Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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
United States
March 12, 1938[1]
1957
The wax myrtle, an abundant local shrub[2]
Brenda Bethune[3]
- Brenda Bethune – Mayor
- Jackie Vereen Hatley – Mayor Pro Tempore
- Michael Chestnut
- John Krajc
- Clyde H. "Mike" Lowder
- Philip N. Render, DMD
- Gregg Smith
23.69 sq mi (61.36 km2)
23.42 sq mi (60.65 km2)
0.27 sq mi (0.71 km2) 1.14%
35,682
38,417
13th in South Carolina
1,523.76/sq mi (588.32/km2)
1,365.5/sq mi (527.2/km2)
397,478 (US: 139th)
45-49075[8]
1249770[9]
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 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 the one of 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]
Media[edit]
Television[edit]
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. Two major stations are licensed to Myrtle Beach: NBC affiliate WMBF-TV 32 and Fox affiliate WFXB 43. Myrtle Beach is also served by PBS member stations WHMC/WJPM-TV 23/33, licensed respectively to Conway and Florence, and two commercial stations licensed to Florence: CBS affiliate WBTW 13 (with MyNetworkTV on DT2) and ABC affiliate WPDE-TV 15, (with The CW on 15.2). WBTW has moved most of its operations to Myrtle Beach, while WPDE is now based in Conway.
Infrastructure[edit]
Healthcare[edit]
Grand Strand Medical Center (GSMC) is a 369-bed acute care hospital and Level 1 Adult Trauma Center known for its programs in cardiology, heart surgery, and stroke treatment. It was opened on 21 April 1978 to succeed the former Ocean View Memorial Hospital (1958-1978), the first major hospital in Myrtle Beach. GSMC contains the only cardiac surgery and neurosurgery programs in the greater Myrtle Beach area and was a recipient of the Healthgrades 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery in 2012 and 2013. As a teaching hospital, Grand Strand Medical Center is the home of ACGME accredited residency training programs (internal medicine, general surgery, emergency medicine, and family medicine), and hosts rotating medical students from the University of South Carolina and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM). Over 270 physicians and 1,400 staff serve at the facility.[76][77]
, Ontario, Canada
Burlington
, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Keighley
, Argentina
Pinamar
, County Kerry, Ireland
Killarney
Myrtle Beach has five sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:[104]
