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Myrtle Beach Area Fact Sheet

The Myrtle Beach area, popularly known as the Grand Strand, stretches from Little River to Pawleys Island, and is comprised of 14 communities along the South Carolina coast. Home to world-class golf, 60 miles of wide, sandy beaches, exciting entertainment, family attractions and Southern hospitality, the Myrtle Beach area presents the quintessential vacation experience, welcoming over 19 million visitors annually.

LOCATION

The Myrtle Beach area is the jewel of South Carolina and is nestled along the mid-Atlantic region of the eastern United States.

WEATHER

The Myrtle Beach area enjoys a mild annual average temperature of 73○ F with an average of 215 sunny days each year. Learn more.

POPULATION

Approximately 325,000 people reside in the Grand Strand.

LODGING

There are approximately 425 hotels and 180,000 accommodation units in the Myrtle Beach area. From elegant golf and seaside resorts to rustic cottages, bed & breakfasts, and mom & pop motels, the Myrtle Beach area offers accommodations for every taste and appeals to every type of traveler. There are also several campgrounds and mega RV parks located between Myrtle Beach and the South Strand, many of which are oceanfront or just steps away from the beach. In addition, there are a number of beach homes and condos available for rent, thereby giving vacationing families a true home away from home.

DINING

There are approximately 2,000 full-service restaurants in the Myrtle Beach area, and it is no surprise that seafood is one of the primary cuisines. Murrells Inlet is nicknamed “the seafood capital of South Carolina” and Calabash-style restaurants are popular in the Northern Strand as well as Carolina/ Lowcountry cuisine. Visitors will also find a range of other dishes to satisfy their appetites including steak, ribs, barbecue, home-style cooking, pizza, international fare, and regional specialties.

GOLF

The Myrtle Beach area boasts 90 championship golf courses and more than 35 extravagant miniature golf courses, making it a premiere destination for golf enthusiasts and aficionados. There are approximately 3.2 million rounds of golf played annually in the Myrtle Beach area.

ATTRACTIONS

The beach is certainly the Myrtle Beach area’s No.1 attraction, but the fun doesn’t end with surf and sand. The Grand Strand offers a wide range of unique attractions and exciting entertainment options, from shopping, dining, water sports, and theme parks, to live entertainment theaters, nightclubs, and celebrity concerts. The Myrtle Beach area boasts seven live theatres with a total of more than 7,300 seats.

RETAIL

The Grand Strand shopping complexes are destinations within themselves, including more than 200 outlet stores. Visitors can stroll along boardwalk promenades on warm evenings, venture in and out of hundreds of unique specialty stores, and dine in exceptional restaurants along the way.

MEETINGS/GROUPS

60 miles of breathtaking beachfront, more than 90 golf courses, 180,000 accommodation units, a modern convention center with 250,000-square-feet of meeting space, and an adjoining business-class hotel make the Myrtle Beach area an ideal locale for meetings and group gatherings. Plus, the John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center offers a great venue for various indoor sporting events.

FAMILY REUNIONS

The Myrtle Beach area is an ideal location for multi-generational travel or family reunions. For visitors both tall and small, the Grand Strand offers attractions certain to please every age group. Beachfront hotels, timeshares, and cottages offer spacious options that will accommodate families of all sizes.

ROMANCE

With dazzling sunsets painting the horizon and palmetto trees swaying in the gentle breezes, the Myrtle Beach area offers a picturesque location for a romantic getaway or beach wedding. The serene beach setting also makes the Grand Strand an ideal spot for newlyweds to spend a romantic and fun honeymoon.

GETTING HERE

By Plane:

Located just inland from the Atlantic Ocean, the Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) provides easy, non-stop, and connecting flights to more than 350 destinations worldwide. Airlines servicing MYR include Allegiant Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Porter Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines.

Non-stop flights are available most of the year from Myrtle Beach to: Allentown, PA; Atlanta, GA; Atlantic City, NJ; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Charleston, WV; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Clarksburg, WV; Cleveland, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Dayton, OH; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Ft. Wayne, IN; Harrisburg, PA; Hartford, CT; Houston, TX; Huntington, WV; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, MO; Latrobe, PA; Lexington, KY; Long Island, NY; Louisville, KY; Minneapolis, MN; Nashville, TN; New York (LaGuardia), NY; Newark, NJ; Niagara Falls, NY; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Plattsburg, NY; Providence, RI; St. Louis, MO; Syracuse, NY; Toronto, Ontario; Trenton, NJ; and Washington D.C.

Several regional airports that serve the Myrtle Beach area include: Conway-Horry County Airport (HWY); Grand Strand Airport-Ramp 66 (CRE); Loris-Twin Cities Airport (5J9).

By Car:

U.S. routes 17, 501 and S.C. 9 provide direct access to the Grand Strand from Interstate Highways 95 and 20. The S.C. 22 (Veterans Highway) offers an additional route from U.S. 501 to U.S. 17 on the north end of the Strand. Also completed is the Carolina Bays Parkway (S.C. 31), which runs from S.C. 9 to U.S. 501 and S.C. 544 and ultimately will extend to U.S. 17 south of Myrtle Beach. And in the works, a proposed Interstate 73 corridor would create more of a direct route for visitors to the Grand Strand from states throughout the upper mid-west and north east.

WELCOME CENTERS

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
Main Office and Myrtle Beach Welcome Center
1200 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: (843) 626-7444 Toll free: (800) 356-3016 | More

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
Airport Welcome Center, Myrtle Beach International Airport
1100 Jetport Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: (843) 626-7444 Toll free: (800) 356-3016  | More

For additional information on the Myrtle Beach area, visit www.VisitMyrtleBeach.com or call 1-888-Myrtle.