Oconee County, South Carolina
| Oconee County, South Carolina | ||
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Oconee County Courthouse, Walhalla
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 Location in the U.S. state of South Carolina |
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 South Carolina's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1868 | |
| Seat | Walhalla | |
| Largest city | Seneca | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 674 sq mi (1,746 km2) | |
| • Land | 626 sq mi (1,621 km2) | |
| • Water | 47 sq mi (122 km2), 7.0% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2015) | 75,713 | |
| • Density | 119/sq mi (46/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 3rd | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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Oconee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 74,273. Its county seat is Walhalla.
Oconee County is included in the Seneca, SC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area.
South Carolina Highway 11, the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway, begins in southern Oconee County at Interstate Highway 85 at the Georgia state line.
Oconee County takes its name from the Cherokee word "Ae-quo-nee" meaning "land beside the water." Oconee was a local Cherokee town that was situated on the main British/Cherokee trading path between Charleston and the Mississippi River in the early 18th century. Its geographic position later placed it at the intersection of the trading path and the Cherokee treaty boundary of 1777. In 1792, a frontier outpost was built by the SC State Militia near the town site and was named Oconee Station. When Oconee County was created out of the Pickens District in 1868 it was named for Oconee Town.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 674 square miles (1,750 km2), of which 626 square miles (1,620 km2) is land and 47 square miles (120 km2) (7.0%) is water. The hilly landscape has created a haven for man-made lakes. Three large man-made lakes provide residents with sport fishing, water skiing, and sailing as well as hydroelectric power. The largest lake is Lake Hartwell, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1955 and 1963. Lake Keowee is the second largest lake and the Oconee Nuclear Station operates by the lake. Lake Jocassee is the third largest and is a source of hydroelectric energy, but is also popular for its breathtaking scenery and numerous waterfalls. Bad Creek Reservoir, located in the mountains above Jocassee, is for generating electricity during peak hours. The water level can fall by tens of feet per hour and during off-peak times water is pumped back into the lake for the next peak period. Because of this, boating and swimming are prohibited in the reservoir.
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