Gaffney, South Carolina
Gaffney is a city of 12,596 people in Cherokee County, South Carolina, founded in 1804.
Why visit Gaffney
Townapedia lists 16 museums and landmarks, 18 parks and trails, 39 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Gaffney Little Theatre, Carnegie Free Library and Gaffney Commercial Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 26°F.
Weather in Gaffney
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Gaffney
Gaffney is a city in and the seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States, in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Gaffney is known as the "Peach Capital of South Carolina". The population was 12,764 at the 2020 census. The city had an estimated population of 12,609 in 2019.
From the Wikipedia article Gaffney, South Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks16
Carnegie Free Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic Carnegie library building located at Gaffney, Cherokee County, South Carolina
Gaffney Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic district in South Carolina, United States
Gaffney Residential Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in South Carolina, United States
Irene Mill Finishing Plant
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic American factory
Jefferies House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in South Carolina, United States
Limestone Springs Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic district in South Carolina, United States
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Magness-Humphries House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Historic house in South Carolina, United States
Settlemyer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house in South Carolina, United States
Winnie Davis Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Gaffney Visitors Center & Art Gallery
Monument and historic site · 0.8 mi
210 West Frederick Street, Gaffney
Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-13:00
4 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds18
6 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes39
Osaka Sushi & Steakhouse
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.4 mi
Former Eckerd Drugs (1990-2003) Former Olive Garden (January, 2011-April 20, 2020) Sushi (2022-present)
27 more on the map.
History
Michael Robert Gaffney was born in the town of Granard in County Longford, Ireland, in 1775. He emigrated to the United States in 1797, arriving in New York City and moving to Charleston, South Carolina, a few years later. Gaffney moved again in 1804 to the South Carolina Upcountry and established a tavern and lodging house at what became known as "Gaffney's Cross Roads". The location was perfect for growth because of the two major roads which met here, one from the mountains of North Carolina to Charleston and the other from Charlotte into Georgia. Michael Gaffney died here on September 6, 1854.
In 1872, the area became known as "Gaffney City". Gaffney became the county seat of Cherokee County which was formed out of parts of York, Union, and Spartanburg counties in 1897. Gaffney became a major center for the textile industry in South Carolina, which was the backbone of the county's economy up until the 1980s.
Uptown Gaffney began to languish after Interstate 85 was built in the county as industries located near the new highway.
Two serial killers have at different times attacked residents of Gaffney. In 1967–1968 Lee Roy Martin, known as the Gaffney Strangler, killed four people; two were young girls, a fourteen-year-old and a fifteen-year-old. In 2009, a series of shootings by Patrick Tracy Burris led to five deaths.
From the History section of Gaffney, South Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship46
Buford Street United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 0.7 mi
120 East Buford Street, Gaffney
Limestone Street United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 1.1 mi
910 North Limestone Street, Gaffney
Shopping10
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries23
Healthcare3
Map of Gaffney
173 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51°F | 26°F | 3.7 in |
| Feb | 55°F | 29°F | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 63°F | 35°F | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 72°F | 43°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 78°F | 53°F | 3.6 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 62°F | 4.1 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 66°F | 3.7 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 65°F | 4.7 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 58°F | 3.6 in |
| Oct | 72°F | 46°F | 3.1 in |
| Nov | 62°F | 34°F | 3.4 in |
| Dec | 54°F | 29°F | 4.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ninety Nine Is (10 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Cherokee County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-29: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-05: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2023-08-31: Hurricane Idalia (Hurricane)
- 2022-11-21: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport (SPA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 20 miles away.
- Shelby 16 mi northeast, about 26 min by car
- Boiling Springs 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Kings Mountain 21 mi northeast, about 33 min by car
- Gastonia 30 mi northeast, about 48 min by car
- Belmont 37 mi east, about 59 min by car
- Lincolnton 37 mi northeast, about 59 min by car
- Mount Holly 41 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Pineville 44 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Morganton 46 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Charlotte 48 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Old Star Theater, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Greetings from Gaffney, South Carolina - Large Letter Postcard (8333601162), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Gaffney HIstorical District, Bill Fitzpatrick, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Winnie Davis Hall; Limestone College; Gaffney, South Carolina; February 3, 2008, Stephen Matthew Milligan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gaffney, SC, USA - panoramio, Idawriter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gaffney, SC, USA - panoramio - Idawriter, Idawriter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Magnes Humphries House, Bill Fitzpatrick, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Limestone College, Morder ( talk ), Public domain
- Jeffries House, Bill Fitzpatrick, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SC National Guard responds to ice storm 140212-Z-AB123-001, Unknown author, Public domain
- CarnegieFreeLibrary 9887, Cecouchman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gaffeny Residential Historic District, Bill Fitzpatrick, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Irene Mill Finishing Plant, Bill Fitzpatrick, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Settlemeyer House, Bill Fitzpatrick, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Winnie Davis Hall, Bill Fitzpatrick, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pilot Travel Center - panoramio - Idawriter, Idawriter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Buick Regal TourX, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Buick Regal TourX rear, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS018-E-28946 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-88522 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS038-E-22645 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS029-E-30807 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS027-E-26550 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-230463 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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