Clemson, South Carolina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clemson is a city in South Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 11,939 at the 2000 census and center of an urban cluster with a total population of 42,199. This urban cluster is included as part of the larger Greenville-Spartanburg Metropolitan Area.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Transportation
4 Topography
5 Attractions
6 Trivia
7 External links

[edit] Geography

Clemson is located at 34°41′6″N, 82°48′53″W (34.684930, -82.814777)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.2 km² (7.8 mi²). 19.1 km² (7.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (5.39%) is water.

The city is located in the Piedmont Section of the state of South Carolina.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 11,939 people, 5,061 households, and 2,196 families residing in the city. The population density was 625.5/km² (1,620.6/mi²). There were 5,679 housing units at an average density of 297.5/km² (770.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.98% White, 11.38% African American, 0.11% Native American, 5.73% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.82% of the population.

There were 5,061 households out of which 17.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 56.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city the population was spread out with 14.5% under the age of 18, 36.8% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,892, and the median income for a family was $61,176. Males had a median income of $39,318 versus $28,663 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,272. About 8.8% of families and 33.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

The population does not reflect the additional on-campus population of Clemson University, which adds approximately 7,000 additional residents for eight months of the year.

[edit] Transportation

Amtrak's Crescent connects Clemson with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at Calhoun Memorial Highway and College Avenue.

Oconee County Regional Airport, which has a 4,400 ft runway, is a general aviation airport about three miles west of Clemson. Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport near Greer, South Carolina is the nearest airport with commercial service.

Clemson is also serviced by Clemson Area Transit (CAT), a fare-free bus line. CAT is a joint venture between the City of Clemson and Clemson University, covering both the campus as well as surrounding areas.

[edit] Topography

The city of Clemson's character is largely defined by Clemson University, a large public university that dates to 1889. The university is the cultural center of the city even through a small 2-block downtown is located directly to the north of the campus.

The built environment is predominately rural and post WWII. Although the university provides housing for students, many students live off-campus in a wide variety of apartment complexes. Save for the downtown, sidewalks are largely absent, but some streets have bike paths. U.S. Route 123 on the northern end of the city, exhibits typical suburban-style shopping center developments.

The city recently added recreational facilities and paths along Lake Hartwell like a new boardwalk.

The city's comprehensive plan has a historic preservation component (PDF file), which will likely become more important as 1950s and 60s buildings acquire historic status. The Clemson (train) Depot, built ca. 1916, was rehabilitated in 2001 and now houses the local chamber of commerce.

The following places and buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: