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.
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
Blink Bonnielisted 1972
Camp Welfarelisted 1984
Century Houselisted 1971
Ridgeway Historic Districtlisted 1980
Ruff's Chapellisted 1980
St. Stephen's Episcopal Churchlisted 1971
Valencialisted 1971
Vaughn's Stage Coach Stoplisted 1984
Monroe Wilson Houselisted 1980- Hunter Houselisted 1984
- Mount Hopelisted 1984
Population over time
2 figuresRidgeway 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 319 | |
| 2020 | 266 | -53 (-17%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 15 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1941 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000
- 1942 USGS Camden quadrangle1:125000
- 1953 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1960 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1963 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000
- 1964 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Ridgeway quadrangle1:24000
- 1986 USGS Camden quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1986 USGS Camden South quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
177 since 1992Regional 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/undetermined | 84 |
| Debris and open burning | 38 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 22 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 9 |
| Smoking | 8 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 6 |
| Natural | 5 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 3 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2005 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 25 September 2008 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 25 September 2007 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.5 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 16 September 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 10 September 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 August 1998 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 August 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.5 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pp/2k Or I-77 Prospect | Gold | Occurrence | ||
| Ridgeway Mine | Gold | Plant | 1969, 1989 |
Storms near this place
45 since 1994Regional 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2004 | Tornado (F2) | Ridgeway | 1 killed, 13 hurt | An 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 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | $12,000 | State official reported numerous trees down across southeastern Fairfield County. |
| April 2013 | Tornado (EF0) | Ridgeway | $10,000 | NWS 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 2025 | Flood | Ridgeway | $5,000 | Trained 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 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | $4,000 | Dispatch reported a several trees down on Hwy 34 and Hwy 69. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | $4,000 | Police reported trees in the roadway at West Ruff Street and South Means Streat. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | $2,000 | Sheriff reported trees down along Macedonia Church road. |
| March 1996 | Tornado (F0) | Ridgeway | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | $500 | Highway Patrol reported a tree down at the Peach Road exit ramp off of I-77 southbound. |
| March 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | $10 | A trained spotter measured a 55 mph wind gust at a home weather station in Ridgeway. He also observed a funnel cloud. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Broadcast media relayed a picture of a roof covering blown off at City Gas and Fuel. Time estimated by radar. |
| January 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | A tree was uprooted on E Church St in Winnsboro. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Report of a tree down and minor damage to a home in Ridgeway. Report via social media. Time estimated by radar. |
| December 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | SCDPS website reported power lines down near the intersection of Longtown Rd and Palmer St in downtown Ridgeway. Time estimated by radar. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | 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 2022 | Hail | Ridgeway | - | Report of 1 inch hail near the town of Ridgeway. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | SCHP reported a tree down at US Hwy 21 and Longleaf Rd near Ridgeway. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | A spotter reported a 72 mph (63 knot) wind gust with a home weather station on Longtown Rd near Ridgeway. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | SCHP reported a tree down on Spinner Rd. |
| April 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | 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 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Reported trees down along Old Highway 21 in Ridgeway. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Reported several trees down near the town of Ridgeway. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Trees down on Van Exem Rd. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Law enforcement reported a tree in the roadway at Longtown Road and Bellfield Road. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | SCHP reported trees down near I-77 and SC Hwy 34. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Sheriff reported trees down on Coleman and Peach streets. |
| March 2008 | Hail | Ridgeway | - | Spotter reported nickel size hail. |
| April 2007 | Hail | Ridgeway | - | Post Office reported 3/4 inch hail in downtown Ridgeway. |
| June 2007 | Hail | Ridgeway | - | Sheriff reported nickel size hail. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | DOT reported a couple of trees down in and around Ridgeway. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Public reported several trees down along SC Hwy 43. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Ridgeway | - | Highway dept. reported 3/4 inch hail. |
| June 2006 | Hail | Ridgeway | - | SKYWARN spotter reported quarter size hail. |
| April 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Highway dept reported several trees down. |
| December 2005 | Hail | Ridgeway | - | Post Office reported 3/4 inch hail and power outages in Ridgeway. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Post Office reported several trees down on secondary roads around Ridgeway. |
| February 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | EOC reported trees down. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Electric company reported trees and powerlines down on Park Road in Ridgeway. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Electric co. reported trees down on powerlines on Longtown Rd. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Sheriff and Electric Co. reported trees and powerlines down in southeast fairfield county. |
| December 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | Highway dept. reported a few trees down on SC34 east of Ridgeway. |
| August 1994 | Tornado (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 1997 | Hail | Ridgeway | - | no account filed |
| January 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ridgeway | - | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Hail | Ridgeway | - | no account filed |
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 | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallwood | 1.8 miles | 15 | |
| Simpson | 4.5 miles | 15 | |
| Flint Hill | 6.9 miles | 16 | |
| Longtown | 7.1 miles | 15 | |
| Rockton | 7.3 miles | 15 | |
| Winnsboro Mills | 7.6 miles | 15 | |
| Winnsboro | 8.4 miles | 15 | |
| Rion | 8.7 miles | 14 |
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 Ridgeway | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q963524 | The 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.








