Gaston, SC

Gaston is a Lexington County town named for the Gaston family, with Bull Swamp Creek running through its local geography. It sits inside the Columbia metro area, but the town's own map is simpler: a small municipal center, a branch of the Lexington County Library, and school routes shared across nearby districts. Gaston's name is familiar across South Carolina, yet this one has its own creek-side address and its own local government. It is the kind of Midlands town that makes sense through the surrounding roads and waterways—small enough to miss on a regional map, but distinct once you know where the creek runs.