Ridgeland, town in South Carolina, United States
Ridgeland is a small town in Jasper County, South Carolina, serving as the county seat. The community is defined by its central location on a ridge that originally gave the railroad a natural reference point for its name, and by its infrastructure with multiple highway exits along Interstate 95.
Ridgeland emerged in the 1860s as a railroad station on the Charleston-Savannah line after residents rejected the route through the nearby town of Grahamville. The name derives from the station's elevated location on a ridge between two counties, which made it a natural marking point.
Ridgeland calls itself the 'Heart of the Lowcountry' and reflects its role as a bridge between historic coastal cities. The community is shaped by its location between larger places like Charleston and Savannah, while maintaining its own friendly local identity.
The town is best explored on foot along the improved Main Street, where restaurants and seating invite you to linger. The Blue Heron Nature Trail and the marked Ridgeland Trail offer accessible walking options through the area.
The town was originally called Gopher Hill, named after the tortoises that lived in underground burrows and gave the place its first name. This fact is rarely mentioned today, though it reflects the area's origins before its transformation by the railroad.
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