Dillon, South Carolina

This article is about the city. For the county, see Dillon County, South Carolina.

Dillon, South Carolina
—  City  —
Motto: Quietly Progressive
Location of Dillon in South Carolina
Coordinates: 34°25′4″N 79°22′5″W / 34.41778°N 79.36806°W / 34.41778; -79.36806Coordinates: 34°25′4″N 79°22′5″W / 34.41778°N 79.36806°W / 34.41778; -79.36806
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Dillon
Government
– Type	Council-Manager Form of Government
– Mayor	Todd Davis
Area
– Total	5.23 sq mi (12.5 km2)
– Land	5.23 sq mi (12.5 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	112 ft (34 m)
Population (2010)
– Total	6,788
– Density	1,340.1/sq mi (517.4/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	29536
Area code(s)	843
FIPS code	45-19420[1]
GNIS feature ID	1222024[2]
Website	City of Dillon

Dillon, South Carolina, the county seat of Dillon County, was established on December 22, 1888. The name of the city came from James W. Dillon, who was a key component in bringing a railroad through this area of the state, which led to development and formation of the County. Dillon’s population has most recently been measured at 6,788. Todd Davis is Dillon’s mayor, as they use the Council-Manager form of city government.

Demographics

According to the 2010 census, the city of Dillon had a total population of 6,788 people which was a 7.5 % increase from the 2000 census. The population of the city was composed of 53.1 % Black or African American persons, 42.8 % White or Caucasian persons, 1.6 % American Indian or Alaska Native persons, 1.2 % persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, and 1.2 % persons reporting two or more races.

There was a recorded 2,454 households, averaging between two and three (2.57) people per household, as well as 2,916 housing units within the city. Of the 2,916 housing units 13.7 % were multi-unit structures. The average value of a housing unit was $101,800 for owner occupied units. The census also showed that the population density of Dillon was 1,299.1 persons per square mile. The land area of the city of Dillon was 5.23 square miles. The median household income was found to be $30,455 with a rate of 30.4 % of people living in poverty. ^[3]

Notable figures from Dillon

• Ben Bernanke — Chairman of the Federal Reserve
• Rufus R. Jones — professional wrestler
• Robin Tallon - former Member of Congress
• LTG Jack C. Stultz — Chief, Army Reserve; Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command
• Kevin Steele — defensive coordinator, Clemson University
• John Chavis — Defensive Coordinator, LSU
• Derrick Hamilton - football player
• Kenneth Manning - Professor of Rhetoric and of the History of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Attractions

• South of the Border
• Dillon Marriage Chapel
• Dillon County Courthouse
• James W. Dillon Home
• Dillon Motor Speedway

Hospitals

• Dillon Family Medicine
• McLeod Hospital

Wellness Center

The City of Dillon also offers a public wellness center. Dillon's Wellness Center is located at 1647 Commerce Drive in Dillon, South Carolina. The $4.1 million facility was built in 2008. It is a 40,000 square foot building that offers exercise equipment, a sauna, gymnasium, walking track, and meetings rooms. It also offers rooms for rental. The exercise facilities can be used for a fee of $5 or memberships are available at monthly rates.[1]

Education

The city of Dillon, South Carolina is offers many options for elementary education, but as the level of education increases the number of schools drops. There is only one public high school in the city of Dillon and there is one private school that educates kids from [pre-kindergarten] to twelfth grade.

Primary Education

• East Elementary
• South Elementary
• Stewart Heights Elementary
• Gordon Elementary
• J.V. Martin Jr. High School
• Dillon High School
• Dillon Christian School

Secondary Education

• Northeastern Technical College

Transportation

Highways

Downtown Dillon is the intersection of US 301, US 501, SC 9, SC 34 and SC 57. I-95 has two exits to Dillon, and it is planned that I-73 will serve Dillon as part of a future southward expansion.

Rail

Amtrak, the national rail passenger carrier, provides daily service from Dillon with the Palmetto, which runs between Savannah, Georgia and New York City. Trains stop at the Dillon station, originally opened for passenger use by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1904. CSX owns both railroad lines which cross Dillon.

News

The Dillon Herald is the city of Dillon's newspaper. The paper was established in 1894 and the business is the oldest "continuously operated" business in Dillon County. ^[4]

Neighborhoods

• Newtown
• Jacksonville
• Oakland
• Riverdale
• Hamer

References

1. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "Census Quickfacts". http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45/4519420.html. 
4. ^ "The Dillon Herald". http://www.dillonheraldonline.com/about/about-us/.