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Ridgeway, South Carolina

15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1941 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Ridgeway census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29130. The Survey maps it on the Ridgeway quadrangle. 266 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 614 feet above sea level.

Ridgeway within Fairfield County

On record in Ridgeway

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 11 records

Population over time

2 figures

Ridgeway fell from 319 to 266 between 2010 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
2010319
2020266-53 (-17%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

9 surveys from 15 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

177 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 177 fires within 5 miles of Ridgeway between 1992 and 2020, burning about 568 acres in total. 5 started naturally. 9 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/undetermined84
Debris and open burning38
Equipment and vehicle use22
Arson/incendiarism9
Smoking8
Misuse of fire by a minor6
Natural5
Railroad operations and maintenance3
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Other causes1

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
7 September 2005Misuse of fire by a minorunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
4 September 1999Debris and open burning1.0 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
25 September 2008Debris and open burning1.0 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
25 September 2007Equipment and vehicle use1.5 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
16 September 1993Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
10 September 1993Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
6 August 1998Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
4 August 2002Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.5 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Fairfield County

Mines and quarries near this place

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Ridgeway: 1 occurrence, 1 plant. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Gold. 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
Pp/2k Or I-77 ProspectGoldOccurrence
Ridgeway MineGoldPlant1969, 1989

Every working recorded in Fairfield County

Storms near this place

45 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ridgeway in 45 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 31 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail, 4 tornado, 1 flood. The reports record 1 death and 13 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
September 2004Tornado (F2)Ridgeway1 killed, 13 hurtAn F2 tornado destroyed 5 mobile homes, did moderate to severe damage to 2 framed homes and injurred 13 people. One 57 year old male died. Two vehicles were moved 20 to 30 yards.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindRidgeway$12,000State official reported numerous trees down across southeastern Fairfield County.
April 2013Tornado (EF0)Ridgeway$10,000NWS Storm Survey revealed a weak tornado occurred along Mood Harrison Road where around 6 trees were toppled falling on a outbuilding and a car. Several large limbs were also down and an antenna on a mobile home was damaged.
August 2025FloodRidgeway$5,000Trained spotter reported a stalled vehicle due to ponding of water on Dogwood Avenue near the intersection of Peach Street. Additional areas of poor drainage led to standing water in portions of downtown Ridgeway.
March 2012Thunderstorm WindRidgeway$4,000Dispatch reported a several trees down on Hwy 34 and Hwy 69.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindRidgeway$4,000Police reported trees in the roadway at West Ruff Street and South Means Streat.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindRidgeway$2,000Sheriff reported trees down along Macedonia Church road.
March 1996Tornado (F0)Ridgeway$2,000no account filed
June 2015Thunderstorm WindRidgeway$500Highway Patrol reported a tree down at the Peach Road exit ramp off of I-77 southbound.
March 2022Thunderstorm WindRidgeway$10A trained spotter measured a 55 mph wind gust at a home weather station in Ridgeway. He also observed a funnel cloud.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Broadcast media relayed a picture of a roof covering blown off at City Gas and Fuel. Time estimated by radar.
January 2024Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-A tree was uprooted on E Church St in Winnsboro.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Report of a tree down and minor damage to a home in Ridgeway. Report via social media. Time estimated by radar.
December 2024Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-SCDPS website reported power lines down near the intersection of Longtown Rd and Palmer St in downtown Ridgeway. Time estimated by radar.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-A large tree limb was downed near Geiger Elementary School in Ridgeway. Multiple other large tree limbs were downed along US Hwy 21 between Ridgeway and Blythewood. Time estimated.
May 2022HailRidgeway-Report of 1 inch hail near the town of Ridgeway.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-SCHP reported a tree down at US Hwy 21 and Longleaf Rd near Ridgeway.
May 2021Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-A spotter reported a 72 mph (63 knot) wind gust with a home weather station on Longtown Rd near Ridgeway.
April 2020Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-SCHP reported a tree down on Spinner Rd.
April 2018Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Straight line wind damage began in and near the town of Ridgeway. Extensive tree damage, with many trees snapped or uprooted, occurred for nearly 8 miles NNE of the town, just to the east of Highway 21.
May 2016Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Reported trees down along Old Highway 21 in Ridgeway.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Reported several trees down near the town of Ridgeway.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Trees down on Van Exem Rd.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Law enforcement reported a tree in the roadway at Longtown Road and Bellfield Road.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-SCHP reported trees down near I-77 and SC Hwy 34.
May 2008Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Sheriff reported trees down on Coleman and Peach streets.
March 2008HailRidgeway-Spotter reported nickel size hail.
April 2007HailRidgeway-Post Office reported 3/4 inch hail in downtown Ridgeway.
June 2007HailRidgeway-Sheriff reported nickel size hail.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-DOT reported a couple of trees down in and around Ridgeway.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Public reported several trees down along SC Hwy 43.
April 2006HailRidgeway-Highway dept. reported 3/4 inch hail.
June 2006HailRidgeway-SKYWARN spotter reported quarter size hail.
April 2005Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Highway dept reported several trees down.
December 2005HailRidgeway-Post Office reported 3/4 inch hail and power outages in Ridgeway.
July 2004Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Post Office reported several trees down on secondary roads around Ridgeway.
February 2003Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-EOC reported trees down.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Electric company reported trees and powerlines down on Park Road in Ridgeway.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Electric co. reported trees down on powerlines on Longtown Rd.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Sheriff and Electric Co. reported trees and powerlines down in southeast fairfield county.
December 2000Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Highway dept. reported a few trees down on SC34 east of Ridgeway.
August 1994Tornado (F2)Ridgeway-Tornado blew down large trees and ripped a roof and rafters off a home at intersection of SC101 and Rocky Point Road.
April 1997HailRidgeway-no account filed
January 1996Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-no account filed
June 1996HailRidgeway-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Fairfield 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
Smallwood1.8 miles15
Simpson4.5 miles15
Flint Hill6.9 miles16
Longtown7.1 miles15
Rockton7.3 miles15
Winnsboro Mills7.6 miles15
Winnsboro8.4 miles15
Rion8.7 miles14

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 RidgewayAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q963524The 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 1231730. 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.