainment district.
In 1990, the
Peace Center arts venue opened in
downtown Greenville. In 1994, BMW opened its first manufacturing plant outside Germany between Greenville and Spartanburg.
Knox White became mayor in 1995. In 1998,
Bon Secours Wellness Arena replaced
Greenville Memorial Auditorium as an entertainment arena. The Poinsett Hotel was renovated in the late 1990s with Poinsett Plaza at its entryway, and the Camperdown Bridge that had crossed Reedy Falls for four decades was removed and replaced with a renovated
Falls Park.
21st century
During the 2000s, thousands of people began moving to Greenville.
Liberty Bridge at Falls Park was completed in 2004 and became a major landmark. Greenville has continued to evolve and grow with over 70,000 residents in its city limits as of 2020.
Its growth has also improved the popularity of close cities such as
Simpsonville,
Mauldin, and
Fountain Inn. Under the leadership of Knox White, the
Swamp Rabbit Trail was opened in 2010. It is an old railroad converted into a path that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
Geography
Greenville is roughly equidistant between
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
( southwest), and
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
( northeast).
Columbia, the state capital, is to the southeast.
Greenville is in the foothills of the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...
, a
physiographic province of the larger
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
range, and includes many small hills.
Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina, is in northern Pickens County, less than northwest of Greenville. Many area television and radio station towers are on
Paris Mountain, the second most prominent peak in the area, north of downtown Greenville. According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.77%) is water.
The
Reedy River, a tributary of the
Saluda River, runs through the center of the city.
Greenville is located in the Brevard Fault Zone and has had occasional minor
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
s.
Climate
Greenville, like much of the
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
region of the southeastern United States, has a mild version of a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Cfa''), with four distinct seasons; the city is part of USDA
Hardiness zone 8a/8b. Winters are short and generally cool, with a January daily average of . On average, there are 59 nights per year that drop to or below freezing, and only 1.3 days that fail to rise above freezing.
April is the driest month, with an average of of precipitation.
Summers are hot and humid, with a daily temperature average in July of . There are an average 43 days per year with highs at or above .
Official record temperatures range from on
July 1, 2012, down to on January 30, 1966; the record cold daily maximum is on December 31, 1917, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is on July 12, 1937, the last of three occasions.
The average window for freezing temperatures is November 4 through April 1, allowing a growing season of 217 days.
Precipitation is generally less frequent in autumn than spring
and, on average, Greenville receives of precipitation annually, which is somewhat evenly distributed throughout the year, although summer is slightly wetter; annual precipitation has historically ranged from in 2007 to in 1908.
In addition, there is an average of of snow, occurring mainly from January thru March, with rare snow occurring in November or April. More frequent ice storms and sleet mixed in with rain occur in the Greenville area; seasonal snowfall has historically ranged from trace amounts as recently as 2011–12 to in 1935–36.
These storms can have a major impact on the area, as they often pull tree limbs down on power lines and make driving hazardous.
Demographics
Greenville is the largest principal city of the
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, a
metropolitan statistical area that covers Greenville,
Laurens,
Anderson and
Pickens counties and had an estimated population of 975,480 in 2023.
Since South Carolina law makes annexing the suburban areas illegal, Greenville's
city proper
A city proper is the geographical area contained within city limits. The term ''proper'' is not exclusive to city, cities; it can describe the geographical area within the boundaries of any given locality. The United Nations defines the term as " ...
population is small as a proportion of the total population of the urbanized area.
2020 census
As of the
2020 census, there were 70,720 people, 32,250 households, and 15,431 families residing in the city.
2010 census
At the
2010 census,
there were 58,409 people, 24,382 households, and 12,581 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 27,295 housing units at an average density of . The racial composition of the city was 62.12%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 31.54%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 3.44%
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino (of any race), 1.27%
Asian, 0.14%
Native American, 0.06%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.37% of
other races, and 1.11% of
Two or more races.
There were 29,418 households, out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 40.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 20.0% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,144, and the median income for a family was $44,125. Males had a median income of $35,111 versus $25,339 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $23,242. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Greenville's economy through the late 1800s to the late 1900s was based largely on
its textile manufacturing, with up to 19 mills at one point, and because of that, the city was known as "The Textile Capital of the World" for that period. In the last few decades, favorable wages and tax benefits have lured foreign companies to invest heavily in the area. The city is the North American headquarters for
Michelin
Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...
,
Synnex
Synnex was an American multinational corporation that provided information technology (IT) services to businesses. It merged with competitor Tech Data to form TD Synnex. It was founded in 1980 by Robert T. Huang and based in Fremont, Calif ...
,
United Community Bank,
AVX Corporation,
NCEES, Ameco,
Southern Tide,
Confluence Outdoor
Confluence Outdoor (formerly known as Confluence Watersports) is an United States of America, American manufacturer of kayaks, canoes, and related accessories. The company comprises seven separate brands which each specialize in paddling sport boa ...
,
JTEKT, Cleva North America,
Spinx,
Current Lighting Solutions,
Prisma Health, and Scansource. In 2003, the
International Center for Automotive Research was created, establishing CUICAR as the new model for automotive research. The Center for Emerging Technologies in mobility and energy was opened in 2011, hosting a number of companies in leading edge R&D and the headquarters for Sage Automotive.
When the former
Donaldson Air Force Base closed in 1963, the land became the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC). SCTAC is the global home of Lockheed Martin F-16. Michelin, 3M, Proterra and Stevens Aerospace have major operations at the park as well. In addition, SCTAC is the home of South Carolina's world-class EV test track, the International Transportation and Innovation Center (ITIC), as well as the South Carolina Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility.
Arts and culture
As the largest city in the
Upstate, Greenville offers many activities and attractions. Greenville's theaters and event venues regularly host major concerts and touring theater companies. Four independent theaters present several plays a year. ''The New York Times'' included Greenville among 52 places in the world to visit in 2023, highlighting the city's wide variety of restaurants.
The
Bon Secours Wellness Arena brings national tours of many popular bands to downtown, and the
Peace Center for the Performing Arts provides a venue for orchestras and
Broadway shows. A planned multimillion-dollar renovation to the center's main concert hall lobby and riverside amphitheatre began in the spring of 2011.
Event venues

*
Bon Secours Wellness Arena, the home of the
Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the
ECHL, is a 16,000-seat arena in downtown Greenville that opened in 1998 as the Bi-Lo Center.
*
Fluor Field at the West End, home of the
Greenville Drive baseball team, the
Class-A affiliate of the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. The stadium was designed to echo many of the features of
Fenway Park, home of the parent club, including a representation of Fenway's
Green Monster standing high in left field.
* Greenville Convention Center, a convention and meeting facility that was established in 1964 as the newest of a series of Textile Halls, the original dating back to 1915 as the Southern Textile Exposition.
*
Peace Center, performing arts center that includes a concert hall with 2,100 seats and a theater seating 400, and a 1,200-seat amphitheater. In late 2024, the Peace Center will debut A Music Project (AMP), a $36 million project to renovate three existing buildings on its campus into live music venues. This will include the Coach Music Factory, a new 1300-person capacity music club.
Landmarks

* Cancer Survivors Park, opened in 2018
* The Children's Museum of the Upstate, one of the first children's museums to become Smithsonian affiliated.
*
Falls Park on the Reedy, a large regional park in the West End with gardens and several waterfalls, with access to the
Swamp Rabbit Trail. Dedicated in 2004, the $15.0 million park is home to the
Liberty Bridge, a pedestrian
suspension bridge overlooking the
Reedy River. The park's development sparked a $75 million public-private development, Riverplace, directly across Main Street. Falls Park has been called the birthplace of Greenville, but in the mid-20th century the area was in severe decline, and the Camperdown Bridge was built, obstructing the view of the falls. In the mid-1980s, the City adopted a master plan for the park. However, renovation accelerated under Mayor
Knox White in the late 1990s, leading to the removal of the Camperdown Bridge in 2002 and the construction of the
Miguel Rosales-designed
Liberty Bridge in 2004. While bridges with similar structural concepts have been built in Europe, the Liberty Bridge is unique in its geometry.
*
Greenville County Museum of Art, specializing in American art, frequently with a Southern perspective that dates back to the 18th century. It is noted for its collections of work by
Andrew Wyeth and
Jasper Johns, as well as a contemporary collection that features such notables as
Andy Warhol,
Georgia O'Keeffe, and others.
*
Greenville Zoo, established in 1960 and is located in
Cleveland Park.
* Linky Stone Park: The Children's Garden, a horticultural attraction featuring a unique garden that allows visitors to experience flowers using all five senses, a geology wall made of rocks and minerals from around the Upstate, a textile garden, a Hansel and Gretel cottage, and a secret garden.
*
McPherson Park, the city's oldest park and has a free public miniature golf course.
*
Roper Mountain Science Center, home to a historic refractor telescope, eighth largest of its kind in the United States.
* Runway Park at GMU, viewing location for aircraft taking off and landing with an educational amphitheater, exercise "Perimeter Taxiway", walking "Runways", aviation themed playground, a swing set, a Bi-plane "Climber", a picnic hangar and a Cessna 310 display. A cross section of a Boeing 737 fuselage serves as a park entrance.
*
Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum & Baseball Library, located in the historic home of baseballer
Shoeless Joe Jackson adjacent to
Fluor Field at the West End.
*
Swamp Rabbit Trail, a greenway connecting downtown Greenville to the City of Travelers Rest. On June 16, 2023, a extension of the trail was opened, connecting Cleveland Park to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).
* Unity Park, located along the
Reedy River just west of downtown, opened in May 2022. The park features basketball courts, a baseball field, a splash pad, a 10,000-square-foot welcome center/event space and three pedestrian bridges spanning the river. Five walking trails totaling connect to the
Swamp Rabbit Trail as it passes through the park. The park merged what was once two segregated parks, Mayberry Park for Black residents and Meadowbrook Park for white residents. Just north of the park, at the intersection of West Washington and South Hudson streets, the city dedicated the Lila Mae Brock Memorial, named after the late Southernside community leader described as "the epitome of unity."
*
Upcountry History Museum, the area's largest history museum and a Smithsonian affiliate.
Festivals
* Artisphere, a three-day art festival held each spring. The 2019 festival featured musicians
The New Respects and
Jill Andrews and over a hundred visual artists and street performers.
* Euphoria Greenville, an annual four-day culinary mid-September event series held at various city venues; the food, wine, and music festival in 2019 included an educational component and dinners by
Michelin-starred chefs.
* Fall for Greenville, a three-day music and food street festival held each fall. The 2019 festival was the 37th, with hundreds of food items and tens of musical artists across six stages.
* First Fridays Gallery Crawl, features more than 30 art galleries and venues opening to the public with free admission. Hosted by the Metropolitan Arts Council, it occurs the first Friday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
* The Greek Festival, a three-day festival sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Greenville to celebrate Greek culture. 2019's 33rd annual festival of dance, music, and food included tours of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
* Greenville Jazz Fest, celebrates jazz music and culture. Its inaugural event on June 3, 2023, included the Grammy award-winning
Rebirth Brass Band.
* Greenville Open Studios, established in 2002, is an annual three-day local arts celebration in which 158 local artists open their studios to the public. The 2019 festival was the 18th, with record-setting attendance.
* iMAGINE Upstate, weekend celebration and showcase of STEM, entrepreneurial, creative, and innovative activity in the
Upstate held each spring. The festival promotes learning as fun, through various hands-on activities, interactive shows, and experiences.
* Indie Craft Parade, festival of handmade art held each September. 2019 hosted the 10th annual event, which has over 100 artists, local food, and a free photo booth.
* New South Comedy Festival, a ten-day comedy festival featuring improvisational, stand-up, sketch, and musical comedy from around the country. 2018's 5th annual festival featured over 300 comedians.
* SC Comicon, a two-day comic book convention held annually. The event draws thousands of attendees, many of whom dress in
cosplay.
* Upstate Shakespeare Festival, hosts performances of
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
and other classic plays each summer in Falls Park. The 25th festival was held in 2019 and featured ''
The Tempest
''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...
'', performed by The Warehouse Theatre.
Visual art

A number of local artists operate studios and galleries in the city, especially the Village of West Greenville near downtown. The Metropolitan Arts Council provides a number of public events that focus on the visual arts, including the First Fridays Gallery Crawl and Greenville Open Studios. Greenville has some notable fine arts museums:
*
Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery, contains a diverse collection of European masterworks.
*
Greenville County Museum of Art, home of the
Andrew Wyeth Collection, was founded with a significant contribution from local industrialist, Arthur Magill. It contains pieces by
Jackson Pollock
Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter. A major figure in the abstract expressionist movement, Pollock was widely noticed for his "Drip painting, drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household ...
, Jonathan Greene,
Georgia O'Keeffe,
Jasper Johns, and
William H. Johnson.
Music
Greenville's music scene is home to local, regional, and national bands performing music in the various genres. The city is home to the
Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Greenville County Youth Orchestra, Carolina Youth Symphony, the Carolina Pops Orchestra, and the Greenville Concert Band.
Greenville Light Opera Works (GLOW Lyric Theatre) is a professional lyric theatre in Greenville that produces Musical Theatre, Operetta and Opera.
Local
a cappella
Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
singing groups include the women's Vocal Matrix Chorus (formerly Greenville in Harmony) and the men's Palmetto Statesmen chorus. Additional choral groups include the Greenville Chorale and the Greenville Gay Men's Chorus.
Greenville is also home to the
Sigal Music Museum, formerly known as the Carolina Music Museum. In the 1930s the building was a Coca-Cola bottling company.
Dance and theater

The Carolina Ballet Theatre is a professional dance company that regularly presents programs at the Peace Center and elsewhere. CBT presents four performances annually as the resident professional dance company of the Peace Center with their largest as the holiday classic, "The Nutcracker, Once Upon A Time in Greenville." This production is modelled after the major companies that have set their holiday class in their hometown. Centre Stage, Greenville Theatre, South Carolina Children's Theater and the Warehouse Theatre are the major playhouses in the area. The theaters offer a variety of performances including well-known works, such as Death of a Salesman and Grease, and plays written by local playwrights. During spring and summer, the local Shakespearean company performs Shakespeare in the Park at the Falls Park Amphitheater.
Literary arts
Two literary non-profit groups are located in Greenville: The Emrys Foundation, founded in 1983 and Wits End Poetry, founded in 2002.
Sports

The
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic c ...
(NCCAA) sports conference is headquartered in Greenville, as are various minor league and university sports teams.
Minor League sports teams:
*
Greenville Drive,
High-A affiliate of the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
in the
High-A East. The Drive played their first season at Greenville Municipal Stadium, former home of the Atlanta Braves AA affiliate. The Drive started their second season in their new downtown ballpark on April 6, 2006, which, prior to the start of the 2008 season, was renamed
Fluor Field at the West End. For the first year after their founding, they were called the Greenville Bombers, having moved from Columbia, South Carolina. Before that, Greenville hosted various other minor league baseball teams, beginning with the
Greenville Spinners in 1907.
*
Greenville Liberty SC, soccer team in
USL W League. In June 2021, the USL announced a women's team, associated with
Greenville Triumph SC, would begin play in 2022 as part of a new W league. In their inaugural season, the Liberty were the regular season champions of the South Atlantic Division. For the 2023 season, the team plays at
Paladin Stadium on the campus of
Furman University.
*
Greenville Swamp Rabbits, minor league hockey team in the
ECHL, began play in the 2010–11 hockey season as the Greenville Road Warriors and were renamed in 2015.
* Greenville Gaels, hurling team in the Southeast Division of the US
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...
.
*
Greenville Triumph SC, soccer team in
USL League One. In their first four seasons, the Triumph qualified for the league finals three times and won the league championship once (2020). For the 2023 season, the team plays at
Paladin Stadium on the campus of
Furman University.
Bob Jones University
* Bob Jones University competes at the
NCCAA Division II level. The BJU Bruins began intercollegiate athletics in the 2012–2013 school year. The school began with men and women's soccer and basketball, with hopes of eventually adding other sports. In June 2020, the Bruins were accepted to the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
, competing at the Division III level. As of 2023, the university supports 12 varsity sports programs.
Furman University
* The
Furman Paladins compete at the NCAA Division I level. (Note:
Furman football is a member of the
NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.) Furman athletic teams compete on-campus in various venues, including Paladin Stadium, Timmons Arena, and the Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium. Furman is a member of the
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I. Southern Conference College football, football teams c ...
.
North Greenville University
North Greenville University is a Private university, private Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist college in Tigerville, South Carolina. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges ...
* North Greenville University competes at the NCAA Division II level. Their mascot is the Trailblazer.
Air Base Speedway
Air Base Speedway, originally known as Greenville Textile Speedway, was a dirt oval racetrack situated just south of
Donaldson Air Force Base. Established in 1949, the track featured both half-mile and quarter-mile configurations and was renamed Air Base Speedway in 1950. Its most notable event was a
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
Grand National Series race held on August 25, 1951, won by
Bob Flock driving an
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile (formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors) was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produc ...
. Despite this high-profile race, the track's operations were short-lived, ceasing in 1952. Over time, Air Base Speedway faded into obscurity, and today the site is covered by three different buildings, a railroad spur, and dozens of trees.
Government

The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.
The Greenville City Council consists of the mayor and six council members. The mayor and two council members are elected at-large while the remaining council members are chosen from single-member districts. Greenville Municipal Court handles criminal misdemeanor violations, traffic violations, and city ordinance violations. As of 2024, the city's mayor is
Knox H. White, who has been in that position since December 1995.
Greenville's City Hall has had multiple locations since the first in 1879, including the
Old Greenville City Hall, which served in that capacity from 1938 to 1973.
In March 2023, the city announced plans to sell its current building and move City Hall to the Bowater Building along the
Reedy River in
Falls Park.
The Greenville Police Force was established in 1845. By 1876 it became the Greenville Police Department. In 1976 the department moved into the Greenville County Law Enforcement Center with the Greenville County Sheriff's Department. The Greenville Police Department serves Greenville with around 241 employees with 199 sworn officers.
Districts 22–25 of the
South Carolina House of Representatives cover portions of Greenville, as do
state senate
In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states.
A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...
districts 6–8. The city is within
South Carolina's 4th congressional district, represented by
William Timmons since 2019.
Education
Primary and secondary
The
Greenville County School District includes all of the Greenville city limits. The district is the largest school district in the state of South Carolina and is ranked as the 44th largest district in the United States, with 19 high schools, 24 middle schools, and 52 elementary schools. The district's 2018–2023 strategic plan noted it had 10,000 employees, including 6,000 teachers with an average of 12.8 years of experience. In addition to traditional public schools, Greenville's downtown area is home to the
South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities, a boarding school for young artists.
In addition to public schools, Greenville County has a number of private and religious schools, including St Mary's Catholic School (founded in 1900), Camperdown Academy (for students with learning disabilities),
Hidden Treasure Christian School (a school for students with physical and/or mental disabilities),
Christ Church Episcopal School (a college-preparatory Episcopalian school with an American school outside of Germany certified by the ), Shannon Forest Christian School (an evangelical Christian school),
Saint Joseph's Catholic School, Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School, St. Anthony's Catholic School,
Southside Christian School (established in 1967 by Southside Baptist Church), Hampton Park Christian School, Bob Jones Academy and Elementary School,
Carolina Film Institute
The Carolina Film Institute (CFI) is a film school, founded in Greenville, South Carolina in 2008. It is affiliated with Seattle Film Institute founded in Seattle in 1994. CFI offers both part-time classes and certificate programs in film and digi ...
(a film school founded in 2008), Green Charter (originally one of the
Gülen movement schools), and Greenville Classical Academy (a classical Christian school established in 2004).
Greenville has numerous public charter schools that are free to state residents.
Colleges and universities

Greenville has several colleges and universities located within the city limits:
Bob Jones University,
Greenville Technical College, and an
ECPI University campus. Additionally
Furman University and
North Greenville University
North Greenville University is a Private university, private Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist college in Tigerville, South Carolina. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges ...
are located in the greater Greenville area. Furman began as Furman Academy and Theological Institution in 1825 named after
Richard Furman. The theological school of Furman broke away in 1858 and became
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary now in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...
.
North Greenville University
North Greenville University is a Private university, private Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist college in Tigerville, South Carolina. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges ...
was established in 1893 and is affiliated with the
South Carolina Baptist Convention.
Bob Jones University was established in 1927 by
Bob Jones Sr. as a private non-denominational
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
university.
Greenville Technical College was established in 1962 as a
technical college
An institute of technology (also referred to as technological university, technical university, university of technology, polytechnic university) is an institution of tertiary education that specializes in engineering, technology, applied science ...
. The Evangelical Institute was founded in 1967 just north of the city at
Paris Mountain.
Clemson University's Main campus is located away, however, the university has several programs physically located in Downtown Greenville, as well as a specialty campus in Greenville called
Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research that focuses on automotive research.
The
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
School of Medicine Greenville is a four-year medical school operating on a
Prisma Health campus.
The University Center of Greenville, located in the former shopping mall
McAlister Square, offers over 70 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs from 9 South Carolina universities. The schools that offer degrees in the center are:
Anderson University,
Bob Jones University,
Clemson University,
Converse College,
Furman University,
Greenville Technical College,
Lander University,
South Carolina State, and
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
.
Media

* ''Greenville Business Magazine'', monthly magazine that contains business information for and about the Greenville area
* ''
The Greenville News
''The Greenville News'' is a daily morning newspaper published in Greenville, South Carolina. After ''The State (newspaper), The State'' in Columbia and Charleston's ''The Post and Courier'', it is the third largest paper in South Carolina.
Hi ...
'', the city's daily newspaper and also the Upstate's largest daily newspaper in circulation and readership
* ''Greenville Journal'', weekly newspaper dealing with business, economic development, local events, and current issues relevant to Greenville. It was originally the ''Greenville Civic and Commercial Journal''
* ''GSA Business'', published every two weeks, it covers business news from across the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area
* ''GVLtoday'', hyper-local news site operated by Greenville-based media company 6 AM City
* ''The Post and Courier Greenville'', local edition of the ''Post and Courier'' daily newspaper based in Charleston, which features "Greenville news reported, written and edited by Greenville journalists for readers in the Upstate"
* ''Upstate Business Journal'', weekly business newspaper reaching 100,000 business leaders in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson counties
* ''Upstate Link magazine'', was a weekly publication that began in January 2004 as part of ''The Greenville News'' and remained in print until 2008. It is now defunct.
* ''ShareGVL'' (Share Greenville), similar to ''
Humans of New York'', it is a nonprofit digital community that
humanizes residents of Greenville
Radio
Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Arbitron Metro which is the nation's 59th largest radio market with a person 12+ population of 813,700. The box below lists the local radio stations:
Television
Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville
DMA, which is the nation's 36th largest television market. See the box below for the local television stations:
Infrastructure
Transportation

Greenville is located on the
Interstate 85 (I-85) corridor, approximately halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte. I-85 runs along the city's southeast edge and is connected to downtown Greenville by two spur routes:
I-185, which also forms a southern beltway; and
I-385, which continues southeast to a junction with
I-26. Other major highways include
U.S. Route 123 (US 123),
US 25,
US 29 and
US 276.
There are several airports servicing the Greenville area. The largest is
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), which is the third-busiest airport in South Carolina, after
Charleston International Airport, and
Myrtle Beach International Airport with over 2.56 million passengers in 2023.
SCTAC (formerly Donaldson Air Base) has undergone significant modernization and is the site of multiple industries, as well as the International Transportation and Innovation Center (ITIC), and the South Carolina Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility. Greenville serves as a freight hub for
FedEx Express
FedEx Express is a major American cargo airline based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. As of 2023, it is the world's List of largest airlines, largest cargo airline in terms of fleet size and freight tons flown. It is the namesake and leadi ...
. The
Greenville Downtown Airport, is the busiest general aviation airport in South Carolina with nearly 80,000 take-offs and landings annually and more than 198 based aircraft in 2022.
Public transit in Greenville is handled by the Greenville Transit Authority (GTA), which contracted out operations to the City Of Greenville in 2008 under a tri-party agreement with Greenville County. The city rebranded the service with the name Greenlink. Greenlink runs a bus system that serves the Greenville area, much of Greenville County including Mauldin and Simpsonville, and a portion of Pickens County via a connector to Clemson. Greenlink has a 10-year transit plan that aims to cover the entire county with 15 new buses and double the frequency of routes by 2030.
Greenville has an
Amtrak station, which is part of
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's
''Crescent'', connecting Greenville with the cities of New York,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
,
Washington,
Raleigh,
Charlotte,
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
and
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. Additionally, Greenville is included in the
Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor, which is proposed to run from Washington, D.C. to
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
. Freight railroad service is provided by
CSX Transportation,
Norfolk Southern Railway, and the
Carolina Piedmont Railroad. The former
Greenville and Northern Railway line to
Travelers Rest has been abandoned and converted into a hiking and biking trail called the
Swamp Rabbit Trail.
Health systems

Greenville has two main health systems,
Bon Secours and
Prisma Health.
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System includes St. Francis Downtown; St. Francis Eastside; and St. Francis Outpatient Center and Upstate Surgery Center.
Prisma Health is a not-for-profit health organization that includes seven campuses in the Upstate area:
Greenville Memorial Medical Center, North Greenville Long Term Acute Care Hospital and ER, Hillcrest Hospital, Patewood Memorial Hospital, Greer Memorial Hospital, Laurens County Memorial Hospital, and Oconee Memorial Hospital. It is one of the largest employers in the region. It hosts the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, a full four-year branch of the medical school in
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
.
The Greenville Memorial Hospital was formerly operated by the municipal government, with Greenville Health System being the operating authority.
In 2016,
Prisma Health began leasing the hospital and directly operating it. The GHA is the portion of the Greenville Health System that still existed after the hospital transitioned into being operated by Prisma.
[ The Greenville Health Authority (GHA) is the owner of the hospital facilities operated by Prisma. Members of the South Carolina Legislature select a majority of the seats of the board of directors of the GHA.
Greenville's Shriners Hospital for Children treats pediatric orthopedic patients exclusively, free of charge.
]
Notable people
Sister cities
Greenville is twinned with:
* Bergamo, Italy since 1984
* Kortrijk
Kortrijk ( , ; or ''Kortrik''; ), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of We ...
, Belgium since 1991
* Tianjin Free-Trade Zone, China since 2002
* Vadodara, India
See also
* List of municipalities in South Carolina
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control
Cities in South Carolina
Cities in Greenville County, South Carolina
Populated places established in 1797
County seats in South Carolina
Upstate South Carolina
1797 establishments in the United States