Central is a town in Pickens County, South Carolina, United States.

Central was founded by the Atlanta and Richmond Air Line Railway in a railroad boom that began in 1873.

[1] In 1897, Southern Railway moved its headquarters from Central to Greenville; trains no longer stopped to change engines, and soon all shops and offices were closed.

[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), all of it land.

A significant number of late 19th- to early 20th-century commercial buildings remain, most of which are single-story and retain a good amount of historical integrity.

As of 2006,[citation needed] a downtown streetscape project is underway that is designed to improve the area's aesthetics.

The Central Heritage Society has a museum and information on many historic buildings and homes in the area.

Central's population has grown rapidly since 2000, mostly due to the construction of apartment complexes for students attending Clemson University, Southern Wesleyan and Tri-County Technical College.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,247 people, 2,483 households, and 796 families residing in the town.

Central shares educational facilities and transportation services with the adjacent city of Clemson.