Finding the City Limits (or no city limits at all)

Richland County contains several cities within it, including Arcadia Lakes, Blythewood, Cayce, Columbia, Eastover, Forest Acres, and Irmo.  The governments of each of these cities have their own laws and regulations.  The areas that are not inside these city limits are considered to be the "unincorporated" areas of Richland County, and are governed by the Richland County Government, which has its own laws and regulations.

Knowing what city (or no city at all) your home and your business is located in is essential because it tells you what laws and regulations your home and your business need to comply with. 

We understand that it can be very difficult for people, businesses, to know what city limits, if any, that they are located in.  Below are two ways to tell.

For Residential Properties

To help determine which city (or no city at all) a residence is located in, look at the recycling bin, if it can be found outside the house. The color indicates which jurisdiction the property is located in. Unfortunately, this is not entirely helpful, as some jurisdictions have the same color, and some have no recycling. See the table below for which area has which color recycling bins.

• Red - unincorporated area of Richland County (no city limits at all)
• Green - Arcadia Lakes
• Red - Blythewood
• Blue - Columbia
• no bins - Eastover
• Green - (with “Forest Acres” written on it)
• Green - (with “Town of Irmo” written on it)

For Residential or Commercial Properties

This is, however, a much more accurate way of determining what city (or no city at all) a property is located in. Be aware that newly constructed roads or neighborhoods may not yet be in the system. If you cannot find the property, please call the Planning Department at 576-2147 for assistance.

• First, go to the Richland County Mapping website.
• On the left side of the screen, under the heading called "Boundaries," click the box to the left of the word "Municipalities."  This will shade all properties according to which city the property is in.
• At the top of the left side of the screen, to the right of the words, "Richland County Internet Mapping," are two icons.  One icon is for "Layers," which you already see as the box on the left side of the screen.  Click the second icon of the globe and the magnifying glass, which is to Search for a specific property.
• In the blank box that appears, enter the street address for the property you wish to determine the city limits for, and press the Enter key.  The map will zoom to that property, which will be shaded based upon which city the property is in.  (If there is no shading, there property is not in a city, and is instead in the unincorporated area of Richland County.)
• Click the left side of the "Legend" box in the lower right hand corner of the screen to see what colors refer to what city limits.  Again, if there is no shading, the property is governed by Richland County Government.)

If you need assistance or have any questions about which jurisdiction (government) a property is located in, please do not hesitate to contact the Business Service Center, and we'll be happy to assist you.