Aiken County Government was formed in 1871 by combining portions of Edgefield, Lexington, Orangeburg, and Barnwell counties and is the largest South Carolina county by land area at 1,073 square miles. The 2010 Census counted 160,099 persons living in Aiken County. The County is governed by the County Council, comprised of an elected-at-large Council Chairman and 8 members elected from single-member districts.