Pickens is located in
Pickens County(of which it is the county seat) west of
Greenville between
Greer and Easley along Interstate 85. The city is located just south of the North Carolina state line. Pickens is located in the northwest section of the state on U.S. Highway 178, and South Carolina's 183 and 188. The community is eighteen miles from Interstate 85.
Pickens is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metro area.
Pickens County was named for Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens (1739-1817). The earliest European settlers in this region were Indian traders.
