Sumter : South Carolina

Sumter was named after Gen. Thomas Sumter of the Revolutionary War. It is a county seat of Sumter County. It lies approximately 45 miles east of the state capital, Columbia and covers a total area of 69.3 km² (26.8 mi²) of which 68.9 km² (26.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (0.60%) is water.

Sumter enjoys a moderate climate with warm summers but mild winters. The average temperature in January is 45.4 degrees and in July it's 81.2 degrees.  Average precipitation is 49.1 inches with a growing season of 225 days.

Elevation: 169 feet

Land area: 26.6 square miles

Latitude: 33.93 N

Longitude: 80.36 W

Population: 39,679 as on 2005

Local festivals include:

    * Carolina Backcountry Harvest
    * Iris Festival
    * Octoberfest Southern Style
    * Scottish Country Fair
    * Sumter County Fair

Attractions:

    * Swan Lake Iris Garden
    * Sumter County Museum
    * Williams-Brice Museum
    * South Carolina National Guard Museum
    * Sumter Gallery of Art