The Midlands is a region of South Carolina comprising 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 the halfway point between the Upstate and the Lowcountry.
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. The Midlands is home to Lake Murray, the state's third largest reservoir, as well as to Congaree National Park, the only national park in South Carolina.
As of the 2020 census the Midlands population was 1,019,439.
Geography The Midlands is largely coextensive with the Columbia metropolitan area, though the broadest definition also includes the South Carolina portions of the Charlotte and Augusta metropolitan areas. Much of the Midlands is also part of the Carolina Sandhills region.
The Midlands area of South Carolina always includes at least these nine counties:
| width="33%" align="left" valign="top" style="border:0"| Always included Calhoun Fairfield Kershaw Lexington Orangeburg Richland Saluda Sumter Chester | width="33%" align="left" valign="top" style="border:0"| Usually included Lee Clarendon Newberry Aiken
Rarely included Barnwell Edgefield Lancaster York
Cities
Primary cities (including county and 2020 census count) Columbia, Richland and Lexington 136,632 Sumter, Sumter County 42,976 Lexington, Lexington, 23,568 Orangeburg, Orangeburg 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 Newberry, Newberry, 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, Kershaw, 1,634 Gaston, Lexington, 1,608 Gilbert, Lexington, 571 Little Mountain, Newberry, 249
North, Orangeburg, 696 Pelion, Lexington, 631 Pine Ridge, Lexington, 2,167 Prosperity, Newberry, 1,178 Ridgeway, Fairfield, 266 Saluda, Saluda, 3,122 Silverstreet, Newberry, 164 St. Matthews, Calhoun, 1,841 Springdale, Lexington, 2,744 Swansea, Lexington, 722 South Congaree, Lexington, 2,377 Winnsboro, Fairfield, 3,215
Unincorporated communities (2020 Census Figures) Dentsville, Richland, 14,431 Hopkins, 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- Columbia Benedict College- Columbia Central Carolina Technical College- Sumter Claflin University- Orangeburg Columbia College- Columbia Columbia International University- Columbia
Midlands Technical College- Columbia Newberry College- Newberry Morris College- Sumter Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College- Orangeburg South Carolina State University- Orangeburg University of South Carolina- Columbia University of South Carolina Sumter- Sumter Webster University
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, The State, is published here.
Major highways
| width="25%" align="left" valign="top" style="border:0"| I-20 I-77 I-95 I-26 I-126 | width="25%" align="left" valign="top" style="border:0"| US 321 US 21 US 1 US 76 US 176 US 178 | width="25%" align="left" valign="top" style="border:0"| US 378 US 15 US 301 US 601 US 521 | width="25%" align="left" valign="top" style="border:0"| SC 277 SC 12 SC 34 SC 261 SC 6 SC 602 SC 302
Telecommunication The Midlands are served by area codes 803 and 839, which form an overlay complex for the numbering plan area, which comprises the entire middle section of the state.
References