Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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| Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | |
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 South Carolina |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Horry |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | John Rhodes |
| Area | |
| - Total | 16.8 sq mi (43.5 km²) |
| - Land | 16.8 sq mi (43.5 km²) |
| - Water | 12,359,674 sq mi (0.1 km²) |
| Elevation | 26 ft (8 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 22,759 |
| - Density | 1,356.4/sq mi (523.7/km²) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 843 |
| FIPS code | 45-49075[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1249770[2] |
| Website: http://www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/ | |
Myrtle Beach is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Grand Strand, a stretch of beaches along the South Carolina coastline, and the combined Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach MSA.
Founded early in the 20th century,[3] Myrtle Beach is primarily a resort town. It is the primary hub of the Grand Strand, a stretch of beaches along South Carolina's coast, and sees upward of ten million visitors each annual season[citation needed]. Visitors are drawn primarily by the coastline, but also by a number of amusement parks, restaurants, festivals, and tourist traps.
In the last decade, the population of Myrtle Beach has grown rapidly. The population was 22,759 at the 2000 census, while the Census Bureau estimated its population at 28,597 in 2006.[4] Myrtle Beach is a core city of the Myrtle Beach-Conway-Georgetown CSA, which had an estimated 2006 population of 299,353.[5]
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[edit] Geography
Myrtle Beach is a city located at (33.704238, -78.875453).[6] It is situated mainly between the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway on the west and the Atlantic Ocean (Long Bay) on the East, although building west of the waterway is rapidly increasing. Much of the area between the coast and the waterway is a slightly elevated sandbar or dune area. West of the waterway the land is mostly pine forest with a normal high water table, in which developers dredge ponds and use the soil to create elevated areas for better drainage around buildings. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.8 square miles (43.5 km²), of which, 16.8 square miles (43.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.12%) is water.
[edit] History
[edit] Withers
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the general area along Long Bay was inhabited by the Waccamaw Indians. The Waccamaw used the river for travel and fished along the shore around Little River. Waties Island, the primary barrier island along Long Bay, has evidence of burial and shell mounds, remains of the visiting Waccamaw.[7]
The first settlers along Long Bay arrived in the late 17th century, attempting to extend the plantation system outward towards the ocean [8]. Records are sparse from this period, with most of the recorded history pieced together from old land grants. They were met with mixed results, producing unremarkable quantities of indigo and tobacco. The coast's soil was sandy and most of the crops yields were of an inferior quality.
Prior to the American Revolution, the area along the future Grand Strand was essentially uninhabited. Several families received land grants along the coast, including most notably the Withers: John, Richard, William and Mary. They received an area around present-day Myrtle Swash, at the time known as Wither's Swash or the 8-Mile Swash. Another grant was given to James Minor, a barrier island named Minor Island, now Waties Island, off of the coast near Little River.[9]
Mary Wither's gravestone at Prince George Winyah Episcopal church speaks to the remoteness of the former Strand: "She gave up the pleasures of Society and retired to Long Bay, where she resided a great part of her life devoted to the welfare of her children."[10]
As America reached independence, Horry County remained essentially unchanged, and the coast remained barren. George Washington scouted out the Southern states during his term, travelling down the King's Highway. He stayed the night at Windy Hill and was led across Wither's Swash to Georgetown by Jeremiah Vereen.[11]
The Withers family remained one of the few settlers around Myrtle Beach for the next half-century. In 1822, a strong hurricane swept the house of R. F. Withers into the ocean, drowning 18 people inside. The tragedy made the Withers family decide to abandon their plots along the coast, and the area, left unattended, began to return to forest.[12]
[edit] New Town
Following the Civil War, most of the abandoned land along the ocean was purchased by the Conway Lumber Company, now Burroughs & Chapin. The company built the Conway & Seashore Railroad to move chopped timber from the coast inland. A "Withers" post office was established at the site of the old Swash.
After the railroad was finished, employees of the lumber and railroad company would take train flatcars down to the beach on their weekends off, in essence becoming the first Grand Strand tourists [13]. The area where the railroad ended was nicknamed "New Town", contrasting it with the "Old Town", or Conway.
In 1900, a hotel, the Seaside Inn, had been built by the company to handle visitors from the railroad.
[edit] Myrtle Beach
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Founded in 1938,[14] A contest was held to name the town and F. G. Burroughs' wife, a member of the Burroughs family, suggested honoring the localy abundant shrub, the wax myrtle. So the town was named Myrtle Beach.[15] It continued to grow for the next couple of decades, and in 1957, it finally incorporated.[16] In 1940, Myrtle Beach Municipal Airport was built, and Kings Highway was finally paved, giving Myrtle Beach its first primary highway..
[edit] Demographics
[edit] General
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 22,759 people, 10,413 households, and 5,414 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,356.3 people per square mile (523.7/km²). There were 14,658 housing units at an average density of 873.5/sq mi (337.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.16% Caucasian, 12.76% African-American, 0.42% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 2.37% from other races, and 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.67% of the population.
There were 10,413 households out of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.0% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,498, and the median income for a family was $43,900. Males had a median income of $26,039 versus $22,473 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,214. About 7.6% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over
[edit] Tourism
[edit] General
The Grand Strand area receives a large influx of visitors during the spring, summer and fall months, with over ten million tourists visiting Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas. The area's attractions include the beaches, as well as a number of amusement parks, an aquarium, dozens of restaurants including seafood restaurants, the commercial development "Broadway by the Beach," an IMAX theater, theatre, dinner theater, nightclubs, and tourist shops. The area is home to scores of hotels, many of which are beachfront hotels. Other attractions include the Myrtle Beach State Park and fishing.
[edit] Accolades and awards
Travel Channel-TV: "America's Best Beaches - Best Beaches for Families" (2007)- The Travel Channel has Myrtle Beach one of “America’s Best Family Beaches,” one of only 15 U.S. beaches chosen for the 2007 designation.
Yahoo! Travel: World's Best Beach (2007)- Myrtle Beach’s gorgeous beaches beat out those in such exotic locales as Sydney, Australia; Miami, Florida; and Honolulu, Hawaii, in the April 2007 poll of hottest beaches conducted by Yahoo! Travel. The Grand Strand won first place as the “World’s Best Beach” based on consumer ratings collected through the prominent online travel site.
Southern Living: "Favorite Beach Towns" (2007) and "Favorite Family Vacations" (2007)- The Myrtle Beach area was again named a “Favorite Beach Town” and a “Favorite Destination for Family Vacations” in the January 2007 issue of Southern Living.
Golf Digest: "Top 100 Public Golf Courses in America" (2007)- Myrtle Beach has solidified its title in 2007 as “The Golf Capital of the World” with preemptive status as home to 10 of the top 100 public golf courses in America, according to Golf Digest.
Automobile Association of America (AAA): "Top Five Most Popular Drive Destinations" (2006) - For three consecutives years, the Myrtle Beach area has been designated among the five most popular destinations for vacationers traveling by car, according to a survey of members conducted by AAA.
[edit] Golf
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has been called the "Golf Capital of the World" [17] because of the 120 golf courses located there, the record of 4.2 million rounds played, and to top it off they have as many as 50 miniature golf courses. The majority of the area's golf courses are open to the public.
[edit] Economy
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Myrtle Beach's economy is mostly tourism-based[citation needed], with tourism bringing in millions of dollars each season[citation needed]. Restaurants and golf courses are found across the Grand Strand, with a large number concentrating in the downtown area of the city. Farms that produce tobacco, indigo, watmels, berries, and other crops also give good amounts of money into the city. Lumber companies and railroads give modest amounts of money to the city. Factories that produce plastic, rubber, cardboard, and styrafoam also exist in the city.
[edit] Education
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The Myrtle Beach metro area is home to two major institutes of higher learning, Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Conway. The area is also home to a branch of Webster University, an MBA graduate school, and NAIA, a flight school.
The entire area of Horry County is served by a single public school system, Horry County Schools, and the Myrtle Beach area is dotted with private schools of various sizes and motifs.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Roads
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The first major route into the Myrtle Beach area, U.S. Route 17, ran from the North Carolina border to the Myrtle Beach area and turned west and north into Conway. The road was named in 1933, and US 17 was extended into South Carolina a year later. The road from Myrtle Beach to Conway was later renamed US 501 in a complicated route that roughly followed the current Broadway Street, Highway 15, Seaboard Street, Robert Grissom Parkway, Highway 544, and Business US 501[citation needed].
The current route of US 501 was created in a more direct path from Aynor, South Carolina into Myrtle Beach. The new four-lane road was built in the 1960s to cover the growing traffic coming into the city, with little development occurring along the new road. The bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway was built in 1962, and the surrounding area has just recently been developed as developments have moved across the Intracoastal Waterway.
By the late 1970s, a bypass roughly paralleling a dirt road was created for bypass traffic for US 17. This original route, named South Carolina Highway 317, was opened in 1975 and allowed traffic to bypass King's Highway from the northern city limits to US 501[citation needed]. By the 1980s, the road was completed to Murrells Inlet and renamed as US 17.
Within the last decade, new roads have been created to ease congestion caused by the yearly influx of visitors. Most of these roads follow the Metro Loop Road Plan[citation needed], organized in 1997 to better the traffic flow of Myrtle Beach. Some of the roads included have either been funded through RIDE I funding or through the City of Myrtle Beach.
RIDE II plans include the third phase of the Carolina Bays Parkway, a graded separation of Farrow Parkway and US 17 Bypass at the back gate of the former Air Force base, and many other projects. The county is currently debating where to allocate the $400 million generated through a proposed 1-cent sales tax[citation needed]. Other road projects in Horry County, including some in Aynor and Conway, will be included when voted upon.
[edit] Interstates
Myrtle Beach will eventually be served by two interstates, Interstate 73 and Interstate 74. The North Myrtle Beach Connector will connect I-74 to downtown North Myrtle Beach.
[edit] Air
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The Myrtle Beach area is also served by the Myrtle Beach International Airport, located on the south side of town. The airport opened in 1976, and has served the Myrtle Beach area continuously. Hooters Air began operating out of Myrtle Beach in early 2003, only to be closed in early 2006 due to rising airline prices and the airline industry as a whole. DayJet serves 12 South Eastern cities with nonstop flights, and major airlines provide national and international service. There are also vestiges of the old Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.
[edit] Rail
Myrtle Beach is served by a single rail line which essentially runs parallel to Hwy 501 from Conway ending in downtown Myrtle Beach. The tracks are owned by Horry County, but were leased in 2000 to the Carolina Southern Railroad (CSRR) which operates on the line as the Waccamaw Coastline Railroad.[18] Carolina Southern Railroad is a shortline rail operator running on less than 100 miles of rail at a maximum speed of 10 mph. It transports mostly freight brought to it from national rail operators like CSX. The company makes just one scheduled delivery per month into the City of Myrtle Beach.[19]
[edit] Sports
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Myrtle Beach is home to three non-major sports team,the Myrtle Turtles, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, a Carolina League baseball team and Atlanta Braves farm franchise, and the Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz, an ECHL hockey team that will eventually play regularly at Coastal Carolina University in nearby Conway.
The area hosts the annual Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon, a track and field event in February featuring a Friday night 5K and a Saturday half-marathon, marathon, and relay. Marathon day draws the limit of 6,000 runners annually (2,500 full, 3,500 half) and results usually in an unusual dawn as the race starts before dawn (6:30 AM) in order to finish by 2:30 PM.
The area is home to many golf courses which dot the Strand.
Stock car racing is held at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
[edit] Media
[edit] Myrtle Beach Broadcast TV Stations
- WFXB FOX http://wfxb.com/
- WBTW CBS http://www.scnow.com/midatlantic/scp/wbtw.html
- WPDE ABC http://wpde.com/
- WMBF NBC (expected to come on air mid 2008)
- WWMB CW
- WHMC PBS
- WGSC-CA Tourist information
The Grand Strand and Florence, South Carolina share a common defined market by Nielsen Media Research in Horry, Marion, Dillon, Darlington, Marlboro, Scotland, Robeson, and Florence counties. The Myrtle Beach / Florence Market is the 103 largest market in the USA as defined by Nielsen Media Research.
[edit] Newspapers
The Sun News is arguably the largest daily paper published along the Grand Strand, with a readership base extending from Georgetown, South Carolina to Sunset Beach, North Carolina. The paper has been in existence since the 1930s and was formerly published by Knight Ridder before being bought out by The McClatchy Company NYSE: MNI
The area is also served by several weekly papers, including The Weekly Surge[1], the Myrtle Beach Herald, and the Horry Independent.
[edit] Sister Cities
Myrtle Beach has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ sky-way 2007.
- ^ Subcounty population estimates: South Carolina 2000-2006 (CSV). United States Census Bureau, Population Division (2007-06-28). Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
- ^ Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (CBSA-EST2006-02) (CSV). 2006 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division (2007-04-05). Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://ww2.coastal.edu/ben/other/IndianMounds.pdf
- ^ Catherine H. Lewis: "Horry County, Mind the H!", page 61, paragraph 7, 1995
- ^ Dr. A. Geff Bedford: "The Independent Republic, a Survey History of Horry County, South Carolina", page 36, paragraph 6, 2nd edition, 1989
- ^ Catherine H. Lewis: "Horry County, Mind the H!", page 61, paragraph 8, 1995
- ^ Dr. A. Geff Bedford: "The Independent Republic, a Survey History of Horry County, South Carolina", page 51, paragraph 2, 2nd edition, 1989
- ^ Dr. A. Geff Bedford: "The Independent Republic, a Survey History of Horry County, South Carolina", page 58, paragraphs 1-3, 2nd edition, 1989.
- ^ Dr. A. Geff Bedford: "The Independent Republic, a Survey History of Horry County, South Carolina", page 128, paragraphs 3, 2nd edition, 1989.
- ^ sky-way 2007.
- ^ sky-way 2007.
- ^ sky-way 2007.
- ^ Golf Capital Of The World
- ^ Carolina Southern
- ^ http://carolinasouthernrailroad.com/sun_news_trains.pdf
- sky-way (2007-12-05). History of Myrtle Beach Attractions. sciway2.net. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
[edit] External links
- City of Myrtle Beach
- Chamber of Commerce
- City of Myrtle Beach. Geographic Names Information System. USGS. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
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