Encompassing more than 500 square miles in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, Pickens County is small enough to retain its rural characteristics, yet large enough to comfortably accommodate a growing population and economic growth.

A temperate climate, with a mean annual temperature of 60.3 degrees, and a geographical bounty ranging from rolling farmland in the southern half of the county to towering mountains in the extreme northern portion also means Pickens County can provide just about anything the visitor or resident could want.

Recreational watersports opportunities are unlimited, with Lakes Keowee, Jocassee and Hartwell bordering the county on the west and the swirling whitewaters of the Chattanooga River less than 30 minutes away; five golf courses call Pickens County home; and major college sports, concerts and cultural presentations are plentiful.

Such opportunities, and an economic expansion that shows promise of continuing well into the future, have helped the county increase from a population of 58,956 in 1970 to a population of more than 105,000 in the year 2000, making us one of the fastest-growing counties in South Carolina. Approximately 61 percent of the residents live outside the incorporated limits of the cities.

From a rural agrarian and textile-based industrial economy in the pre-World War II era, the county has extended its reach to encompass a combination of high-tech industries and multinational companies that provide a wide diversity of job opportunities for residents.

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