Richland

Formed January 1, 1785 (17^th county)

Richland County (416,145), Columbia (136,803)                

The Modern masonry building was constructed in 1980.  There were earlier versions from 1872 and 1935 also in Columbia.  Horry Hill was the first county seat followed by Columbia in 1799.  The courthouse is at Assembly and Blanding streets.  South Carolina State Highway 215 is Assembly Street.  Geiger-McElveen-Kennedy provided the courthouse designs.  A fountain sits in front of the facility.  There is also a 1989 Administration Building.  The county was organized on January 1, 1785 as the 17^th county.  Richland County is a geographical name for the rich soil.  The county seat is named for explorer Christopher Columbus.  Richland County is the birthplace for 3 South Carolina Governors, James H. Adams, Duncan C. Heyward, and Henry D. McMaster. 

Richland County government consists of a sheriff and 11 Council Members.  Four Circuit Court Judges and Six Family Court Judges serve Richland and Kershaw counties.  Richland County is in the central part of the state.  The geographical center of South Carolina is 13 miles southeast of Columbia in the county.  Greenville, South Carolina is northwest and Charleston, South Carolina is southeast of the county.  The county center is 7.1 miles East-Northeast of Columbia in Sandwood.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Fairfield, Kershaw, Sumter, Calhoun, Lexington, and Newberry counties. 

The area of the county is 772 square miles.  It is 14 out of 46 in the state.  It ranks 2 out of 46 in population in the state.  It has a density of 539.0 persons per square mile making it 2 out of 46 in the state.  Richland County has 38.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 20 crosses through the county east to west from Kershaw County to Lexington County.  Interstate Highway 26 passes northwest to southeast from Lexington County to Calhoun County.  Interstate Highway 77 enters from the north, Fairfield County, and terminates.  United States Highway 1 parallels Interstate Highway 20 from Kershaw to Lexington counties.  United States Highway 21 comes from Fairfield County, north, and goes to Calhoun County, southeast.  United States Highway 76 passes east to west from Sumter County to Lexington County.  United States Highway 176 parallels Interstate Highway 26 from Lexington to Calhoun counties.  United States Highway 321 comes from Fairfield County, north, and goes to Lexington County, southwest.  United States Highway 378 enters joined with United States Highway 76 from Sumter County, splits and continues west into Lexington County.  United States Highway 601 travels from the northeast, Kershaw County, to the southeast, Calhoun County.  The South Carolina state capitol is located in this county.  The county looks like an arrow pointing southeast.  Columbia dominates the western third of the county and extends into Lexington County.  Columbia is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 32.9% of the county population.  This county is in the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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