LEXINGTON COUNTY
County Offices
212 South Lake Drive
Lexington 803-359-8000
www.lex-co.sc.gov
Chamber of Commerce
311 West Main Street
Lexington 803-359-6113
www.lexingtonsc.org
Major Highways
Interstates 20, 26, 77, 126; US Highways 1, 178, 378
The rapidly growing region of Lexington County is ideally situated in the very heart of the Midlands, boasting a thriving economy that balances high-tech industries, agriculture, and commercial development.
Services
Newcomers to Lexington County can look forward to an affordable and attractive housing selection, excellent schools, efficient transportation services, and outstanding recreational amenities. Area schools are consistently recognized for excellence in academic achievement, athletics, music, and other extracurricular activities that develop individual talents and leadership potential. Quality public and private schools from preschool through 12th grade are complemented by a number of opportunities for higher education close to home, from vocational and career training and certifications to private colleges and universities. Many students launch a four-year degree or acquire valuable skills through the affordable programs at Midlands Technical College. More than 90 programs of study are available in a career-focused learning environment.
The beautiful University of South Carolina campus is only minutes away from Lexington County communities, bringing together diverse colleges that include nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and law. Private colleges include Southern Wesleyan University and Columbia College. The latter is distinguished as a private liberal arts women’s college with a coeducational Evening College and Graduate School and has been ranked for more than a decade among the top comprehensive undergraduate college in the South by U.S. News & World Report.
State-of-the-art healthcare services and facilities in Lexington County are available close to home at Lexington Medical Center. This 292-bed metropolitan medical complex anchors a comprehensive healthcare network that serves the entire county, including community medical centers that are strategically located to maximize accessibility. Lexington Medical Center also operates the largest extended-care facility in South Carolina and an occupational health center. Affiliated physicians in private practice represent every major specialty and most subspecialties, ensuring advanced care and leading-edge diagnostics without a trip into “the city.”
The hospital’s main campus is continually undergoing improvements and upgrades to meet the needs of a growing population and ensure the finest of advanced care in a compassionate setting. The recent additions will expand the main facility to one million square feet, providing some of the most exceptional services in the Midlands. Community education, health screenings, fitness and wellness programs, and nutritional counseling are all aspects of the center’s proactive approach to helping residents maintain optimum health and well being.
Lifestyle
Well known for Lake Murray water-sport recreation and some of the nation’s finest fishing opportunities, Lexington County is one of the fastest growing areas in South Carolina. The advantages of Columbia metropolitan amenities only enhances the appeal of this suburban and rural area that is well-served by high-speed thoroughfares for easy commuting to major employment centers. Vibrant residential communities, lush golf courses, welcoming small towns, open countryside, and easy access to world-class cultural attractions are just a few of the highlights of Lexington County living.
The Koger Center for the Arts at the University of South Carolina in Columbia underlines a long list of visual and performing arts venues that ensure a full calendar of exciting special events. First-rate museums in Metropolitan Columbia combine with local treasures like the Lexington County Museum and the Cayce Historical Museum, preserving the history of the first European settlement in the Midlands. Locally, the Lexington County Arts Association and the Patchwork Playhouse ensure a season of entertaining productions. Other unique attractions include the Nature Conservancy’s Peachtree Rock Nature Preserve and exquisite parks graced by magnificent gardens like Granby Garden Park in Cayce or Virginia Hylton Park in Lexington. As an ideal complement to Lake Murray, Dreher Island State Recreation Area offers miles of shoreline and nearly 350 acres of scenic terrain and trails for camping, picnicking, hiking, biking, and nature study. Saluda Shoals Park offers a riverfront recreational and arts complex for water sports like kayaking and canoeing as well as miles of multi-purpose trails and a performing arts center. The Harbison Environmental Education Forest adds another 18 miles of scenic trails and a canoe landing near the Broad River.
The communities that dot Lexington County combine vintage towns that preserve beautiful Southern homes as well as handsome golf-course developments and upscale subdivisions. Horse properties, country manors with generous acreage, and cozy neighborhoods in the heart of a small town are just a few of the diverse settings. Closer to the bustling metropolis of Columbia are contemporary suburbs that blend single-family homes in a variety of architectural styles and prices ranges with condominiums, townhouses, and apartments. In fact, a small portion of the city of Columbia actually extends into Lexington County, which is also home to the City of West Columbia. Opportunities for dining and shopping are as varied as the county itself, ranging from regional malls with well-known retailers to quaint districts filled with one-of-a-kind boutiques and crafts from local artisans.
Columbia’s Finlay Park, the Riverbanks Zoo, and Lake Murray are just a few of the natural attractions that bring friends and families together for relaxation and recreation. The Lexington Leisure Center is a vast complex of first-rate amenities and facilities that include a wellness center with a weight room, aerobic equipment, racquetball courts, and a gymnasium. The center offers a wide variety of classes and activities from sports leagues to yoga or arts and crafts. Colorful local celebrations like the Lexington FunFest or seasonal festivals enhance the close-knit spirit that prevails in friendly communities, often highlighted by parades, delicious food, family games, competitive events, and carnivals. Regardless of where you choose to settle in panoramic Lexington County, you’ll discover a rare quality of life that blends the finest of suburban and country living with convenient access to South Carolina’s most acclaimed educational, cultural, and entertainment centers.
Batesburg-Leesville
Municipal Offices
803-532-4601
www.batesburg-leesville.org
Chamber of Commerce
803-532-4339
www.batesburg-leesvillechamber.org
“Come Sample the South,” is the invitation extended to visitors by the Batesburg-Leesville community, where natural friendliness and home-owned businesses create a warm and engaging atmosphere. The former towns of Batesburg and Leesville were consolidated in 1992, creating a new and unique municipality that successfully integrated assets and services. Nestled in the Midlands and offering easy access to Interstate 20, Batesburg-Leesville is located in Lexington County’s western corner. The community extends into Saluda and adjoins the Aiken County border. The panoramic Lake Murray recreational area is only a 10-minute drive from the community, ensuring outstanding fishing, boating, and water sports. Batesburg-Leesville draws visitors from across the region to its annual South Carolina Poultry Festival, one of the largest in the state. Newcomers are drawn to this area for it unhurried pace, intimate hometown spirit, country pleasures, and close proximity to major urban amenities. Housing options range from fine old Southern homes to modern construction that spans architectural styles and price ranges.
Cayce
Municipal Offices
803-796-9020
www.caycesc.net
Chamber of Commerce
803-794-6504
www.westmetrochamber.com
Steeped in history, the city of Cayce is proud of a rich heritage that includes the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the “back country” as well as Fort Granby, where several important Revolutionary War battles were fought. Enjoying an ideal location near the international airport and the regional interstate highway system, Cayce offers a serene hometown atmosphere with easy access to metropolitan amenities. The rolling Congaree River has traditionally played a significant role in the community’s growth and development, highlighted today in the Three Rivers Greenway project and its expanded recreational attractions. Development along both sides of the river is also a driver of economic growth within the city. Cayce is home to an outstanding museum that interprets the agricultural, social, and cultural heritage of the region from the 18th century to the present but also features ancient Native American artifacts. History walks, reenactments, a wonderful Christmas festival and other annual celebrations, and lush parks filled with recreational facilities are just a few of the highlights in this family-oriented community.
Chapin
Municipal Offices
803-345-2444
www.chapinsc.com
Chamber of Commerce
803-345-1100
www.chapinchamber.com
Situated near Interstate 26 for convenient commutes to Columbia and regional destinations, the community of Chapin is nestled in the heart of the rapidly growing Dutch Fork area. Bordered by Richland and Newberry counties, Chapin is ideally situated in relationship to Lake Murray. In fact, the thoroughfares that radiate from the lake’s northern shore lead to Chapin. Newcomers are impressed by the warm and friendly atmosphere of this small town at the edge of Lake Murray’s abundant recreational opportunities. In addition to local amenities like community theater productions and convenient commercial development, Chapin offers a quick trip to Columbia’s educational, cultural, and entertainment attractions. Beautiful single-family homes, retirement communities, and townhouses on the lake with private docks are just a few of the housing possibilities. Residential villages with unique recreational features surround Chapin for a wide selection of lifestyles.
Gaston, Pelion, Pine Ridge, Swansea, South Congaree
Municipal Offices
Gaston Offices
803-796-7725
www.gastonsc.org
Pelion Offices
803-894-3535
www.pelion.sc.gov
Pine Ridge Offices
803-755-2500
www.townofpineridgesc.com
South Congaree Offices
803-755-2760
www.townofsouthcongaree.org
Swansea Offices
803-568-2835
www.swanseatown.net
Chamber of Commerce
803-359-6113
www.lexingtonsc.org
US Highway 321 links the more southern of these “metro west” communities — Swansea and Gaston — to those along the Interstate 26 corridor leading to Columbia. This collection of small towns is anchored by the more developed cities of Cayce and West Columbia, offering the close-knit spirit and intimate community atmosphere associated with a simpler time. Among the more famous annual celebrations in this area is Pelion’s Peanut Party, drawing visitors to a family-oriented, small-town celebration that includes a grand parade, carnival rides, live entertainment, great food, crafts, games, and the crowning of the South Carolina Peanut Princess. South Congaree bills itself as the “Southern Gateway to the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.” Each one of these small towns is proud of its unique history and heritage, preserving the charm of quiet neighborhoods and family-owned businesses where Southern hospitality and traditional values remained undimmed through time.
Irmo, Seven Oaks
Municipal Offices
803-781-7050
www.townofirmosc.com
Chamber of Commerce
803-749-9355
www.greaterirmochamber.com
The community of Irmo owes its phenomenal growth in recent decades to an ideal location off the shores of Lake Murray within 10 miles of Columbia metropolitan attractions. This once sleepy village that straddles Lexington and Richland counties has transformed into a sought-after suburban bedroom community surrounded by new residential development from starter homes to upscale communities. It was the formation of Lake Murray as well as the construction of Interstate 26 and the intersection of Interstate 20 that spurred the area’s development. Touting itself as the “Gateway to Lake Murray,” Irmo offers an award-winning public school district as well as the Harbison campus of Midlands Technical College. A new YMCA offers an indoor heated pool, indoor track, senior programs, gymnasium, and quiet forest areas for outdoor activities. Throngs of visitors arrive in Irmo each year to celebrate the famous Okra Strut, an entire weekend of live music, a parade, arts and crafts, and an okra eating contest. The suburban haven of Seven Oaks stretches from the outskirts of Columbia into Lexington County and neighbors Irmo but remains unincorporated.
Lexington, Oak Grove
Municipal Offices
803-359-4164
www.lexsc.com
Chamber of Commerce
803-359-6113
www.lexingtonsc.org
The county seat and leading community of Lexington serves as a healthcare and employment hub for Lexington County, home to the sprawling main campus of Lexington Medical Center. As the governmental and business hub of rapidly growing Lexington County, the community has experienced both residential and commercial expansion in recent decades. New retail centers, the Lexington Leisure Center, day-care resources, restaurants, banks, and other services add to the convenience of daily life. Just 10 miles from South Carolina’s largest city and state capital, Lexington is also nestled in the greater Lake Murray area, which boasts more miles of shoreline than the seacoast of South Carolina. Commuters have access to three interstate highways for quick trips to cosmopolitan amenities and institutions of higher education. Closer to home, residents enjoy tennis courts, golf courses, athletic fields, lush parks and gardens, community theater, concerts, parades, and exciting annual festivals. Oak Grove is an unincorporated suburban community divided from Lexington by Interstate 20 near Springdale and West Columbia.
Springdale, Red Bank
Town Hall
803-794-0408
www.springdalesc.com
Chamber of Commerce
803-359-6113
www.lexingtonsc.org
The small but growing town of Springdale benefits from a location near West Columbia and the international airport. This area is served by Interstate 26 for easy access to Columbia amenities and attractions but is also convenient to Interstate 20. Residents of Springdale enjoy the focal point of a lush park near the town hall that offers a beautiful nature area with a playground, picnic tables, and a water-spray pool. Newer construction is harmonizing with established neighborhoods in this close-in suburban region to the west of South Carolina’s capital city. Newcomers will discover small-town friendliness, a wide range of affordable housing options, excellent schools, regional shopping malls, and easy access to world-class cultural centers and urban entertainment attractions. The unincorporated community of Red Bank expands the residential options in close proximity to the county seat of Lexington.
West Columbia
Municipal Offices
803-791-1880
www.westcolumbiasc.gov
Chamber of Commerce
803-794-6504
www.cwcchamber.com
The long-established riverfront city of West Columbia is realizing its potential as a community with a rich heritage and progressive vision for the future. Situated in eastern Lexington County along the Congaree and Saluda rivers, West Columbia is actively preserving its unique historic areas while expanding the plans for improvements, beautification, and continued economic growth. The city features the New Brookland Historic District, one of the most intact mill villages in the Southeast. Today, older neighborhoods graced by ancient shade trees harmonize with more modern residential and business developments. Understandably protective of the natural beauty of the river and the city’s small-town appeal, West Columbia is dedicated to quality growth. In addition to the city’s own Riverwalk Park and Amphitheater, this area is minutes from Lake Murray and river water sports, Columbia cultural attractions, the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Finlay Park, golfing, tennis, and state parkland for virtually unlimited leisure attractions.
