Greenville, South Carolina

Greenville is the second largest city in South Carolina. The seat of Greenville County, it covers 26.1 sq mi (67.7 sq km) and has a population of 58,000 people (2011 estimate), within a metropolitan area of 640,000 people. The city is in the Upstate, on the northwestern part of South Carolina.

Statue of Nathaniel Greene in Greenville, South Carolina
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GreenvilleSC_NathanielGreene.jpg
Author: JAG


Greenville sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, in the vicinity of Sassafras Mountain, the tallest mountain in the state. It experiences a humid subtropical climate, with mild, short winters and hot, humit summers. July is the hottest month with average high temperatures of 88.8°F (31.6°C). January is the coldest month, when average low temperature drops to 31.4°F (-0.3°C). March is the wettest month, receiving 5.31 in (134.9 mm) of precipitation.

The history of Greenville goes back to 1776. Before that, the Treaty of 1763 made it part of the Cherokee Nation which technically is out of bounds to white men, though in fact some white families had settled in its fringes. The modern city of Greenville can be said to have been founded by Richard Pearis, who married a Cherokee and was given land in the area. That land forms what is present-day Greenville, along with Paris Mountain, which was named after him.

Until 1831, the town was known as Pleasantburg. It was either named in honor of Nathanael Greene, an American Revolutionary War general or early resident Isaac Green. It received city status in 1869.

This being South Carolina, Greenville institute a policy of racial segregation which lasted until the late 1960s. The discrimination include being barred from staying at hotels and motels, forbidden from entering public libraries, and separated to the less-choiced parts of buses and theaters. Activist Jesse Jackson was instrumental in dismantling the race restrictions.

Visiting Greenville

Greenville is served by Interstate 85, which connects it with Spartanburg to the northeast and Atlanta to the southwest, and by Interstate 26, which connect it to Columbia.

Places of Interest in Greenville

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