Fort Mill | |
|---|---|
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 Seal | |
 Location in South Carolina | |
| Coordinates:34°59′31″N80°56′19″W / 34.99194°N 80.93861°W /34.99194; -80.93861[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| Counties | York |
| Established | 1873[2] |
| Named after | Colonial-era British fort[3] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Guynn Savage[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 19.97 sq mi (51.72 km2) |
| • Land | 19.71 sq mi (51.04 km2) |
| • Water | 0.26 sq mi (0.68 km2) 1.30% |
| Elevation | 646 ft (197 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 24,521 |
| • Density | 1,244.3/sq mi (480.43/km2) |
| Demonym | Fort Millionaire |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern Daylight Time) |
| ZIP codes | 29715, 29716, 29708 |
| Area codes | 803, 839 |
| FIPS code | 45-26890[7] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406509[1] |
| Website | fortmillsc |
Fort Mill, also known asFort Mill Township, is a town inYork County, South Carolina, United States. It is a suburb ofCharlotte, North Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population of the town was 24,521.[8] Some businesses and residents in theIndian Land community of neighboring Lancaster County share a Fort Mill mailing address, but the official town boundary extends only within York County.
The town of Fort Mill was established in 1873, getting its name from its location between two points, the first, a fort constructed by British in colonial times to protect the Catawba Indians from marauding tribes to the north, and the second point of Webb's Mill.[9] TheCatawba Indians made their home in present-day Fort Mill for many years.Scots-Irish settlers began arriving in the 1750s and 1760s and a small settlement soon developed. Fort Mill grew rapidly in the late 19th century astextile mills were established. After many textile mill shut-downs the town continued to grow rapidly and became a major suburb ofCharlotte.
Highlights in Fort Mill's history include:
TheBanks-Mack House,Fort Mill Downtown Historic District,Mack-Belk House,Mills House,Nation Ford Road,National Guard Armory,Spratt Cemetery,Springfield Plantation House,Thornwell-Elliott House,Unity Presbyterian Church Complex,John M. White House,William Elliott White House, andWilson House are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[10]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.97 square miles (51.7 km2), of which 19.71 square miles (51.0 km2) is land and 0.26 square miles (0.67 km2) (1.30%) is water.[5]Interstate 77 passes through the western portions of the town, and exit 85 is signed "South Carolina Highway 160/Fort Mill." SC 160 is the main east–west street in Fort Mill.
The town of Fort Mill held a final public hearing in October 2008 on a proposed annexation that doubled the town's physical size.[11] Fort Mill has three golf courses. The town also maintains six parks: Harris Street Park, Steele Street Park, Doby Bridge Park, Calhoun Street Park, Veterans Park and Walter Elisha Park. Three of the six parks have picnic shelters, children's playgrounds, and restrooms. Doby Bridge and Harris Street Parks have lighted baseball fields, with Steele Street and Harris Street Parks havingbasketball courts, and Steele Street Park having a smallwater park.[2] The town also maintains a banquet hall rentable through the parks and recreation department.
Fort Mill is located in ahumid subtropical climate, Cfa in theKöppen climate classification. This means that the city experiences four distinct seasons, although the variation between the seasons is not as pronounced as in other parts of the United States. Generally, daytime maximum temperatures in the summer are around 90 °F (32 °C), with nighttime low temperatures of approximately 70 °F (21 °C). In winter, daytime maxima average around 50 °F (10 °C) while nighttime low temperatures are near 30 °F (−1 °C). Occasional readings as high as 105 °F (41 °C) are seen, reaching a high of 108 °F (42 °C) in 2007 or as low as −5 °F (−21 °C) in 1989. Summers are generally humid and prone to thunderstorms, while winters are rainy with sleet and occasional snow. Snow might fall during the winter but usually does not accumulate or persist as ground cover. Fort Mill experiences rainfall related totropical cyclones but is generally too far inland to experience damaging winds. Fort Mill has not had any direct hits from any tropical systems since 1989, whenHurricane Hugo devastated the area.
The most common soil in Fort Mill isCecil series.[12]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 290 | — | |
| 1890 | 689 | 137.6% | |
| 1900 | 1,394 | 102.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,616 | 15.9% | |
| 1920 | 1,940 | 20.0% | |
| 1930 | 2,112 | 8.9% | |
| 1940 | 2,919 | 38.2% | |
| 1950 | 3,204 | 9.8% | |
| 1960 | 3,315 | 3.5% | |
| 1970 | 4,505 | 35.9% | |
| 1980 | 4,162 | −7.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,930 | 18.5% | |
| 2000 | 7,587 | 53.9% | |
| 2010 | 10,811 | 42.5% | |
| 2020 | 24,521 | 126.8% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 33,626 | [8] | 37.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13][6] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 17,210 | 70.18% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,965 | 12.09% |
| Native American | 81 | 0.33% |
| Asian | 1,294 | 5.28% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,296 | 5.29% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,671 | 6.81% |
As of the2020 census, there were 24,521 people, 6,130 households, and 4,854 families residing in the town.
At the2010 census,[7] there were 10,811 people, 4,168 households, and 2,184 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 661.6 people per square mile. There were 4,479 housing units at an average density of 676.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 77.6%White, 17.6%African American, 0.4%Native American, 1.3%Asian, and 2.1% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.9% of the population.
There were 2,890 households, out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% weremarried couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,250, and the median income for a family was $79,495. Males had a median income of $58,986 versus $40,819 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $36,548. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
The Fort Mill area is home to notable businesses such as the headquarters ofCarolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps (who wereDCI World Champions in 2013),LPL Financial,[15]Continental Tire the Americas (Lancaster County), LLC.,Schaeffler Group,CompuCom Systems,Diversey, Inc.,Sunbelt Rentals,Domtar,Springs Industries,Shutterfly,[16]Red Ventures (Lancaster County),Daimler Trucks North America, andPuckerbutt Pepper Company, known for originally producing theCarolina Reaper[17] andPepper X.[18]Bridgetree, a data collection service, is located here.
Fort Mill is home to numerous attractions and, while a growing town, it has access to many amenities outside its jurisdiction in the nearby cities of Charlotte and Rock Hill.
Fort Mill is also known for its peach orchards and theAnne Springs Close Greenway, an extensivenature preserve consisting of approximately 2,300 acres (9.3 km2) of lakes, forests, and pastures that provide trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
Fort Mill is the Home of thePrimeTime Players, a Minor League Basketball Franchise who currently plays in theEast Coast Basketball League . The PrimeTime Players are four-time Minor League champions, having won Championships in the TRBL 2012-2014 and the ECBL in 2015. The PrimeTime Players play their home games at Banks Street Gym at 490 Academy Street.
Fort Mill is also home toCarolina Crown, a competitive drum and bugle corps. As a member ofDrum Corps International (DCI), Carolina Crown won one World Class championship (2013), won the silver medal three times (2009, 2012, 2015), the bronze medal three times (2016, 2017, 2023), and one Division II championship (1993).
The government of Fort Mill takes place within the framework of aCouncil-Manager Form. Currently, the town council of Fort Mill consists of six board members, two of whom serve fromat-large districts, while the remainder of the council represent each of four wards. Elections are held in accordance with United Stateselection regulations every two years, and council members serve staggered four year terms.[2] The town council meets the second Monday of each month. The town of Fort Mill currently has four boards and commissions. These are the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Planning Commission, the Historical Review Board, and the Housing Authority Board. Members of boards and commissions are appointed on a volunteer basis.
The current mayor is Guynn Savage, who was sworn on January 12, 2016.[19]
Fort Mill is currently represented by the following legislators:[2]
Fort Mill and northern portions of its township are represented in the South Carolina House byR. Raye Felder(R) as part of South Carolina House district 26.[2]
Fort Mill is the primary community within the Fort Mill School District, which also serves children from the nearby community ofTega Cay.
Fort Mill has apublic library, a branch of the York County Library.[20]
Geographic data related toFort Mill, South Carolina atOpenStreetMap
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Municipalities and communities ofYork County, South Carolina,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
