Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach
City
Myrtle Beach shoreline
Broadway at the Beach
Myrtle Beach SkyWheel
Hollywood Wax Museum
Atlantic Coast Line Depot
Myrtle Beach State Park
Flag of Myrtle Beach
Flag
Official seal of Myrtle Beach
Seal
Motto: 
"First in Service"
Myrtle Beach is located in South Carolina
Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach
Location within South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is located in the United States
Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 33°44′38.67″N 78°52′10.11″W / 33.7440750°N 78.8694750°W / 33.7440750; -78.8694750
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Carolina
CountyHorry
Incorporated (town)March 12, 1938[1]
Incorporated (city)1957
Named forThe wax myrtle, an abundant local shrub[2]
Government
 • TypeMayor–Council
 • MayorBrenda Bethune[3]
 • City Council
Members[3]
  • Brenda Bethune – Mayor
  • Jackie Vereen Hatley – Mayor Pro Tempore
  • Michael Chestnut
  • John Krajc
  • Clyde H. "Mike" Lowder
  • Philip N. Render, DMD
  • Gregg Smith
Area
[4]
 • Total23.69 sq mi (61.36 km2)
 • Land23.42 sq mi (60.65 km2)
 • Water0.27 sq mi (0.71 km2)  1.14%
Population
 (2020)[6]
 • Total35,682
 • Estimate 
(2023)
39,697
 • Rank13th in South Carolina
 • Density1,523.76/sq mi (588.32/km2)
 • Urban
298,954 (US: 135th)[5]
 • Urban density1,365.5/sq mi (527.2/km2)
 • Metro
[7]
397,478 (US: 139th)
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
29572, 29575, 29577, 29578, 29579, 29586, 29587, 29588
Area code(s)843, 854
FIPS code45-49075[8]
GNIS feature ID1249770[9]
Websitewww.cityofmyrtlebeach.com

Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous 60-mile (97 km) stretch of beach known as the "Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. Its year-round population was 35,682 as of the 2020 census, making it the 13th-most populous city in South Carolina.[10]

Myrtle Beach is one of the major centers of tourism in South Carolina and the United States. The city's warm subtropical climate, miles of beaches, 86 golf courses, and 1,800 restaurants attract over 20 million visitors each year, making Myrtle Beach one of the most visited destinations in the country.[11][12]

Located along the historic King's Highway (modern day U.S. Route 17), the region was once home to the Waccamaw people. During the colonial period, the Whither family settled in the area, and a prominent local waterway, Wither's Swash, is named in their honor. Originally called alternately "New Town" or "Withers", the area was targeted for development as a resort community by Franklin Burroughs, whose sons completed a railroad to the beach and the first inn, Seaside Inn. His widow named the new community Myrtle Beach after the local wax-myrtle shrubs.

The Myrtle Beach metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country, with an estimated population of 397,478 in 2023.[7] More than 104,000 people moved to the area over eight years, representing a nearly 28% growth in population.[13][14]

  1. ^ "About Myrtle Beach". www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "About Myrtle Beach". City of Myrtle Beach. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Myrtle Beach Mayor and City Council Members". City of Myrtle Beach. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  4. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  5. ^ United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  9. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2020CensusQuickFacts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Stephens, Sarah (February 18, 2020). "MBACVB Reports Tourism Growth in 2019". Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  12. ^ "Industry Research". Myrtle Beach Area CVB Partner Connect. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  13. ^ Peterson, Jenny (April 18, 2019). "Census: Myrtle Beach is the second-fastest growing metropolitan area in the country, again". WCIV. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  14. ^ "Counties in South and West Lead Nation in Population Growth". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 2021.