Facts & Figures | Things to Know
Location
Located in
northwestern South Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,
Greenville is about 150 miles northeast of Atlanta,
Georgia and 100 miles
southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina. The Greenville area is home to an
estimated 350,000 people and growing. Situated between the mountains and the
Atlantic Ocean, Greenville's location offers many opportunities for recreation.
The Greenville Web
Directory is an excellent source of visitor information.
Business & Economy
Greenville has come to be recognized as a business, engineering, and high-technology manufacturing center. With its rapidly expanding economy, the area has the largest labor force in South Carolina. Greenville also leads the state in foreign capital investment. Over 250 international companies from 23 different countries have opened facilities in the region and more than 100 foreign corporations have chosen the area as their North American headquarters. There are also many major Fortune 500 firms with corporate or divisional operations in Greenville, such as GE, Proctor & Gamble, and Lockheed.
Climate
Greenville's mild climate offers a full change of seasons. The average annual temperature is 60 degrees F, with an average low of 48 in the winter and a high of 80 in the summer. Rainfall is moderate. For current weather conditions go to the Weather Channel. For temperature conversion go to the Conversion Calculator.
Celsius x 9 / 5 + 32 = Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit – 32 x 5 / 9 = Celsius
Date & Time
It is important to note that the date is written in the following order: month/ day/ year. The U.S. also uses Standard Time AM/PM instead of a 24-hour clock. South Carolina is in the eastern time zone, which is 5 hours behind Universal Time. Daylight Savings Time is observed from the first Sunday of April to the last Sunday of October. Time and Date.com offers current local time for cities around the world.
Electricity
The electrical system in the U.S. is 120 V / 60 Hz. Those traveling from countries with higher voltages (e.g. 230V) will generally need a transformer to convert 120V into the higher line voltage required by their electronics. Those from the U.S. traveling to destinations that use higher voltages will need a Watt converter to step down to 120V. While it is possible to transform/convert voltage it is not always possible to do so with frequency -- plugging a 50 Hz appliance into a 60 Hz outlet and vice versa could cause the appliance to burn out. The World Electric Guide provides detailed information on power supply systems.
Telephone
The international access code for the U.S. is (001). The area code for Greenville is (864). To call the U.S. from abroad, dial 011+ Area Code + Local Number. To call international numbers from the U.S. dial 011+ International code + Local Number.
Measurement System
Use the Unit Converter calculator to convert from English to metric measurements.
English/ Metric Equivalents:
|
1
inch |
|
2.54
cm |
|
12
inches |
1
foot |
.3048
m |
|
3
feet |
1
yard |
.9144
m |
|
5,
280 feet |
1
mile |
1.6093
km |
|
1
ounce |
|
28
g |
|
16
ounces |
1
pound |
.45
kg |
|
1
teaspoon |
|
5
ml |
|
3
teaspooons |
1
tablespoon |
15
ml |
|
2
tablespoons |
1
ounce |
30
ml |
|
8
ounces |
1
cup |
24
l |
|
2
cups
|
1
pint |
.47
l |
|
2
pints |
1
quart |
.95
l |
|
4
quarts |
1
gallon |
3.8
l |
.
.
Metric/ English Equivalents:
|
1
cm |
.3937 inches |
|
1
m |
39.37
inches |
|
1
km |
.62137 miles |
|
1
cl |
.338
ounces |
|
1
l |
1.0567 quarts |
|
1
kg
|
2.2046 pounds |
Clothing Sizes
Women’s sizes:
Skirts, Dresses, Coats, Pants
USA 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Europe 38 40 42 44 46 48
Men’s sizes :
Suits / Jacket
USA 32 34 36 38 40 42 44
European 42 44 46 48 50 52 54
Shirt / Collar
USA 15 15 ½ 16 16 ½ 17 17 ½
European 38 39 41 42 43 44
Shoe sizes:
USA 6-6 1/2 7-7 1/2 8-8 1/2 9-9 1/2 10-10 1/2 11
Europe 35-36 37-38 39-40 41-42 43-45 46
Sales Tax
A statewide sales tax of 5% is added to the price of most goods and services. Certain counties in South Carolina also have an additional 1% local tax.
Tipping
For some services it is common and expected practice to offer a tip in addition to the bill. The following are general tipping guidelines:
Waiters: 10-15% of bill, 20% at an elegant restaurant or for large parties (*tip is sometime included in the bill as "gratuity")
Taxi drivers: 15%
Hairdressers: 15%
Other services: $1-2 for parking attendants, bellhops, housekeeping, etc.
Federal Holidays
New Year's Day January 1
Martin Luther King Jr. Day 3rd Monday in January
Presidents' Day February 17th
Memorial Day Last Monday in May
Independence Day July 4
Labor Day 1st Monday in September
Columbus Day 2nd Monday in October
Veterans' Day November 11
Thanksgiving 4th Thursday in November
Christmas December 25