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Rock Hill - city in South Carolina, United States

Downtown Rock Hill Rock Hill is a small city in the Olde English District of South Carolina approximately 25 miles (40 km) south of Charlotte and 70 miles (110 km) north of Columbia.

Rock Hill is essentially a commuter town and not on many tourists' radar, but does offer numerous outdoor activities and dining options.

Understand

Rock Hill is a city of around 75,000 along the Catawba River in the north-central section of the Piedmont of South Carolina about 150 miles (240 km) from the Atlantic Ocean and 75 miles (121 km) from the Blue Ridge Mountains.

History

Succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples lived in the region for thousands of years, including the historic Catawba Indian Nation, whose members live near Rock Hill and form the only tribe in South Carolina that is federally recognized. Rock Hill became a town in the mid-1800s with the arrival of a rail line through the area. According to some accounts, the engineers marked the spot on the map and named it "Rocky Hill". The first passenger train arrived in 1852, and the first Rock Hill Post Office opened a few weeks later. Now that the town had a name, a railroad station, and a post office, it began to draw more settlers to the area. The rail line is still in use for freight transport, but passenger service is not available.

At the beginning of the American Civil War, about half of Rock Hill's inhabitants were slaves, integral to local cotton production. Due to its position on the railroad, Rock Hill became a transfer point for Confederate soldiers and supplies moving to and from the front. When General Lee surrendered at the Appomattox Court House, it was a future Rock Hill resident who was responsible for waving the white flag: Captain Robert Moorman Sims, sent to inform Union troops that the Confederate troops wanted a truce.

The Civil War changed Rock Hill tremendously, like elsewhere in the South. Rock Hill grew as a town, taking in war refugees, widows and their families, and the return of the men who had left to fight the war. Town life began to become more important than rural life. When the town was incorporated in 1870, most of the merchants in Rock Hill were former Confederate soldiers; many were entrepreneurs who were new to town, trying to start over.

In 1961, Rock Hill was the setting for two significant events in the civil rights movement. In February 1961, the "Friendship Nine", a group of nine African-American men, went to jail at the York County prison farm after staging a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in downtown Rock Hill. To save money for the movement, they refused to pay bail, inspiring other civil rights groups to do the same. Later, Rock Hill was the first stop in the Deep South for a group of 13 Freedom Riders, who boarded buses in Washington, DC, and headed South to test the court ruling outlawing racial segregation in all interstate public facilities. When the civil rights leader John Lewis and another black man stepped off the bus at Rock Hill, they were beaten by a white mob that was uncontrolled by police, drawing national attention.

Rock Hill has experienced steady growth in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with the city boundary expanding far beyond its original limits.

Climate

Rock Hill has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by humid summers and cool dry winters. Precipitation does not vary greatly between seasons. July is the hottest month, with an average high temperature of and an average low temperature of . The coldest month of the year is January, when the average high temperature is and the average low temperature is . The warmest temperature ever recorded in the city was in 1983 and tied in 2007. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was in 1985. In the summer months, afternoon thunderstorms are typical and are sometimes severe containing strong winds and hail. During the winter months, snowfall is fairly light and rare, only occurring on average one to three times.

Visitor information

Get in

By plane

The nearest major airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT) in Charlotte. For private flights, Rock Hill also has a general aviation airport, Rock Hill–York County Airport (dead link: January 2023).

By car

  • From Charlotte and Columbia: Take I-77 to exit number 79 and follow Dave Lyle Blvd.
  • From Greenville and Atlanta: Take I-85 to exit number 109 and follow South Carolina HWY 5.

By bus

The 82x bus operated by Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) offers service from Charlotte to Rock Hill. Geared towards commuters, it goes from Rock Hill to Charlotte in the morning and from Charlotte to Rock Hill in the late afternoon. This schedule makes it usable for going to Rock Hill to spend a night or more, but not for a day trip.

Get around

Downtown Rock Hill is easily accessible by foot, but the majority of Rock Hill is best accessed by car or bike. Rock Hill is a bicycle-friendly town with numerous bike routes located in the city – maps and other information (dead link: January 2023) are available from the city's website.

See

Rock Hill is a historic city with a rich history of arts and culture. In its downtown, there are a variety of museums and art galleries. There are also thirty-one parks located throughout the city which offer miles of green, shaded trails and athletic fields.

  • Downtown Rock Hill, 154 E Main St (I-77, exit 79, take W Dave Lyle Blvd.), 34.924989°, -81.026118°. Twelve historic contiguous buildings built between 1870 and 1931 with a few shops, museums, restaurants, museums, and a park featuring a large fountain and benches. 2018-05-15
  • Riverwalk Rock Hill, 1 Herrons Ferry Rd (I-77, exit 79, take W Dave Lyle Blvd), 34.982910°, -80.971824°. A mixed-use community consisting of specialty shops, restaurants and hiking trails located along the Catawba River. 2017-06-14
  • York County Museum, 4620 Mt Gallant Rd (I-77, exit 82-C, take Celanese Rd to W Mt Gallant Rd.), 35.009930°, -81.062661°, +1 803-329-2121. Natural history museum minutes away from downtown Rock Hill. 2017-06-14
  • Cherry Park, 1466 Cherry Rd (I-77, exit 82-B, take S Cherry Rd), 34.953694°, -81.011324°. Vast green spaces with a 1.5-mile trail, picnic areas and numerous athletic fields on 70 acres of land. 2017-06-14
  • Manchester Meadows, 337 E Mt Gallant Rd (I-77, exit 79 follow John Ross Pkwy.), 34.944336°, -80.983665°. Soccer complex with large green open space and running trails. 2017-06-14
  • Ebenezer Park, 4490 Boatshore Rd (I-77, exit 82-C, follow Celanese Rd to W Mount Gallant Rd.), 35.025430°, -81.042910°. Large lakefront park with boat ramps, picnic areas and a 2-acre beach. 2017-06-14
  • Glencairn Garden, 725 Crest Street (I-77, exit 79, take Dave Lyle to Charlotte Ave.), 34.934289°, -81.019592°, +1 803-329-5620. Famous Rock Hill landmark with numerous fountains, trails and blooming gardens 2017-06-20
  • Manchester Cinemas, 1935 Cinema Dr (I-77, exit 79, take Dave Lyle to Tinsley Way), 34.9446804°, -80.9783591°, +1 844-462-7342. 14-screen theatre featuring new-release films, plush seating and concessions located in the Manchester Village area. 2018-05-15

Do

There are numerous outdoor activities to do in Rock Hill including hiking, biking, kayaking and zip-lining. Aside from outdoor activities, there are also indoor activities including bowling, movies and an indoor trampoline park. The city also hosts the Come See Me Festival, a spring festival which attracts people from across the state.

Buy

Below is a listing of popular shopping areas in Rock Hill. There are also numerous local and chain stores found in Downtown Rock Hill and other locations along popular roads throughout the city.

  • Riverwalk Rock Hill, 1 Herrons Ferry Rd, 34.983110°, -80.972917°. 2017-06-14
  • Rock Hill Galleria, 2300 Dave Lyle Blvd, 34.943201°, -80.965942°, +1 803-324-1711. Small mall with anchors such as Belk, JCPenney and Sears along with small specialty shops. 2017-06-14
  • Manchester Village, John Ross Pkwy, 34.941820°, -80.979519°. Shopping area consisting of major anchors such as Target, Dick's, and Best Buy as well as small specialty stores and restaurants. 2017-06-14
  • Milwood, 305 Herlong Avenue, 34.9586960°, -81.0441966°. Shopping area along Herlong Ave on the northwest side of town featuring an LA Fitness, Talbot’s, Jos. A. Bank, and many other smaller shops and restaurants. 2018-05-15
  • Winthrop Commons, 725 Cherry Road, 34.9451037°, -81.0276957°. Shopping center along Cherry Road and across from Winthrop Univeristy with numerous shops, restaurants and an organic grocery store. 2018-05-15

Eat

Beyond the popular restaurants listed below, dining options include numerous local and national chains along major corridors such as Celanese Road, Dave Lyle Boulevard, Cherry Road and Heckle Boulevard.

Southern

American

Breakfast

Italian

Chinese and Japanese

Thai

Mexican

Drink

There are quite a few options for coffee, bars and breweries in Rock Hill. Most of the coffee shops are located in the downtown area of Rock Hill while bars and breweries are located throughout the city. There are also chain coffee retailers and bars located along major corridors including Celeaneae Road, Dave Lyle Boulevard, Cherry Road and Heckle Boulevard.

Coffee shops

Bars & pubs

Breweries

Sleep

Below is a listing of popular accommodations in the city. However, there are also many more budget motels located in the Riverwalk/Cherry Road area of Rock Hill.

Manchester Village/Galleria

Riverwalk/Cherry Road

Connect

Free Wi-Fi

The City of Rock Hill government offers free public wi-fi at various locations around the city. The network will appear under the name, "Rock Hill Rocks" and anyone with a smartphone or computer can access this network at no charge. There is no password needed, just accept the terms and conditions.

There is also free Wi-Fi available at many local restaurants and coffee shops.

Go next

  • Charlotte – head over the border to North Carolina's largest city, a dynamic, rapidly growing regional powerhouse.
  • Columbia – major city and capital of South Carolina is a straight-shot south along I-77.
  • Fort Mill – another Charlotte suburb in South Carolina, just north along I-77.

Rock Hill

cityofrockhill.com
Postal code:29730–29734297302973129734Date Time:Please wait...Timezone:America/New_YorkPopulation:74,372Coordinates:34.94, -81.03

York County

2nd-order administrative division

South Carolina

Primary administrative division

United States

usa.gov
Population:327.2 MDial code:+1Currency:Dollar (USD)Voltage:120 V, 240 V, 60 Hz
NEMA 14-30NEMA 14-50