Lexington, SC

With roots dating back to 1820, Lexington is in central South Carolina and is the county seat of Lexington County. Occupying only five square miles, the town is conveniently located fewer than 13 miles from the state capital of Columbia. The town is one of the fastest-growing in the state, with its population at more than 16,500, up considerably from 9,800 in 2000.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Lexington's rapid growth and pro-business climate has made it an attractive location for a number of businesses. Lexington has historically had a relatively low unemployment rate. Some of the most common industries include educational, health and social services, retail trade and finance and insurance. Some of the largest employers in the area include Southern Carolina Electric & Gas, UPS, Southeastern Freight Lines, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Michelin Tire Corporation Manufacturing and Voridian.

Lexington Medical Center (LMC) serves the area with a 384-bed hospital and six community medical centers, including one in Lexington. LMC Lexington provides an array of medical services, including physicians' offices and urgent care.

Other nearby hospitals and medical facilities serving Lexington residents are:

• Providence Hospital
• Palmetto Health

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Lexington thrives on its neighborhoods, including Ashley Hills, Ashkey Trace, Baskin Hills, Beech Creek Place, Bridlewood, Carriage Hill Place, Laurel Heights and Palm Court.

The walkability of Lexington is very good, with grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, schools and drugstores located close to the center of the city.

Most of the population in Lexington is urban. In the neighborhoods and districts of Lexington there are about 3,900 houses. Of the occupied houses, around 70 percent are owner-occupied.

EDUCATION

A major contributing factor to Lexington's growth is the quality of its local public school system. Lexington School District One, South Carolina's fastest-growing school district, serves more than 18,000 students from Lexington and the surrounding areas in kindergarten through 12th grade; it serves an additional 500 students with its preschool program. The district's 36 schools include 14 elementary schools, an intermediate school, six middle schools, four high schools, an alternative learning center and a technology center. Efficient budgetary spending and high academic achievement have made the school district desirable to many families.

Area colleges and universities include:

• University of South Carolina: With its main campus located in nearby Columbia, this university offers more than 350 degree programs to its students. Features include a picturesque campus, 300 clubs and organizations, a state-of-the-art fitness center, an extensive athletics program and challenging academics.
• Columbia College: This private women's college is a four-year liberal arts institution offering 41 undergraduate degree programs, 22 minor programs and a premedical program. Columbia's graduate school offers women and men master's-degree programs. Additionally, the college has evening and weekend programs.
• Southern Wesleyan University: Southern Wesleyan University's Columbia campus offers associate, bachelor's and graduate degrees through its Adult and Graduate Studies program.
• Midlands Technical College: This college's main campus is in Columbia and features about 100 degree, diploma and certificate programs. Areas of study include career programs, the arts and sciences and continuing education.

FOR VISITORS

• Lake Murray is a 50,000-acre lake boasting 700 miles of shoreline and offering recreational boating and fishing opportunities. The Lake Murray Association hosts annual events, such as Ladies Day on the Lake and a Pontoon Tour of Homes.
• Virginia Hylton Park features regular and special-needs playgrounds, gardens, gazebos, a walking trail, a koi pond, a creek and a covered stage area. This park is also the site of Lexington's Concert in the Park series.
• Corley Street Park features a spray pool that's open daily during the summer, as well as a playground and picnic shelters.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Lexington is home to the Lexington County Arts Association's Village Square Theatre. This 225-seat auditorium features Lexington's local talent in an annual season of musicals and plays. The association's Junior Arts program also features a non-season youth production and offers dramatic workshops and classes in dance and vocal performance. The theater makes its costumes and facilities available for rent to those making cultural contributions to the community.
• Lexington FunFest is an annual event featuring student art shows, live concerts and entertainment, and craft exhibitors, as well as bass and golf tournaments, a 5K run, a beauty pageant, a parade, food, games and amusement rides.

GETTING AROUND

Lexington residents and visitors can access the area via Highways 20, 77 and 26, each crossing Lexington County. Interstates 95 and 85 are also nearby.

Airports serving the area include Lexington County Airport and Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Lexington County Airport, about 30 minutes from Lexington, was purchased by the county in 2004 and is positioned for growth within the next several years. Columbia Metropolitan Airport provides air passenger and cargo service, with 1.2 million passengers served and 168,000 tons of air cargo processed annually.

Rail service in the Lexington area is provided by three railroads; more than three-dozen motor freight carriers also service the area. The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority offers bus service in the area.

LOCAL MEDIA

Newspapers serving Lexington include the daily publication the State and the weekly Lexington County Chronicle and the Dispatch-News.

Local television stations include:

• WACH TV (Fox 57)
• WOLO TV (ABC 25)
• WIS TV (NBC)
• WLTX TV (CBS 19)
• ETV (PBS)

Prominent radio stations include:

• Rock 93.5 FM
• WNOK 104.7 FM
• ETV 91.3 FM (NPR Classical)
• ETV 88.1 FM (NPR News)