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Aiken is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Aiken County, in western South Carolina.[8][9] It is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. Founded in 1835, Aiken was named after William Aiken, the president of the South Carolina Railroad. It became part of Aiken County when the county was formed in 1871 from parts of Orangeburg, Lexington, Edgefield, and Barnwell counties.

Aiken, South Carolina
City
City of Aiken
Aiken County Courthouse
Seal
Logo
Nickname: 
The City of Trees
Location of Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken, South Carolina
Coordinates: 33°32′58″N 81°43′14″W
CountryUnited States
State South Carolina
County Aiken
Incorporated1835
Government
[1][2]
 • TypeCouncil-manager
 • MayorRick Osbon[3]
 • City ManagerStuart Bedenbaugh
Area
[4]
 • Total21.58 sq mi (55.90 km2)
 • Land21.45 sq mi (55.56 km2)
 • Water0.13 sq mi (0.34 km2)
Elevation
[5]
515 ft (157 m)
Population
 (2020)[6]
 • Total32,025
 • Density1,492.94/sq mi (576.42/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
29801-29805, 29808
Area codes803, 839
FIPS code45-00550[7]
GNIS feature ID1244853[5]
Websitewww.cityofaikensc.gov
The Old Aiken Post Office in downtown Aiken
The Old Aiken Post Office in downtown Aiken

Aiken is home to the University of South Carolina Aiken. According to 2021 U.S. Census, the population was 32,025.[10] The National Civic League gave Aiken the All-America City Award in 1997. Aiken was also named "best small town of the South" by Southern Living.[11]


Geography and climate


Interactive map of Aiken city limits

Aiken is near the center of Aiken County. It is 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Augusta, Georgia, along U.S. Route 1 and 78. Interstate 20 passes 6 miles (10 km) to the north of the city, with access via South Carolina Highway 19 (Exit 18) and US 1 (Exit 22).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 20.8 square miles (54.0 km2), of which 20.7 square miles (53.6 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 0.68%, is water.[12]

Aiken has a humid subtropical climate characterized by hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters, but experiences milder temperatures throughout the year than the rest of the state. Precipitation is distributed relatively uniformly throughout the year, with mostly rain in the milder months and occasional snow in the winter. The coldest recorded temperature was −4 °F or −20 °C on January 21, 1985, and the hottest 109 °F or 42.8 °C on August 21, 1983.

Climate data for Aiken 5 SE, South Carolina (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1893–present[lower-alpha 1])
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 82
(28)		 88
(31)		 93
(34)		 99
(37)		 106
(41)		 108
(42)		 108
(42)		 109
(43)		 106
(41)		 99
(37)		 88
(31)		 85
(29)		 109
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 54.9
(12.7)		 59.9
(15.5)		 67.5
(19.7)		 76.0
(24.4)		 83.5
(28.6)		 89.5
(31.9)		 92.3
(33.5)		 90.5
(32.5)		 84.8
(29.3)		 75.5
(24.2)		 67.0
(19.4)		 57.5
(14.2)		 74.9
(23.8)
Average low °F (°C) 32.7
(0.4)		 36.3
(2.4)		 42.4
(5.8)		 50.7
(10.4)		 59.7
(15.4)		 68.2
(20.1)		 71.6
(22.0)		 70.5
(21.4)		 63.5
(17.5)		 51.6
(10.9)		 42.2
(5.7)		 34.5
(1.4)		 52.0
(11.1)
Record low °F (°C) −4
(−20)		 6
(−14)		 13
(−11)		 21
(−6)		 34
(1)		 42
(6)		 51
(11)		 52
(11)		 37
(3)		 25
(−4)		 11
(−12)		 4
(−16)		 −4
(−20)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.74
(120)		 4.20
(107)		 4.86
(123)		 3.11
(79)		 3.83
(97)		 5.46
(139)		 5.10
(130)		 5.25
(133)		 3.80
(97)		 3.38
(86)		 3.64
(92)		 3.78
(96)		 51.15
(1,299)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.5
(1.3)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.5
(1.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.2 8.1 7.9 6.8 6.8 10.1 10.5 10.5 7.2 6.2 6.9 8.6 98.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2
Source: NOAA[14][15][16]

Demographics


Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18801,817—
18902,36230.0%
19003,41444.5%
19103,91114.6%
19204,1034.9%
19306,03347.0%
19406,1682.2%
19507,08314.8%
196011,24358.7%
197013,43619.5%
198014,97811.5%
199019,87232.7%
200025,33727.5%
201029,56616.7%
202032,0258.3%
2021 (est.)31,895[17]−0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020[18][6]

2020 census


Aiken racial composition[19]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 19,757 61.69%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 9,076 28.34%
Native American 51 0.16%
Asian 640 2.0%
Pacific Islander 13 0.04%
Other/Mixed 1,271 3.97%
Hispanic or Latino 1,217 3.8%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 32,025 people, 12,923 households, and 8,479 families residing in the city.


2010 census


As of the census[7] of 2010, there were 29,524 people and 12,773 households with a population density was 1,416.3 inhabitants per square mile (546.8/km2). There were 14,162 housing units at an average density of 703.1 per square mile (271.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 66.8% White, 28.5% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 10,287 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,100, and the median income for a family was $63,520. Males had a median income of $51,988 versus $28,009 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,129. About 10.1% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.


Government


Aiken is governed via a mayor-council system. A mayor is elected at large. The city council consists of six members. All six members are elected from single-member districts.


History


The municipality of Aiken was incorporated on December 19, 1835. The community formed around the terminus of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company, a rail line from Charleston to the Savannah River, and was named for William Aiken, the railroad's first president.

During Sherman's March to the Sea in the American Civil War Sherman ordered Hugh Judson Kilpatrick and the cavalry corps he commanded to march through South Carolina. By February 5, they had reached Aiken County. While in Aiken county Kilpatrick fought Joseph Wheeler and his cavalry corps. This battle, called the Battle of Aiken, was a Confederate victory.[20][21][22][23]

Originally it was in the Edgefield District. With population increases, in 1871 Aiken County was organized, made up of parts of neighboring counties. Among its founding commissioners were three African-American legislators: Prince Rivers; Samuel J. Lee, speaker of the state House and the first black man admitted to the South Carolina Bar; and Charles D. Hayne, a free man of color from one of Charleston's elite families.[24]

Aiken was a planned town, and many of the streets in the historic district are named for other cities and counties in South Carolina, including Abbeville, Barnwell, Beaufort, Chesterfield, Colleton, Columbia, Dillon, Edgefield, Edisto, Fairfield, Florence, Greenville, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Orangeburg, Pendleton, Pickens, Richland, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg and York.

In the late 19th century, Aiken gained fame as a wintering spot for wealthy people from the Northeast. Thomas Hitchcock, Sr. and William C. Whitney established the Aiken Winter Colony. Over the years Aiken became a winter home for many notable people, including George H. Bostwick, James B. Eustis, Madeleine Astor, William Kissam Vanderbilt, Eugene Grace, president of Bethlehem Steel, Allan Pinkerton, and W. Averell Harriman.

Between 1890 and the 1920s, many Jewish immigrants settled in Aiken. The Jewish immigrants were from Eastern Europe, including Russia and Poland. Many were from Knyszyn, Poland. In 1905, a group of Russian-Jewish socialists from New York founded a farming colony in Aiken County that was known as "Happyville". Adath (Adas) Yeshurun (Congregation of Israel) Synagogue was chartered in Aiken in 1921 and the cornerstone was laid in 1925. An historical marker was added to the synagogue in 2014, sponsored by the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina.[25][26][27][28] In 1903, the Jewish-American peddler Abraham Surasky was the victim of an antisemitic murder that occurred near Aiken.[29]


Savannah River Plant


The United States Atomic Energy Commission's selection of a site near Aiken for a plant to produce fuel for thermonuclear weapons was announced on November 30, 1950. Residences and businesses at Ellenton, South Carolina, were bought for use for the plant site. Residents were moved to New Ellenton, which was constructed about eight miles north, or to neighboring towns.

The site was named the Savannah River Plant, and renamed the Savannah River Site in 1989. The facility contains five production reactors, fuel fabrication facilities, a research laboratory, heavy water production facilities, two fuel reprocessing facilities, and tritium recovery facilities.


Historic places



Education



Schools



Colleges and universities



Library


Aiken has a public library, a branch of the ABBE Regional Library System.[35]


Steeplechase racing


The Aiken Steeplechase Association,[36] founded in 1930, hosts the Imperial Cup each March and the Holiday Cup in October, both races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association. This event draws more than 30,000 spectators.

The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1977 as a tribute to the famous flat racing and steeplechase thoroughbred horses trained at the Aiken Training Track.[37]


Other events


Aiken hosts many polo matches at its numerous polo fields. Other local events include:


Attractions



Notable people


In the late 19th century and the first part of the 20th century, Aiken served as a winter playground for many of the country's wealthiest families, such as the Vanderbilts, Bostwicks, and the Whitneys.


Notes


  1. Records kept at the Aiken 5 SE COOP (33°29′33″N 81°41′45″W) until November 1, 2008, and at the Aiken 2 E COOP (33°33′00″N 81°41′49″W) since January 24, 2009.[13]

References


  1. "Home - City of Aiken Government, South Carolina".
  2. "Home - City of Aiken Government, South Carolina".
  3. "The City of Aiken". Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  4. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  5. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Aiken, South Carolina
  6. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 15, 2022.
  7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  8. "South Carolina State Library - Aiken County". Archived from the original on 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  9. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  10. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Aiken city, South Carolina". www.census.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-14.
  11. "Aiken, South Carolina: A Horse-Country Town Rich in Tradition". Southern Living.
  12. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Aiken city, South Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  13. "Threaded Extremes". threadex.rcc-acis.org.
  14. "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2020-08-31. Select "Aiken Area"
  15. "Station Name: SC AIKEN 5 SE". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  16. "Station Name: SC AIKEN 2 E". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  17. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Aiken city, South Carolina". www.census.gov. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  18. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Aiken city, South Carolina". www.census.gov. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  19. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  20. "Battle of Aiken". battleofaiken.org[Usurped!]. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  21. "The Yellow House and the Battle of Aiken". Aiken Regional Medical Centers. 2017-02-12. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  22. "Battle of Aiken Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  23. Forbes, Christopher (2005-08-26), The Battle of Aiken (2005 action film) at IMDb retrieved 2022-02-25
  24. Jim Nesbitt, "County, once booming, now shadows town it used to rival" Archived 2008-11-20 at the Wayback Machine, Augusta Chronicle, 16 February 2004
  25. "Happyville, the Forgotten Colony" (PDF). American Jewish Archives. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  26. "Aiken Jewish community collection". College of Charleston. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  27. "Adath Yeshurun Historical Marker Dedication". Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  28. "Strangers in Paradise: A Century of Jewish Settlement in Aiken, SC" (PDF). Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  29. "Suraskys and Poliers: The Old World Meets the New". Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  30. "Hopelands Gardens". City of Aiken. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  31. "Old Aiken Post Office transformed into SRNS Aiken headquarters" (PDF). Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  32. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  33. "Aiken Scholars Academy / Homepage". acpsd.net.
  34. "Town Creek Christian Academy - K-12 School; Birth-4K Preschool". Town Creek Christian Academy.
  35. "South Carolina libraries and archives". SCIWAY. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  36. "Aiken Steeplechase Association – Southern Strides".
  37. "Aiken Training Track". Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  38. "Hitchcock Woods Foundation - Aiken, SC". www.hitchcockwoods.org. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  39. Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
  40. "Aiken Steeplechase". Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  41. "History | Hitchcock Woods Foundation - Aiken, SC". www.hitchcockwoods.org. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  42. http://www.scmovietheatres.com/aiken.htmlHerbert B. Ram, Movie Theater Builder.
  43. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/20886Patricia Theater.
  44. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/30475Rosemary Theater
  45. http://www.worldcat.org/title/memories-of-growing-up-and-living-in-aiken-south-carolina/oclc/767519324Riddick, A. (2011). Memories of Growing Up and Living in Aiken, South Carolina, Rocket Publishing: Aiken, SC, p. 305-307


Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Aiken.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aiken, South Carolina.
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Aiken".

На других языках

[de] Aiken (South Carolina)

Aiken[2] ist eine City und gleichzeitig Verwaltungssitz (County Seat) des Aiken County im US-amerikanischen Bundesstaat South Carolina.
- [en] Aiken, South Carolina


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