Laurens (and Laurens County)

Much of Laurens and Laurens County’s food scene is centered around its vibrant Main Street area. There, you can find everything from snow cones at Pelican’s Snoballs, to strong coffee at Courthouse Coffee, to Southern comfort foods, redefined at Rootimentary. Laurens County is also home to an active agricultural community with 840 farms encompassing 122,322 acres. For the freshest ways to eat local in Laurens, browse a curated list of local producers of meat, cheese, produce and more, or visit the Downtown Farmer’s Market on Saturdays throughout the summer.

The City of Laurens’ historic charm, pastoral landscapes and diversity make it a fun and lively cultural hub. The West Main Street District features beautiful historical houses and shops. Thanks to Laurens’ proximity to Greenville and Spartanburg, big-name entertainment is just a short drive away. However, you don’t have to travel far to catch a play, lecture or art show at Presbyterian College in Clinton. The Laurens County Chorale and Laurens County Community Theatre provide additional live entertainment throughout the year, while the Laurens County Museum features various exhibits, collections and programs highlighting the history of the area.

Laurens County’s outdoor scene is bursting with rivers, lakes, hiking trails, golf courses, hunting areas and a variety of other parks and recreation opportunities. Laurens County is home to the beautiful Lake Greenwood that has over 212 miles of shoreline and 11,000 acres of water. In addition to Lake Greenwood, the Old 96 District, which spans Laurens and four other counties, offers hiking and biking trails, boating, fishing, golfing, camping and other family-friendly activities. The Old 96 District has an astonishing 100,000+ acres of water and more than 262.5 miles of hiking and biking. At Musgrove Mill Historic Site, which preserves the historic site of the Battle of Musgrove Mill, visitors can experience history in a beautiful natural setting.  Or enjoy the boat ramp, fishing pier, playground, and picnic shelters at beautiful Lake Rabon.

Families will love the variety of youth sports programs offered, such as Little League baseball, basketball, football, volleyball and cheerleading — much of which is hosted out of The Ridge at Laurens, a state-of-the-art multipurpose community and recreation center. Summer day camps, sports camps and family-friendly festivals hosted out of the Laurens City Amphitheatre are also available through the Parks and Recreation Department. Development has also begun on Clinton’s first sports recreation complex, which is set to include addition to several ballfields, a pond and an amphitheater.

With a strong reputation as a business-friendly community, Laurens County has the highly trained workforce, ideal location and robust infrastructure for businesses to succeed in Upstate South Carolina. Located strategically between Columbia and Greenville and just 170 miles from Charleston, Laurens County gives companies access to major markets and a variety of best-in-class industrial parks, sites and buildings. Laurens County’s major employers include:

• Alupress, LLC
• Brawo, USA
• CCL Label
• CeramTec
• Country Fresh Inc.
• D&W Fine Pack
• International Paper
• Norbord
• Sterilite Corporation
• Teknor Apex
• Walmart Distribution
• Yanfeng
• ZF Transmissions

Laurens is served by Laurens County School District 55 and two private schools — Laurens Academy and Lighthouse Christian Academy. Also based in Laurens County is Piedmont Technical College’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing, the University of South Carolina Union at Laurens and Laurens County Adult Education. Less than a 10-mile drive from Laurens in Clinton is Presbyterian College, an excellent four-year institution that offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programs.