BlockBefore

Elgin, South Carolina

23 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1935 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Elgin census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29045. The Survey maps it on the Elgin quadrangle. 1,634 people lived here at the 2020 count.

Elgin within Kershaw County

Population over time

3 figures

Elgin grew from 806 to 1,634 between 2000 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
2000806
20101,311+505 (+63%)
20201,634+323 (+25%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

13 surveys from 23 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

487 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 487 fires within 5 miles of Elgin between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,780 acres in total. 6 started naturally. 32 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined222
Debris and open burning152
Arson/incendiarism32
Equipment and vehicle use29
Misuse of fire by a minor25
Smoking18
Natural6
Recreation and ceremony2
Railroad operations and maintenance1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
8 September 1997Debris and open burningunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
27 September 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
27 September 2017Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.5 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
21 September 2010Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.5 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
20 September 2015Debris and open burning25 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
18 September 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
16 September 2005Smokingunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
16 September 2000Debris and open burning10 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Kershaw County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 14 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 14 workings within 5 miles of Elgin: 6 unknowns, 6 producers, 2 past producers. 6 still produce. What was taken out: Clay, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Silica, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Blaney Sand PlantSand and Gravel, Construction, SilicaProducer1981
Camden PitStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Watson MineGoldUnknownStrataform
Cherokee PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Kershaw County Sand CompanySand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown1981
Lugoff PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknownSedimentary
Lugoff PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Coleman MineClayUnknownSedimentary
Coleman MineClayPast Producer
Duncan Lakes MineClayUnknownSedimentary

Every working recorded in Kershaw County

Storms near this place

48 since 1995

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Elgin in 48 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 28 thunderstorm wind, 15 hail, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
March 2008Tornado (EF2)Elgin2 hurtAn EF2 tornado went through the Elgin community doing heavy damage to many homes including partial to total roofs gone and destroying 4 mobile homes. None of the mobiles were tied down and crumbled from rolling. Numerous trees and powerlines were down and there were 2 injuries.
March 2012LightningElgin$400,000Lightning struck a home in the Haigs creek subdivision outside of Elgin completely destroying the large home. Fire Chief Gene Faulkenberry estimated damage at $400k.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindElgin$24,000Public reported widespread structural damage. Outstorage buildings were blown apart, roof damage to a house and a front porch moved.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindElgin$8,000Electric Company reported several trees and powerlines down with outages.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindElgin$6,000Fairfield Electric COOP reported trees down on powerlines on Sheffield Drive in Elgin.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindElgin$5,000no account filed
March 2012Thunderstorm WindElgin$4,000Dispatch reported trees down in Elgin and areas east toward Camden.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindElgin$4,000Sheriff reported trees down along Sessions Road near Twenty Five Mile Creek.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindElgin$3,000Sheriff reported several trees down across Tee Pee Trail Road.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindElgin$2,000Fairfield Electric COOP reported trees down on Keels Ct. in Elgin.
August 2024Flash FloodElgin$1,000Tookie Doo Lane impassable due to flash flooding of Flat Branch across the roadway.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindElgin$1,000Thunderstorm winds blew down trees, powerlines, and caused other minor damage in Elgin and in Camden.
February 2024HailElgin$100NWS employee reported pea size hail near Elgin.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindElgin-Kershaw County Fire reported multiple trees down northeast of Elgin in several locations. Time estimated by radar.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindElgin-Kershaw County FD reported a tree down at the intersection of Smyrna Road and Ashley Creek. Time estimated based on radar.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindElgin-Kershaw County dispatch reported a tree down at Wildwood Lane and Rabon Circle. Time estimated by radar.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindElgin-SCHP reported trees down on Veterans Row and Sessions Rd just north of Elgin. Time estimated.
May 2020HailElgin-Spotter reported nickel size hail.
April 2020Thunderstorm WindElgin-Trained spotter observed a 66 mph wind gust. Tree limbs down.
April 2020Thunderstorm WindElgin-Public reported multiple trees down throughout a property near Elgin, in Kershaw Co SC, and shared photos.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindElgin-Numerous trees reported down in the town of Elgin. Time estimated.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindElgin-SCHP reported trees down on Bookman Rd in Kershaw Co.
May 2016FloodElgin-County Sheriff reported street flooding on Smyrna Road.
September 2016Thunderstorm WindElgin-Reported tree down along Hwy. 1 near the Richland County line.
April 2011HailElgin-Public reported nickel size hail.
June 2011HailElgin-Pbulic reported 1 inch hail near Lugoff.
May 2008HailElgin-Public reported half dollar size hail in Elgin.
March 2008HailElgin-SKYWARN spotter reported quarter size hail.
April 2007HailElgin-Public reported nickel size hail NNW of Elgin.
June 2007HailElgin-Public reported 3/4 inch hail in Elgin.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindElgin-Fairfield Electric reported several trees and powerlines down in Elgin with power outages.
May 2005HailElgin-Public called in a report of 1 inch hail.
June 2005HailElgin-Public reported 1inch hail near I-20.
July 2004HailElgin-Highway Patrol reported penny size hail on I-20 between Pontiac and Elgin.
July 2004HailElgin-Highway Patrol reported golfball size hail on I-20 near Elgin.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindElgin-Sheriff reported trees down in the Elgin area.
June 2001HailElgin-Sheriff reported 3/4 inch hail in Elgin.
March 2000HailElgin-Elgin Fire Dept. reported 3/4 inch hail during storm.
April 2000HailElgin-Sheriff reported 1.75 inch hail in Elgin area.
April 2000Thunderstorm WindElgin-Sheriff reported trees down.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindElgin-Post Office reported a few trees down around the Elgin area.
September 2000Flash FloodElgin-EPD reported flash flooding in low lying areas and across roads in the Elgin and Lugoff areas.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindElgin-Fairfield Electric reported trees down on powerlines with power outages.
August 1999Thunderstorm WindElgin-EPD reported trees down.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindElgin-EPD reported trees down.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindElgin-Fire Dept. reported couple of trees down on highway 48.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindElgin-no account filed
May 1996Thunderstorm WindElgin-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Kershaw County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Highland Farms0.5 miles23
White Hills0.5 miles23
Jeffers Place0.8 miles23
Pine Valley0.8 miles23
Blaney West0.8 miles23
Tupelo Hills1.0 miles23
Tupelo Creek1.0 miles23
Elgin Acres1.1 miles23

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on ElginAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2252941The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1247650. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.