First developed in the 1880s as the Douglas Mill tract, it originally was farmland dotted with lakes and pine trees. By the early 1900s, residents looking to get away from city life in Columbia moved to large, multi-acre tracts in the area. In the next few decades, roads were widened and
neighborhoods were developed as Arcadia Lake was transformed into a suburban community.

But as the city of Columbia began annexing area subdivisions, the residents wanted to keep their independence – and not pay local property taxes. The Town of Arcadia Lakes was born on Oct. 30, 1959 when residents voted 46-30 to incorporate. The towering pines and picturesque lakes are still there – and are now surrounded by graceful homes and winding, shaded streets.

Arcadia Lakes is home to majestic houses and gardens along North Trenholm Road, high-end lakefront houses and a few planned communities. The town is just .66 square miles, with the town’s lakes accounting for about 32 percent of that area. More than half of Arcadia Lake’s land area is covered in a canopy of trees. Most of the waterfront homes have small docks, and the seven small lakes are popular nesting and feeding spot for birds such as great blue herons, kingfishers and mallard and wood ducks. While it has a relaxed and suburban feel, this town of about 900 residents has easy access to urban amenities. It is just about 8 miles away from downtown Columbia, the Vista and the University of South Carolina, and just a couple miles to the Forest Drive and Northeast Columbia shopping and restaurant districts, making it an easy commute to work, shopping and entertainment.