Saluda County is located in the Piedmont region of South Carolina. The county is located approximately 45 miles west of Columbia, the capital of the state, and roughly 75 miles southeast of Greenville, a business center of Upstate South Carolina. The town of Saluda is centrally located within the county, with the smaller town of Ridge-Spring and a portion of Batesburg-Leesville (a majority of which lies within the boundaries of Lexington County) located in the southeastern corner.

Saluda's population stands at approximately 19,094, according to the 2009 Census population estimate. With a land area of 452.48 square miles, the population density is 42.4 persons per square mile.