Horry County, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Horry County is a county located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

. This name honored Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

 Hero, Peter Horry
Peter Horry
Peter Horry was a South Carolina militia leader. He started his military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains the Provincial Congress of South Carolina elected to serve the 1st and 2nd Regiments. He achieved the rank of Brigadier General , leading the 5th South Carolina Regiment. After the Fall...

. Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...

 Horry was born in South Carolina sometime around 1743 and started his distinguished military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains the Provincial Congress of South Carolina elected to serve the 1st and 2nd Regiments. In 1790 he was assigned to the South Carolina militia under Brigadier General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion
Francis Marion
Francis Marion was a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Acting with Continental Army and South Carolina militia commissions, he was a persistent adversary of the British in their occupation of South Carolina in 1780 and 1781, even after the Continental Army was driven...

.

The 2000 census recorded the county's population to be 196,629. In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded the county's population to be 269,291. Founded in 1801, its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 is Conway
Conway, South Carolina
Conway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University....

, and its largest city is Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...

. The county shares with Georgetown County an arc-shaped strip of sandy beaches and barrier islands called the Grand Strand, which is a major U. S. tourist destination and retirement community. The area centered in Myrtle Beach is becoming a metropolitan area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the county has a total area of 1255 square miles (3,250.4 km²), of which 1134 square miles (2,937 km²) is land and 121 square miles (313.4 km²) (9.66%) is water. The highest point in the county is 124 ft. above sea level.

Adjacent Counties

  • Columbus County, North Carolina
    Columbus County, North Carolina
    -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 54,749 people, 21,308 households, and 15,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 58/sq mi . As of 2004, there were 24,668 housing units at an average density of 26/sq mi...

     - northeast
  • Brunswick County, North Carolina
    Brunswick County, North Carolina
    -External links:*******....

     - east
  • Robeson County, North Carolina
    Robeson County, North Carolina
    Robeson County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010 it had a population of 134,168. Since then, it has been one of the 10% of United States counties that were majority-minority; its combined population of American Indian, African American and Latino residents comprise over...

     - northwest
  • Georgetown County, South Carolina - southwest
  • Marion County, South Carolina - west
  • Dillon County, South Carolina - northwest

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

estimates of 2008, there were 263,868 people, 81,800 households, and 54,478 families residing in the county. Horry is one of South Carolinas fastest growing counties. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 173 people per square mile (67/km²). There were 122,085 housing units at an average density of 108 per square mile (42/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.05% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 15.50% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.40% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.76% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.06% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 1.16% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.07% from two or more races. 2.57% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race.
There were 81,800 households out of which 26.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.40% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the county, the population was spread out with 21.30% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,515 and the median income for a family was $42,676. Males had a median income of $27,663 versus $21,676 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $19,949. About 8.40% of families and 12.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.90% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Major Cities

  • Conway
    Conway, South Carolina
    Conway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University....

  • Myrtle Beach
    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
    Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...

  • North Myrtle Beach
    North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
    North Myrtle Beach is a coastal resort city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It was created in 1968 from four existing municipalities north of Myrtle Beach, and serves as one of the primary tourist towns along the Grand Strand...


Smaller Cities & Towns

  • Atlantic Beach
    Atlantic Beach, South Carolina
    Atlantic Beach is a small Seaside town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 351 at the 2000 census. Most of the land around the town is annexed into the city of North Myrtle Beach.-Geography:Atlantic Beach is located at ....

  • Aynor
    Aynor, South Carolina
    Aynor is a town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 647 in September 2011. The surrounding Aynor area of Galivants Ferry has a population of 5,429 as of September 2011.-Geography:Aynor is located at ....

  • Briarcliffe Acres
    Briarcliffe Acres, South Carolina
    Briarcliffe Acres is a town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States that is between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. The population was 470 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Briarcliffe Acres is located at...

  • Garden City
    Garden City, South Carolina
    Garden City, sometimes known as Garden City Beach, is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. While Garden City is sometimes considered to be a city it is not incorporated and does not yet have a city council or mayor. The population was 9,357 at the 2000 census...

  • Loris
    Loris, South Carolina
    Loris is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,079 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Loris is located at ....

  • Surfside Beach
    Surfside Beach, South Carolina
    Surfside Beach is a small seaside town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States situated directly south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Its nickname is "The Family Beach". The population was 4,425 at the 2000 census...


CDP's

  • Bucksport
    Bucksport, South Carolina
    Bucksport is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,117 at the 2000 census. It is also a rural port on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at the merger point with the Waccamaw River...

  • Forestbrook
    Forestbrook, South Carolina
    Forestbrook is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,391 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Forestbrook is located at ....

  • Little River
    Little River, South Carolina
    Little River is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,027 at the 2000 census....

  • Red Hill
    Red Hill, South Carolina
    Red Hill is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 10,509 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Red Hill is located at ....

  • Socastee
    Socastee, South Carolina
    Socastee is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 14,295 at the 2000 census.-History:...


Unincorporated Communities/Neighborhoods

  • Allsbrook
  • Baxter Forks
  • Bayboro
  • Brooksville
  • Bucksville
    Bucksville, South Carolina
    Bucksville is a small unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It lies near Bucksport on the Pee Dee River and Waccamaw River...

  • Burgess
    Burgess, South Carolina
    Burgess is an unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States, along South Carolina Highway 707 at latitude 33.607 and longitude -79.056 and appears on the Brookgreen Gardens U.S...

  • Carolina Forest
    Carolina Forest, South Carolina
    Carolina Forest is an unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It lies between Myrtle Beach and Conway in an area planned by International Paper in the late 1990s. Regarded as the "bedroom community" of Myrtle Beach, the planned unit development will have 20,000...

  • Cherry Grove
    Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina
    Cherry Grove Beach, sometimes known as Cherry Grove, is neighborhood of the city of North Myrtle Beach in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It lies along SC 9 and SC 65. The Cherry Grove Pier is a popular landmark of Cherry Grove. It was built early in the 1950s. It has weathered many...

  • Cool Spring
    Cool Spring, South Carolina
    Cool Spring is a small unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina. Cool Spring lies approximately twelve miles north of Conway and about four miles southeast of Aynor on South Carolina Highway 319. It is a historic community known for its small spring. It was referred to by local...

  • Crescent Beach
    Crescent Beach, South Carolina
    Crescent Beach is a neighborhood of the city of North Myrtle Beach in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. In 1968 Crescent Beach merged with Windy Hill Beach, Ocean Drive Beach, and Cherry Grove Beach to form the city of North Myrtle Beach. Crescent Beach, CB is on the South Side of NMB...

  • Daisy
  • Galivants Ferry
    Galivants Ferry, South Carolina
    Galivants Ferry is a small unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It lies on the Little Pee Dee River west of Aynor, South Carolina on U.S. Route 501.-History:...

  • Glass Hill
  • Green Sea
    Green Sea, South Carolina
    Green Sea is an unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States, near the city of Loris.Green sea is located near South Carolina Highway 917.-Tourism:...

  • Gurley
  • Hand
  • Hickory Grove
  • Homewood
    Homewood, South Carolina
    Homewood is a small unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States, just north of Conway in the northeastern part of the state. There is an elementary school in the community. Many of the inhabitants make a living from family farms, growing tobacco, corn, soybeans, and...

  • Ingram Beach
  • Ketchuptown
    Ketchuptown, South Carolina
    Ketchuptown is an historic unincorporated community located in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. Ketchuptown is at the intersection of Highways 23 and 99 north of Aynor, South Carolina....

  • Konig
  • Lakewood
  • Longs
    Longs, South Carolina
    Longs is a small unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It lies about 14 miles northwest of North Myrtle Beach, located at the intersection of S.C. 9 and S.C. 905...

  • Nixonville
  • Nixons Crossroads
  • Ocean Drive Beach
  • Pine Island
    Pine Island, South Carolina
    Pine Island is an unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. Its coordinates are 33.76126 latitude and -78.91858 longitude. It is located 4 miles away from Myrtle Beach and 11 miles away from Conway...

  • Poplar
  • Red Bluff Crossroads
  • Shell
  • Springmaid Beach
    Springmaid Beach, South Carolina
    Springmaid Beach is a small unincorporated and resort community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States, south of Myrtle Beach. It lies north of Myrtle Beach State Park on Ocean Boulevard at Farrow Parkway....

  • Toddville
    Toddville, South Carolina
    Toddville is a small unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It is south of Conway on U.S. Route 701. Toddville mostly consists of farmland....

  • Wampee
    Wampee, South Carolina
    Wampee is an unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States, along South Carolina Highway 90. Wampee is located near North Myrtle Beach across from the Intracoastal Waterway. Robert Edge Parkway starts here....

  • Windy Hill

History

Originally part of colonial Craven County, (1682) in what is now North Carolina, Horry County has also been part of Prince George Winyah (1722), Prince Frederick (1734), and All Saints (1767) parishes, which served as early religious and civic jurisdictions. This area, which became part of newly-formed Georgetown District in 1769, was given its present boundaries and named Kingston County in 1785. In 1801, it was renamed Horry District, and, in 1868, Horry County.

County Council

Republicans hold a 10 to 2 majority on the county council. Terms last four years and are staggered, with half the council up for election every two years.
Position Name Affiliation District
  Chairman Tom Rice Republican At-Large
  Vice Chairman W. Paul Prince Republican District 9
  Member Harold G. Worley Republican District 1
  Member Brent Schulz Republican District 2
  Member Marion D. Foxworth III Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

District 3
  Member Gary Loftus Republican District 4
  Member Paul D. Price, Jr. Republican District 5
  Member Bob Grabowski Republican District 6
  Member James R. Frazier Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

District 7
  Member Carl Schwartzkopf Republican District 8
  Member Jody Prince Republican District 10
  Member Al Allen Republican District 11

Law enforcement

Horry County has its own police force which provides 24 hour services to the unicorporated areas of the county with the Horry County Sheriff's Office covering court security and the county jail. The South Carolina Highway Patrol
South Carolina Highway Patrol
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is the highway patrol agency for South Carolina, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state except for federal or military installations. The Highway Patrol was created in 1930 and is a paramilitary organization with a rank structure similar to the armed forces...

 has a Troop 5 barracks located in Conway and they provide services throughout the county Myrtle Beach, Conway, Briarcliffe Acres, Atlantic Beach, Surfside Beach, Loris, and Aynor all have their own Police Departments which patrol within the town or city's border. North Myrtle Beach has a Public Safety Department which provides police and fire services in the town of North Myrtle Beach.

Airports


Mass transit

  • The Coast RTA - Bus system operating seven days a week, 364 days a year. 15 routes throughout the Horry County/Grand Strand
    Grand Strand
    The Grand Strand refers to a large stretch of beaches on the East Coast of the United States extending from Little River to Georgetown in the U.S. State of South Carolina. It consists of 60+ miles along an essentially uninterrupted arc of beach land, beginning around the Little River and...

     area, including Myrtle Beach
    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
    Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...

    , North Myrtle Beach
    North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
    North Myrtle Beach is a coastal resort city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It was created in 1968 from four existing municipalities north of Myrtle Beach, and serves as one of the primary tourist towns along the Grand Strand...

    , Surfside Beach
    Surfside Beach, South Carolina
    Surfside Beach is a small seaside town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States situated directly south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Its nickname is "The Family Beach". The population was 4,425 at the 2000 census...

    , Garden City
    Garden City, South Carolina
    Garden City, sometimes known as Garden City Beach, is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. While Garden City is sometimes considered to be a city it is not incorporated and does not yet have a city council or mayor. The population was 9,357 at the 2000 census...

    , Conway
    Conway, South Carolina
    Conway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University....

    , Loris
    Loris, South Carolina
    Loris is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,079 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Loris is located at ....

    , and Aynor
    Aynor, South Carolina
    Aynor is a town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 647 in September 2011. The surrounding Aynor area of Galivants Ferry has a population of 5,429 as of September 2011.-Geography:Aynor is located at ....

    .

Major highways


  • Interstate 20
    Interstate 20 in South Carolina
    Interstate 20 is a major thoroughfare cutting across the state of South Carolina, linking the state with important transportation and business hubs to the north, west and south, including Atlanta, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina , Savannah, Georgia and Washington, D.C...

     (future)

  • Interstate 73
    Interstate 73
    Interstate 73 is a main route of the Interstate Highway System, currently located entirely within the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of a longer planned corridor, defined by various Federal laws to run from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Grayling, Michigan, but only the part south of...

     (future)
  • Interstate 74
    Interstate 74
    Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an intersection with Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an intersection with Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio...

     (future)
  • U.S. Route 76
    U.S. Route 76
    U.S. Route 76 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.-Tennessee:...

  • U.S. Route 378
    U.S. Route 378
    U.S. Route 378 is a spur of U.S. Route 78. It currently runs for 234 miles from Conway, South Carolina at U.S. Route 501 to Washington, Georgia at U.S. Route 78.-Route description:...

  • U.S. Route 501
    U.S. Route 501
    -North Carolina business loops:-Virginia business loop:-External links:*...

  • U.S. Route 701
    U.S. Route 701
    U.S. Route 701 is a spur of U.S. Route 1, although the two routes never intersect. However, using U.S. Route 301 or U.S. Route 501 would connect to U.S. Route 1. It runs 172 miles from Four Oaks, North Carolina at U.S. Route 301 to Georgetown, South Carolina at U.S. Route 17. It passes through...


See also

  • Horry County Schools
    Horry County Schools
    Horry County Schools is a public school district serving Horry County, South Carolina and is the third-largest school district in South Carolina. It serves nearly 38,000 students in 46 schools around the county in nine attendance areas...

  • Hot and Hot Fish Club
    Hot and Hot Fish Club
    The Hot and Hot Fish Club, also known as Hot and Hot Fish Club of All Saints Parish, was a gentlemen's club in the 19th century in South Carolina dedicated to epicurean pursuits: gourmet foods, strong drinks and festive times...

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Horry County, South Carolina
    National Register of Historic Places listings in Horry County, South Carolina
    This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Horry County, South Carolina.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Horry County, South Carolina, United States...


Further reading

  • Horry County, South Carolina, 1730-1993, Catherine Heniford Lewis, University of South Carolina Press , 1998, ISBN 1-57003-207-6

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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