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Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

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70-623: 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 . Myrtle Beach

140-602: A 20-year period before declining late in the first decade of the 21st century. Tiger Woods declared Myrtle Beach "the mecca of golf" when visiting in 1997. The majority of the area's golf courses are public. The Grand Strand is home of " Hootie and the Blowfish Day After the Masters Tournament". Extensive Chinese investment to the Myrtle Beach area golf market has resulted in a significant surge of Chinese tourists to

210-469: A charter to build the Conway & Seashore Railroad to transport timber from the coast to inland customers. The railroad began daily service on 1 May 1900, with two wood-burning locomotives. One of the engines was dubbed The Black Maria and came second-hand from a North Carolina logging operation. After the railroad was finished, employees of the lumber and railroad company would take train flatcars down to

280-522: A city ordinance. In addition, the Court ruled that the ordinance created undue confusion, and that the city itself had invalidated their own helmet law and some other ordinances in a subsequent amendment. The law had been challenged by a group of motorcyclists and a group of Myrtle Beach businesses called BOOST, Business Owners Organized to Support Tourism, who opposed the city's anti-motorcycle tourism policy. Major shopping malls in Myrtle Beach include: The area

350-467: A direct hit by a major hurricane is infrequent in Myrtle Beach. The last hurricane to cause significant damage in Myrtle Beach was Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The worst hurricane in Myrtle Beach's history was Hurricane Hazel in 1954. Myrtle Beach is the largest principal city of the Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC Combined Statistical Area , which had an estimated population of 463,209 in 2023, and includes

420-583: A mile of Grand Strand beach and is a prime location for camping, swimming, hiking, biking, and fishing. Pier 14 by the Boardwalk. The Myrtle Beach Convention Center is a large facility that hosts a variety of meetings, conferences, exhibits, and special events every year. The expansive center, which opened in 2003, has a Sheraton hotel and resort. Each March since 1951 during Ontario 's spring break , Myrtle Beach has hosted Canadian-American Days, also known as Can-Am Days. Tens of thousands of tourists flock to

490-465: A night at Windy Hill (part of present-day North Myrtle Beach ) and was led across Wither's Swash to Georgetown by Jeremiah Vereen. 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

560-492: Is 0.16 murders, 1.43 rapes, 4.31 robberies and 10.83 assaults. The FBI reported 483 violent crimes in 2000, of which 1 was murder and 39 were rapes. Myrtle Beach's economy is dominated by the tourist industry; hotels, motels, resorts, restaurants, attractions, and retail developments exist in abundance to serve visitors. Hosting over 20 million visitors annually, the Grand Strand is home to an array of tourist attractions, and

630-545: Is also home to a branch of Webster University , an MBA graduate school, and North American Institute of Aviation (NAIA), a flight school. Conway has a public library , a branch of the Horry County Memorial Library. Conway is home to the Conway–Horry County Airport (HYW), a small airport located 4 miles (6 km) west of town, along US 378 . A large part of Horry County is served by

700-501: Is home to numerous golf courses and mini-golf courses along the Grand Strand and further inland. Myrtle Beach has been called the "Golf Capital of the World" because of the roughly 100 golf courses there, the record 4.2 million rounds played, and many miniature golf courses. 3.2 million total rounds of golf were played in 2017, down a "few hundred rounds" from a decade earlier. The number of golf courses more than doubled to over 120 over

770-637: Is home to the university's men's and women's basketball teams, and the women's volleyball teams. It replaced Kimbel Arena for this purpose. The city is run by an elected mayor-council government system with one mayor and 6 council members. The current mayor is Barbara Blain-Bellamy who was first sworn in on January 4, 2016 and re-elected on January 6, 2020. The 6 council members are Amanda Butler, Autry Benton, Beth Helms, William Goldfinch IV, Justin Jordan, and Larry White. Council members are elected at large and serve staggered four year terms. Each member, including

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840-896: Is land and 0.27 square miles (0.70 km) (1.14%) is water. According to the Köppen climate classification , Myrtle Beach has a humid subtropical climate or Cfa – typical of the Gulf and South Atlantic states. The city enjoys abundant sunshine year-round with more than 2800 hours annually. The summer season is long, hot, and humid in Myrtle Beach. Average daytime highs are from 83 to 91 °F (28 to 33 °C) and average night-time lows are near 70 °F (21 °C). The coastal location of Myrtle Beach mitigates daytime summer heat somewhat compared to inland areas of South Carolina: Thus, while nearby Florence averages 65 days annually with high temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher – Myrtle Beach averages only 21. The Bermuda High pumps in humidity from

910-526: Is land and 0.90 square miles (2.3 km ) (3.54%) is water. The downtown is sited on the west bank of the Waccamaw River where it is joined by a creek called Kingston Lake. The Waccamaw flows south to the Pee Dee River and ultimately Winyah Bay at Georgetown. Conway has a humid subtropical climate, with mild winters and hot, humid summers. The local climate allows plants like kale to survive deep into

980-517: 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. Located along the historic King's Highway (modern day U.S. Route 17 ), the region was once home to

1050-588: Is used simply for a locale popular among tourists. One task force in British Columbia used the definition of an incorporated or unincorporated contiguous area where the ratio of transient rooms, measured in bed units, is greater than 60% of the permanent population. Generally, tourism is the main export in a resort town economy, with most residents of the area working in the tourism or resort industry. Shops and luxury boutiques selling locally themed souvenirs , motels , and unique restaurants often proliferate

1120-703: The 18th-most populous city in the state. The city is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area . It is the home of Coastal Carolina University . Numerous buildings and structures located in Conway are on the National Register of Historic Places . Among these is the City Hall building , designed by Robert Mills , architect of the Washington Monument . Since the completion of the Main Street USA project in

1190-465: The Intracoastal Waterway , forcing the city and area in general to develop within a small distance from the coast. In part due to this separation, the area directly northwest of Myrtle Beach, across the waterway, remained primarily rural for a while, whereas its northeastern and southwestern ends were bordered by other developed tourist towns, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach . Since then,

1260-623: The National Register of Historic Places . Also listed were the Chesterfield Inn , Rainbow Court and the Myrtle Beach Pavilion , all now demolished. The Gay Dolphin Gift Cove on the Boardwalk was built in 1946 and sells seashells and Myrtle Beach souvenirs. It claims to be the "nation's largest gift shop". Myrtle Beach has been separated from the continental United States since 1936 by

1330-551: 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

1400-410: The buttocks ) are not permitted in public in Myrtle Beach, including all beaches. Violators of the ban may be arrested, jailed, or fined. The city's "thong ordinance" has been in effect since the 1990s. Myrtle Beach Bike Week, also called "Harley Bike Week", is a week-long motorcycle rally first held in 1940, the same year Kings Highway was paved. The event has attracted as many as 200,000 visitors to

1470-587: The 1980s, Conway's downtown has been revitalized with shops and bistros. Highlighting the renovation of the downtown area is the Riverwalk, an area of restaurants which follows a stretch of the Waccamaw River that winds through Conway. Conway is one of the oldest towns in South Carolina. Early English colonists named the village "Kings Town" but soon changed it to "Kingston". The town was founded in 1732 as part of Royal Governor Robert Johnson's Township Scheme. It

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1540-460: The 60s and 70s. The beach season in Myrtle Beach normally runs from late April through late October. Sea surface temperatures are often in the lower 80's (26–28 °C) off South Carolina in summer and early fall. The temperature range measured in Myrtle Beach has historically ranged from a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) on June 26, 1952 and August 5, 1954 to the record winter cold of 9 °F (−13 °C) on February 18, 1958. In spite of

1610-559: The City of Myrtle Beach was settled in 2006 without the city paying damages, but with the agreement police would use the same traffic control rules during both the black and the white motorcycle rallies. The South Carolina Supreme Court in June 2010 unanimously overturned one of the 15 ordinances, which had required all motorcyclists to wear helmets , on the grounds that the state law, requiring helmets only for riders under age 21, cannot be preempted by

1680-587: The Coast Regional Transit Authority (RTA), formerly known as the Waccamaw Regional Transit Authority and as Lymo. The primary station and offices are located in downtown Conway, near the historic district. R. J. Corman Railroad's Carolina Line is a short-line railroad which serves parts of North and South Carolina. Conway is located on the railroad's Chadbourn, NC –Myrtle Beach, SC branch. The historic Conway railroad depot

1750-816: The Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area (Horry County) and the Murrells Inlet, SC Micropolitan Statistical Area (Georgetown County). As of the 2020 census , there were 35,682 people, 13,817 households, and 7,678 families residing in the city. At the 2010 census , the population of Myrtle Beach was 27,109. At the 2000 census , there were 22,759 permanent residents in Myrtle Beach, 10,413 households, 5,414 families, 1,356.5 per square mile (523.7/km), with 14,658 housing units at an average density of 873.5 per square mile (337.3/km). The city's racial makeup was: Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race, were 13.7% of

1820-758: The South Carolina General Assembly changed the name of the town to "Conway". Conway is situated on the South Carolina Coastal Plain on the western banks of the Waccamaw River , and is approximately 14 miles (23 km) from the Atlantic Ocean . U.S. Route 701 , U.S. Route 501 , and U.S. Route 378 pass through Conway. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 25.41 square miles (65.8 km ), of which 24.51 square miles (63.5 km )

1890-402: The airport is well connected for both domestic and international tourists. It also serves as a seasonal gateway to and from the likes of Chicago, Dallas and Toronto. The city is between Wilmington, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina with U.S. Route 17 serving as the main transport link for those journeying between those cities. Thongs (or any swimwear revealing any portion of

1960-399: The area and also resulted in 25+ golf courses being owned and/or operated by Chinese nationals. Resort city A resort town , resort city or resort destination is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy . A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes the term resort town

2030-437: The area for a week's worth of special events. Myrtle Beach is also home to Coastal Uncorked, a food and wine festival held in the late spring annually. The city hosts Sun Fun Festival early each June. Later in June, Myrtle Beach is a popular destination for recently graduated high school seniors for Senior Week . Carolina Country Music Fest (CCMF) is an outdoor country music festival that takes place in June of each year and

2100-735: The area receives a large influx of visitors during all seasons. It is estimated that nearly 100,000 visitors a year are international travelers, including tourists from Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. Myrtle Beach hosts a variety of special conventions, events, and musical concerts. The area's attractions include its beaches and courses, amusement parks, an aquarium, Legends in Concert , retail developments, shopping complexes and over 1,900 restaurants including seafood restaurants. The area also has dinner theaters, nightclubs, and many tourist shops. Myrtle Beach has approximately 425 hotels, with many on

2170-402: The average family size was 3.02. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 15.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75 males. The median income for a household in the city

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2240-454: The beach and opened the Seaside Inn in 1901. Around 1900, a contest was held to name the area, and Burroughs's wife suggested honoring the locally abundant shrub, the southern wax myrtle ( Myrica cerifera ). The Withers post office changed its name to "Myrtle Beach" soon afterward. It incorporated as a town in 1938 and as a city in 1957. In 1937, Myrtle Beach Municipal Airport was built. It

2310-467: The beach area on their free weekends, becoming the first Grand Strand tourists. The railroad terminus was nicknamed "New Town", contrasting it with the "Old Town", or Conway . Around the start of the 20th century, Franklin Burroughs envisioned turning New Town into a tourist destination rivaling the Florida and northeastern beaches. Burroughs died in 1897, but his sons completed the railroad's expansion to

2380-591: The beachfront, and approximately 157 accommodation units in total. The area is also home to over 80 golf courses and over 30 miniature golf courses. Live shows are offered year round at theaters including the Alabama Theatre , Carolina Opry , Asher Theater, Calvin Gilmore Theater, Legends in Concert , and Medieval Times Family Dinner Theater. Several shows offer special holiday themed shows. The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk opened in 2010 and has been recognized as

2450-580: The city every May. Black Bike Week , founded in 1980, takes place the weekend around Memorial Day Weekend and is the largest African American motorcycle rally in the US and attracts as many as 400,000 visitors. The event was created in response to a history of discrimination against African-American visitors and riders to Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand Area. The Myrtle Beach government created 15 new laws aimed at preventing all sanctioned motorcycle events within

2520-601: The city in response to controversy including accusations of racism by African-American riders during their event and complaints of lawlessness and poor behavior during all highly attended events. Several lawsuits by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) against Myrtle Beach businesses were settled with agreements that discrimination cease, compensation be given to some plaintiffs, and employees be given diversity training. The NAACP suit against

2590-536: The city. At the 2000 census , there were 11,788 people, 4,259 households, and 2,942 families residing in the city. The population density was 927.8 inhabitants per square mile (358.2/km ). There were 4,783 housing units at an average density of 376.5 per square mile (145.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 55.82% White , 41.85% African American , 0.21% Native American , 0.74% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.64% from other races , and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of

2660-526: The coast, including the Witherses: John, Richard, William, and Mary. This family received an area around present-day Wither's Swash, also known as Myrtle Swash or the Eight-Mile Swash. A separate grant was granted to James Minor, including a barrier island named Minor Island, now Waties Island , off the coast near Little River. Mary Withers's gravestone at Prince George Winyah Parish Church speaks to

2730-441: The coast. Left unattended, the area began to return to forest. The Burroughs and Collins Company of Conway , predecessor of modern-day Burroughs & Chapin, purchased much of the Withers family's land in 1881. The growing community was called "New Town" around the start of the 20th century. A post office named "Withers" was established to serve the site of the old Swash in 1888. On 28 February 1899, Burroughs and Collins received

2800-477: The country's overall economic growth and development. In addition, business generated by resort towns have been credited with supporting the local economy through times of national market failure and depression. In a study conducted by the Urban and Regional Planning Department of Istanbul Technical University , 401 local residents in the resort community of Antalya were interviewed and asked to give their opinion on

2870-438: The downtown areas of a resort town. In the case of the United States, resort towns were created around the late 1800s and early 1900s with the development of early town-making. Many resort towns feature ambitious architecture, romanticizing their location, and dependence on cheap labor. If the resorts or tourist attractions are seasonal in nature (such as a ski resort ), resort towns typically experience an on-season where

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2940-491: The economic impacts of tourism. Among the participants, 67% had lived in Antalya for over ten years, 66% had at least a high school degree, and 30% reported jobs that were related to tourism. The results are as follows: Perceived impact on select economic impact items (Antalya) More recently, resort towns have come under greater scrutiny by local communities. Instances where resort towns are poorly managed have adverse effects on

3010-640: The heat of the day – followed by brief and intense downpours. On average, September is the wettest month, with August close behind, due to the combination of thunderstorms and tropical weather systems that peaks these months. Myrtle Beach has mostly mild winters of short duration: Average daytime highs range from 57 to 61 °F (14 to 16 °C) and nighttime lows are in the 36 to 38 °F (2 to 3 °C) from December through February. Winter temperatures vary more than summer temperatures in Myrtle Beach: Some winters can see several cold days with highs only in

3080-456: The historic Waccamaw tribe. 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. The first European settlers along Long Bay arrived in the late 18th century, attempting to extend the plantation system outward toward the ocean. Records are sparse from this period, with most of

3150-969: The host country or the local communities. Income to local communities generated by tourism are all of the expenditures accrued after taxes, profits, and wages are paid out; however, around 80% of traveler's expenditures go to airlines, hotels, and international companies, not to local businesses. These funds are referred to as leakages . Tourism has also been blamed for other negative economic impacts to local communities. Although resort towns usually boast more improved infrastructure than surrounding areas, these developments usually present high costs to local governments and tax payers. Reallocating government funds to subsidize infrastructure and tax breaks to firms shift available funding to local education and health services. In addition, resort towns typically do not have dynamic economies, resulting in an over dependence on one industry. Economic dependence on tourism poses particular challenges to resort towns and its local residents given

3220-525: The inland portion of the Myrtle Beach area has developed dramatically. Myrtle Beach is 67 miles (108 km) by highway southeast of Florence, South Carolina , 94 miles (151 km) northeast of Charleston, South Carolina , and 74 miles (119 km) southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.69 square miles (61.4 km), of which 23.42 square miles (60.7 km)

3290-519: The local economy. One example is the uneven distribution of income and land ownership between local residents and businesses. During tourist season, increased demand for accommodation may raise the price of land, causing a simultaneous increase in rent for local residents whose income in invariably lower than foreign residents. This results in a preponderance of foreigners in the land market and an erosion of economic opportunities for local residents. The revenues amassed from tourism typically do not benefit

3360-422: The mayor, has one vote in city matters. Council members meet twice a month; on the first and third Monday at 4:00 p.m. at Conway Council Chambers. Most of the county is served by a single public school system, Horry County Schools . Private schools include Conway Christian School. Conway is home to two major institutes of higher learning, Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College . It

3430-477: The mild winter averages, ice days have been recorded, albeit rarely. The coldest daily maximum was 25 °F (−4 °C) in January 11, 1962 whereas the normal year between 1991 and 2020 had the coldest maximum average of 37 °F (3 °C). Overnight lows can be extremely hot and muggy, although the record warm low of 88 °F (31 °C) on July 12, 1942 is some way above the means of 81 °F (27 °C) for

3500-526: The nation's #3 boardwalk by National Geographic and one of the best US boardwalks by Travel + Leisure magazine. The Myrtle Beach Skywheel opened at the boardwalk in May 2011, and is a 200-foot (61 m) observation wheel, similar to a ferris wheel, with glass gondolas that look over the Atlantic Ocean. This is the first wheel of its kind in the U.S. Myrtle Beach State Park , established in 1935, has just under

3570-455: 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. More than 104,000 people moved to the area over eight years, representing a nearly 28% growth in population. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Long Bay area was inhabited by

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3640-453: The population. Of the total Myrtle Beach population: Crime rate levels in Myrtle Beach are high compared to the rest of South Carolina. The FBI reported 583 cases of violent crime in the year 2016, of which 5 were murder, 46 were rape and 139 were robbery. Aggravated assault 348, property crime 4395, burglary 469, larceny theft 3555, motor vehicle theft 371, and arson 10 were also reported. The average number of crimes per thousand population

3710-406: The population. There were 4,259 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 23.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and

3780-442: The quick development of retirement and vacation-based residences. However, most of the employment available in resort towns are typically low paying and it can be difficult for workers to afford to live the area in which they are employed. Many resort towns have spawned nearby bedroom communities where the majority of the resort workforce lives. Resorts towns sometimes struggle with problems regarding sustainable growth , due to

3850-501: The recorded history pieced together from English colonial land grant documents. These settlers gained mixed results, producing unremarkable quantities of indigo and tobacco, the two major commodity crops. The coast's soil was sandy and most of the crop yields were of inferior quality. Prior to the American Revolution , the area along the future Grand Strand was essentially uninhabited. Several families received land grants along

3920-567: 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." As the American colonies gained independence, the area remained essentially unchanged, and the coast remained barren. George Washington scouted out the Southern states during his term, traveling down the King's Highway . He stayed

3990-526: The seasonal nature of the economy, the dependence on a single industry, and the difficulties in retaining a stable workforce. Local residents are generally receptive of the economic impacts of tourism. Resort towns tend to enjoy lower unemployment rates, improved infrastructure, more advanced telecommunication and transportation capabilities, and higher standards of living and greater income in relation to those who live outside this area. Increased economic activity in resort towns can also have positive effects on

4060-404: The seasonal nature of the job market in some areas. Local residents of resort towns face job insecurity, difficulties in obtaining training, medical-benefits, and housing. Conway, South Carolina Conway is a city and the county seat of Horry County, South Carolina , United States. The population was 24,849 at the 2020 census , up from 17,103 in the 2010 census , making it

4130-406: The town is bustling with tourists and workers, and an off-season where the town is populated only by a small amount of local year-round residents. In addition, resort towns are often popular with wealthy retirees and people wishing to purchase vacation homes , which typically drives up property values and the cost of living in the region. Sometimes, resort towns can become boomtowns due to

4200-433: The tropical Atlantic toward Myrtle Beach, giving summers a near-tropical feel in the city. The warm Atlantic Ocean reaches 80 °F (27 °C) or higher in the summer months off Myrtle Beach, making for warm and sultry summer nights. Summer thunderstorms are common in the hot season in Myrtle Beach, and the summer months from June through September have the most precipitation . In summer, thunderstorms normally build during

4270-562: The upper 40s F (7–9 °C), while other winter days can see highs in the upper 60s and low 70s F (19–23 °C). Myrtle Beach averages 33 days annually with frost , though in some years less than 15 days will see frost. Snowfall is very rare in Myrtle Beach; however, at least a trace of snow falls a few times each decade. In February 2010, a rare 2.8 inches (71 mm) of snow fell in Myrtle Beach. The spring (March, April and May) and fall (September, October and November) months are normally mild and sunny in Myrtle Beach, with high temperatures in

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4340-408: The warmest annual minimum. Summer thunderstorms are typically brief, but severe thunderstorms do occur on occasion. Tornadoes are rare, with the most significant event occurring in 2001 when multiple tornadoes touched down in the area. Tropical cyclones occasionally impact Myrtle Beach, though weaker tropical storms and weak tropical lows are more common. Like most areas prone to tropical cyclones,

4410-478: The winter months, despite the lower amount of light. 60's and 70's weather are not rare during the months of December, January, and February. Spring starts in March, as usual for the climatic schedule of the area. Comparable major metro areas for this climate of Conway include Montgomery, Alabama and Jackson, Mississippi . As of the 2020 census , there were 24,849 people, 7,921 households, and 4,881 families residing in

4480-410: Was $ 32,155, and the median income for a family was $ 39,189. Males had a median income of $ 26,720 versus $ 21,310 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 16,611. About 15.9% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over. Employers located in the Conway area include: Grainger Generating Station

4550-493: Was a coal-fired power plant operated by Santee Cooper . It generated electricity from 1966 until its retirement in 2012. Conway is the home of Kimbel Library and the Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery at Coastal Carolina University. The gallery houses differing exhibits throughout the year. HTC Center is a 3,370-seat multi-purpose arena located on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway. It

4620-426: Was founded in 2015 by Charlotte-based company Full House Productions. Due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic the festival wasn't held in 2020, but is scheduled to return in 2021 and take place on 10–13 June 2021. Myrtle Beach International Airport serves the city and surrounding area. With regular flights to and from destinations such as Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, New York and Washington,

4690-570: Was known as the "Swamp Fox", had an encampment near Kingston just across the Waccamaw River. The areas of Kingston and Charles Town were communities with a higher population of Tories than many other Colonial American towns during the Revolutionary War era. Horry County was created in 1801, and its courthouse was established in Kingston. The name "Kingston" was later changed to "Conwayborough", to honor local hero General Robert Conway. In 1883,

4760-421: Was laid out on a bluff overlooking the Waccamaw River in what is now known as Horry County. For three decades, from the 1730s to the 1750s, King George II was very popular in the area. The King's birthday was one of the most widely celebrated holidays during that time. However, his successor King George III quickly grew unpopular with the townspeople. By the 1770s, the region of South Carolina in which Kingston

4830-646: Was located in was overwhelmingly English , though there were also small numbers of Huguenots and Scots-Irish people. English-Americans in Kingston were very sympathetic to rebels in Charleston over the issue of taxation without representation. When the Royal Governor Lord William Campbell fled Charleston, the people of Kingston celebrated. Many area residents fought in the American Revolution , and small engagements were fought near Kingston at Bear Bluff and at Black Lake. Francis Marion , who

4900-659: Was taken over by the United States Army Air Corps in 1940 and converted into a military base . Commercial flights began in 1976 and shared the runway for over 15 years until the air base closed in 1993. Since then the airport has been named Myrtle Beach International Airport . In 2010 plans to build a new terminal were approved. In 1940, Kings Highway was finally paved, giving Myrtle Beach its first primary highway. The Myrtle Heights-Oak Park Historic District , Myrtle Beach Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station , Ocean Forest Country Club and Pleasant Inn are listed on

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