The Midlands region of

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 ...

is the middle area of the state. The region's main center is Columbia, the state's capital. The Midlands is so named because it is halfway point between

the Upstate The Upstate, historically known as the Upcountry, is a region of the U.S. state of South Carolina, comprising the northwesternmost area of the state. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the ...

and the

Lowcountry The Lowcountry (sometimes Low Country or just low country) is a geographic and cultural region along South Carolina's coast, including the Sea Islands. The region includes significant salt marshes and other coastal waterways, making it an impor ...

. The main

area code A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunication to assign telephone numbers to subscriber telephones or other telephony endpoints. Telephone numbers are the addresses of participants in a telephone network, rea ...

803 __NOTOC__ Year 803 ( DCCCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperors Nikephoros I and Charlemagne settle their imperial boundaries in the Adriatic Sea, and sign the Pa ...

. The area has become a major business center in the state, for its growing production of paper products, textile, medical supplies and steel. It is also a center for farming and medical care. The area is also involved in attractions and tourism, featuring shopping, fishing and amusement. As of the 2020 census the Midlands population was 1,019,439.

Counties

The Midlands area of South Carolina includes at least these eight counties: *

Calhoun John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun can also refer to: Surname * Calhoun (surname) Inhabited places in the United States *Calhoun, Georgia * Calhoun, Illinois *Calhoun, Kentucky * Calhoun, Louis ...

* Fairfield * Kershaw * Lexington * Orangeburg * Richland * Saluda *

Sumter Sumter may refer to: People Given name * Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist * Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general Surname * Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer * Shavonda E. Sumt ...

Other counties usually included

Lee Lee may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lee'' (2007 film), Tamil-language sports action film * ''Lee'' (2017 film), Kannada-language action film * ''Lee'' (2023 film), biographical drama about Lee Miller, American photojournalist * ''L ...

* Clarendon *

Newberry Newberry is a surname, a variant of Newbury. Notable people with the surname include: * Booker Newberry III (1956–2023), American singer and keyboardist * Brennan Newberry (born, 1990), American professional stock car racing driver * Brian Ne ...

* Aiken This region is largely coextensive with the Columbia metropolitan area (which includes Newberry and Orangeburg counties) but . The middle portion of Orangeburg County is located in the Midlands, while the western part is located in the

Central Savannah River Area The Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) is an unofficial trading and marketing region in the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina, spanning thirteen counties in Georgia and seven in South Carolina. The term was coined in 1950 by C.C. McCol ...

and the eastern part is considered to be located in the Lowcountry. Other than being designated to the Augusta, GA market, Aiken County is also frequently listed as part of the Central Savannah River Area.

Cities

Primary cities

(including county and 2020 census count) * Columbia, '' Richland and Lexington'' 136,632 *

, '' Sumter County'' 42,976 * Lexington, ''

Lexington County Lexington County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 293,991. Its county seat and largest community is Lexington. The county was chartered in 1785 and was named in commemoration o ...

'', 23,568 * Orangeburg, '' Orangeburg County'' 12,704

Suburban towns and cities over 10,000 in population

(including county and 2020 census bureau population estimates) * West Columbia ''Lexington'', 17,416 * Cayce, '' Lexington'', 13,789 * Irmo, ''Richland and Lexington'', 11,569 *

, ''

'', 10,691 * Forest Acres '' Richland'', 10,606

Suburbs with less than 10,000 inhabitants

(including county and 2020 census bureau population data) * Arcadia Lakes, ''Richland'', 865 * Batesburg-Leesville, ''Lexington'', 5,270 * Blythewood, ''Richland'', 4,772 * Camden, ''Kershaw'', 7,788 * Chapin, ''Lexington'', 1,809 * Eastover, ''Richland'', 614 *

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...

, ''Kershaw'', 1,634 *

Gaston Gaston is a masculine given name of French origin and a surname. The name "Gaston" may refer to: People First name *Gaston I, Count of Foix (1287–1315) * Gaston II, Count of Foix (1308–1343) *Gaston III, Count of Foix (1331–1391) *Gaston ...

, ''Lexington'', 1,608 * Gilbert, ''Lexington'', 571 * Little Mountain, ''Newberry'', 249 *

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

, ''Orangeburg'', 696 *

Pelion Pelion or Pelium (Modern , ''Pílio''; Ancient Greek/Katharevousa: Πήλιον, ''Pēlion'') is a mountain at the southeastern part of Thessaly in northern Greece, forming a hook-like peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. Its ...

, ''Lexington'', 631 * Pine Ridge, ''Lexington'', 2,167 *

Prosperity Prosperity is the flourishing, thriving, good fortune and successful social status. Prosperity often produces profuse wealth including other factors which can be profusely wealthy in all degrees, such as happiness and health. Competing notions ...

, ''Newberry'', 1,178 * Ridgeway, ''Fairfield'', 266 * Saluda, ''Saluda'', 3,122 * Silverstreet, ''Newberry'', 164 * St. Matthews, ''Calhoun'', 1,841 * Springdale, ''Lexington'', 2,744 *

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

, ''Lexington'', 722 * South Congaree, ''Lexington'', 2,377 * Winnsboro, ''Fairfield'', 3,215

Unincorporated communities

(2020 Census Figures) * Dentsville, ''Richland'', 14,431 *

Hopkins Hopkins is an English and Welsh patronymic surname derived from the personal name Hopkin and the genitive ending -''s''. Hopkin is itself a pet form of the name Hobb, a shortening of Robert (with alteration of the initial consonant). Notable peop ...

, ''Richland'', 13,025 (2010 data) * Lugoff, ''Kershaw'', 9,990 * Red Bank, ''Lexington'', 10,924 * Seven Oaks, ''Lexington'', 14,652 * St. Andrews, ''Richland'', 20,675 * Woodfield, ''Richland'', 9,199

Higher education

Allen University Allen University is a private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. It has more than 600 students and still serves a predominantly Black constituency. The campus ...

- Columbia *

Benedict College Benedict College is a private historically black college in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1870 by northern Baptists, it was originally a teachers' college. It has since expanded to offer majors in many disciplines across ...

- Columbia * Central Carolina Technical College- Sumter *

Claflin University Claflin University is a private historically black university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1869 after the American Civil War by northern missionaries for the education of freedmen and their children, it offers bachelo ...

- Orangeburg * Columbia College- Columbia *

Columbia International University Columbia International University (CIU) is a private Christian university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. It was founded in 1923. Academics CIU has six colleges: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, Cook School of Bus ...

- Columbia * Midlands Technical College- Columbia *

Newberry College Newberry College is a private Lutheran college in Newberry, South Carolina. As of 2023, it had 1,521 students. Academics Newberry College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) ...

- Newberry *

Morris College Morris College (MC) is a private, Baptist historically black college in Sumter, South Carolina. It was founded and is operated by the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention of South Carolina. History Morris College was founded in 1908 ...

- Sumter * Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College- Orangeburg *

South Carolina State University South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public, historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina. It is the only public, historically black land-grant research university in South Carolina, is a member o ...

- Orangeburg *

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 ...

- Columbia * University of South Carolina Sumter- Sumter *

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri, United States. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The university has an alumni net ...

Media

The region is served by four commercial television stations, WLTX CBS 19, WOLO ABC 25
WACH FOX 57
and WIS 10. The state's second largest

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

The State A state is a political entity that regulates society and the population within a definite territory. Government is considered to form the fundamental apparatus of contemporary states. A country often has a single state, with various administrat ...

, is published here.

Major highways

Interstate 20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Reeves County, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. B ...

Interstate 77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

Interstate 26 Interstate 26 (I-26) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Nominally east–west, as indicated by its even number, I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W, US Route 11W (US 11W) ...

Interstate 126 Interstate 126 (I-126) is a spur route of I-26 entirely within the city limits of Columbia in the US state of South Carolina. It is entirely concurrent with U.S. Route 76 (US 76) and connects I-26 to Downtown Columbia. It i ...

US 321 U.S. Route 321 (US 321) is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for from Hardeeville, South Carolina to Lenoir City, Tennessee; with both serving as southern termini. It reaches its northernmost point at Elizabethton, Tennessee, just no ...

US 21 U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway, spanning from Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, to Wytheville, Virginia. The route traverses three states, South Carolina, No ...

US Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, ma ...

US 76 U.S. Route 76 (US 76) is an east–west U.S. highway in the Southeastern United States that travels for . Its western terminus is at US 41 and the eastern terminus of US 72 (Broad Street) in the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it travels ...

* US 176 *

US 178 U.S. Highway 178 (US 178) is a spur of U.S. Highway 78. It currently runs for from Dorchester, South Carolina, at U.S. Highway 78 to Rosman, North Carolina, at U.S. Highway 64. It passes through the states of South Carolina and North Car ...

* US 378 *

US 15 U.S. Route 15 or U.S. Highway 15 (US 15) is a United States Numbered Highway, serving the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York (state), New York. The route is signed north–sou ...

* US 301 *

US 601 U.S. Route 601 (US 601) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from U.S. Route 321, near Tarboro, South Carolina, to U.S. Route 52, in Mount Airy, North Carolina. In North Carolina, it is one of the main north-south c ...

* US 521 * SC 277 * SC 12 * SC 34 * SC 261

References

{{Coord, 34.06, -81.08, display=title Regions of South Carolina