Chester County, South Carolina

Chester County Education, Geography, and History

Chester County is a county located in the state of South Carolina. Based on the 2010 census, its population was 33,140. Its county seat is Chester.

Chester County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Chester County Name

Chester is named after Chester, Pennsylvania.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Chester County History

Chester County and its county seat were named for Chester County, Pennsylvania. The county was formed in 1785 as part of the larger Camden District but was later transferred to Pinckney District (1791-1800); it became a separate district in 1800. Scotch-Irish settlers from Pennsylvania and Virginia moved into this upstate region beginning about 1755. During the Revolutionary War, American forces under General Thomas Sumter were defeated here at the battle of Fishing Creek in August 1780; the Americans were victorious at Fishdam Ford in November of the same year. The Landsford Canal was built in 1823 to allow boats and barges to bypass rapids on the Catawba River; this canal is now open as a state park. In later years the availability of hydroelectric power encouraged the establishment of textile mills in the area. Governor, US Senator, and judge Donald S. Russell (1906-1997) lived in Chester as a boy.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 586 square miles (1,518 km²), of which, 581 square miles (1,504 km²) of it is land and 6 square miles (15 km²) of it (0.96%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• York County, South Carolina - north
• Lancaster County, South Carolina - east
• Fairfield County, South Carolina - south
• Union County, South Carolina - west
  

Education

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