Clinton

With its family-friendly atmosphere and southern charm, Clinton’s food scene is both welcoming and delicious. Local favorites include the famous Dempsey’s Pizza and delicious burgers and sandwiches at a Clinton landmark — Wilson’s Curb Market. In addition, the city’s classic festival, Rhythm on the Rails, features local craft vendors and delicious bites to eat.

Classic Southern barbeque and old-fashioned churned ice cream are just a few treats that make Clinton’s annual festival a hit with residents and visitors alike. In conjunction with the festival, Clinton hosts a sanctioned barbeque competition, Smokin’ on the Rails. Food Truck Monday, which occurs the first Monday of each month, has become an instant hit with residents.

With its downtown area designated as a national historic location, Clinton is alive with historic charm and cultural activities. Clinton’s annual festival, Rhythm on the Rails, instills the city with cultural vibrancy through food, musical performances, games and other entertainment. Main Street Clinton also offers various events throughout the year, including music, movies, and a spring Easter Egg hunt in the downtown businesses. In the fall, Main Street Clinton will host an annual Zombie walk throughout the downtown area.

You can also catch a play, lecture, film or art show at Presbyterian College, the majority of which are of no charge to the community. The Laurens County School District also presents year-round offerings of plays, shows and more.

Clinton is also home to the Musgrove Mill Historic Site, which preserves the historic site of the Battle of Musgrove Mill during the Revolutionary War. Special events and living history programs are held at the park throughout the year. In nearby Laurens, you’ll find cultural attractions such as the Laurens County Community Theatre and Laurens County Museum.

Located in a scenic area of Upstate South Carolina, Clinton is flanked by some of the state’s most beautiful parks and lakes. One prime example is the Musgrove Mill State Historic Site Park, which is located just outside of Clinton. The park features 397 acres of historically significant land, 2.5 miles of walking trails, an accessible waterfall and a picnic shelter, making it an ideal location for family outdoor get-togethers. Just a short drive from Clinton, one can enjoy boating, skiing, fishing and swimming on beautiful Lake Greenwood.

Musgrove Mill Golf Club, an Arnold-Palmer-designed course, offers a challenging day for golf enthusiasts. Nearby, Clinton House provides a day of hunting or skeet shooting that will long be remembered. The city is constructing a 165-acre recreational complex that will accommodate sporting events, concerts, walking trails and biking trails. Millers Fork Walking Trail was opened in 2021 and is a 0.7 mile trail along Millers Fork Creek.

Clinton offers one of the most important assets when it comes to operating a business: location, location, location. Clinton is within a two-day drive of nearly 70% of the U.S. population and equidistant between Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina, allowing businesses to access key markets via I-26 and/or I-385, with ease. One notable investment came from GE, which chose to locate its $29 million Alternative Energy Research and Development facility in Clinton’s Class A Industrial Park in 2017, for the city’s highly skilled workforce and ideal location. Clinton’s major employers include:

• Asten Johnson
• Blue Diamond Industries
• CCL Label
• New Age Ironworks
• PL Development
• Presbyterian College
• Richloom Fabrics
• Sterilite Corporation

Residents of Clinton enjoy access to several top-notch public and private K-12 institutions and the prestigious Presbyterian College, which now offers graduate degrees in Pharmacy and Physician Assistant. Clinton families are located within Laurens County School District 56, which provides high-quality K-12 education and access to unique programs like the Michelin STEM Challenge, which includes competitions for students like building the fastest wind-powered vehicle.

The Laurens County Center for Advanced Manufacturing is located near Clinton and offers technical training in Mechatronics, CNC, CMM, Welding and Robotics. Clinton also offers residents close proximity to prestigious higher education institutions, including University of South Carolina Union, Greenville Technical College, Piedmont Technical College, Spartanburg Community College and more.