Calhoun County, South Carolina

Calhoun County
County
Calhoun County Courthouse and Confederate Monument
Flag Seal
Motto:  "In the Heart of South Carolina"
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°40′N 80°47′W / 33.67°N 80.78°W / 33.67; -80.78
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
Founded	1908
Named for	John C. Calhoun
Seat	St. Matthews
Largest community	St. Matthews
Area
• Total	392.48 sq mi (1,016.5 km2)
• Land	381.15 sq mi (987.2 km2)
• Water	11.33 sq mi (29.3 km2)  2.89%
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,119
• Estimate  (2023)	14,186
• Density	37.04/sq mi (14.30/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	calhouncounty.sc.gov

Calhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,119,^[1] making it the third-least populous county in the state. Its county seat is St. Matthews. In terms of land area, it is also the smallest county in the state.^[2]

Located in a rural upland area long devoted to cotton plantations, part of the Black Belt of the South, the county was formed in 1908 from portions of Lexington and Orangeburg counties. It is named for John C. Calhoun, the former U.S. vice-president, Senator, Representative and cabinet member from South Carolina,^[3] although Calhoun was from nearby Abbeville, South Carolina.

Calhoun County is part of the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It has an overall score of 52 including factors health, crime, equity, education, and housing.^[4] It is one of 11 counties with the same name in the United States.