It was named after Andrew Pickens (1739–1817), an American revolutionary soldier and US Congressman for South Carolina. Jocassee Gorges, located about 30 minutes northwest of town, was recently named by National Geographic as one of the 50 Most Beautiful Places in the World.
Pickens County has a large public school district with sixteen elementary schools, five middle schools and five high schools. For more information on Pickens County School district click here.