Goose Creek, SC

In the 1670s, Etiwan people moved into the Goose Creek area to escape the Westo and sought protection near English plantations north of Charleston. Colonists who settled near the Cooper River tributary known as Goose Creek became the “Goose Creek men.” They led first in the trade in enslaved Native people and later in deerskins; by the 1690s, many also held colonial offices. The present city was established in 1961. Located in southern Berkeley County, Goose Creek is bounded on the east by the Cooper and Back rivers and forms part of the Charleston metropolitan area. Its 2020 population of 45,946 made it Berkeley County’s largest city. Most of Naval Support Activity Charleston lies within Goose Creek; during the Cold War, the naval base was the country’s third-largest homeport and served more than 80 ships and submarines.