Anderson, South Carolina

Anderson
Top, left to right: Downtown Anderson, First Baptist Church of Anderson, Old Anderson County Courthouse, Anderson University, Anderson County Courthouse and Confederate Monument, Lake Hartwell view from City of Anderson Recreation Park
Nicknames: 
The Electric City, Friendliest City in South Carolina
Motto: 
"Teamwork | Integrity | Professionalism"
Interactive map of Anderson
Anderson
Anderson
Anderson
Coordinates: 34°30′12″N 82°38′30″W / 34.50333°N 82.64167°W / 34.50333; -82.64167
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Carolina
CountyAnderson
FoundedDecember 1826
IncorporatedDecember 19, 1833
Named afterRobert Anderson
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
Area
 • City
15.86 sq mi (41.09 km2)
 • Land15.83 sq mi (41.00 km2)
 • Water0.039 sq mi (0.10 km2)  0.25%
Elevation
738 ft (225 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City
28,106
 • Density1,775.6/sq mi (685.56/km2)
 • Urban
118,369 (US: 286th)
 • Urban density1,234/sq mi (476.4/km2)
ZIP Codes
29621–29626
Area codes864, 821
FIPS code45-01360
GNIS feature ID2403098
Websitecityofandersonsc.com

Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 census, making it the 16th-most populous city in South Carolina. It is one of the principal cities in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 975,480 in 2023. It is included in the larger Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 1,590,636 in 2023.

It is just off Interstate 85 and is 120 miles (190 km) from Atlanta and 140 miles (230 km) from Charlotte. Anderson is the smallest of the three primary cities that make up the Upstate region, and is nicknamed the "Electric City" and the "Friendliest City in South Carolina".