CHARLESTON COUNTY

More than 4.3 million people visit the Charleston area annually. Its beautiful
weather, accessible location, historical charm, cultural activities, and worldfamous restaurants make the Charleston region one of the best places to live and visit.

Charleston County is the cultural and economic epicenter of the Metro region. The metropolitan area stretches 50 miles inland with 90 miles oceanfront. While many small towns and communities comprise a large portion of the county, the two largest cities are Charleston and North Charleston. Charleston’s barrier islands include Folly Beach, Isle of Palms, Johns Island, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, and Sullivan’s Island.

The region boasts a multi-billion dollar visitor industry, one of the Southeast’s most impressive medical hubs, a well-established base of national and international manufacturers, as well as a large military presence thus making the area a prime location for technology jobs and corporations. Major employers include the U.S. Navy, the Medical University of South Carolina, the Air Force Base, and the Charleston County School District.

Additionally, arts, recreational, and cultural opportunities are abundant to accommodate any lifestyle.

The Town of Awendaw, established in 1992, was named for the Sewee Indian tribe that once occupied the area. Located between Mount Pleasant and McClellanville, this rural town of 1,200 is a paradise for nature lovers. Home to the Francis Marion Forest and Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, trails, waterways and wildlife abound attracting hikers, kayakers and birder watchers. The International Center for Birds of Prey and Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center hold regularly scheduled events focusing on Lowcountry wildlife.

The city of Charleston is located on a peninsula at the point where, as Charlestonians say, “The Ashley and the Cooper Rivers come together to form the Atlantic Ocean.”

With its rich, 300-year heritage, Charleston is one of America’s most charming and beautifully preserved cities in America. A “living museum,” Charleston contains more than 3,500 historic homes and buildings dating back to the 1690s.

Though world famous for its streets lined with grand live oaks draped with Spanish moss and beautiful and historic pastel-colored homes along the waterfront, Charleston also offers a variety of museums and historical attractions. Most notable is the Old Exchange and Customs House, finished in 1771. The building features a dungeon that held various signers of the Declaration of Independence, hosted events for George Washington in 1791, and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

Charleston is also the location of Fort Sumter, the reputed site of the “first shot” of the Civil War.

The South Carolina Aquarium, Audubon Swamp Garden, and Cypress Gardens are a must-see for all nature lovers.

Folly Beach is a barrier island that is six miles long and the closest beach to the city of Charleston. It is the home of sea, sand, surfing, historical and cultural sites, a maritime forest, the Morris Island Lighthouse, gourmet food, and endangered species of birds.

Folly Beach is a “must see – must visit” place due to its abundance of outdoor activities ranging from fishing and crabbing to waterskiing and surfing. It also boasts South Carolina’s longest fishing pier!

Hollywood, named for its profusion of holly trees, is located within the Charleston metro area near Ravenel. The scenic town of 3,946 is home to the area’s renowned golf course, The Links at Stono Ferry. A part of the American Revolutionary War Battle at Stono Ferry took place where the 12th, 13th, and 14th holes are presently located.

Isle of Palms, a barrier island east of the Cooper River, offers quiet beach living and many outlets for outdoor activities.

The beach is the center of activity for those who want to enjoy the waves or take the boat out and explore nearby islands. For those who want to stay ashore, set up a picnic at the Isle of Palms County Park; bike ride or rollerblade in any of the marked paths; play golf in one of the world-class golf courses; play tennis; or go beachcombing.

Isle of Palms is also known for its wildlife. See osprey nests, pelicans soaring and diving for food, dolphins, and giant loggerhead sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs.

Established in 1993, James Island is a sprawling suburb of Charleston. It is a large triangular sea island that is framed by Wappoo Creek and Charleston Harbor to the north, Morris Island and Folly Beach to the east, and the Stono River and Johns Island to the west.

James Island is well known for its farming, fishing and shrimping, and ancient live oaks. It also features an excellent public golf course operated by the City of Charleston, and James Island County Park, which features a water fun park and a dog park for your favorite four-legged friend.

Johns Island is the second largest sea-island on the east coast. Situated west of James Island, Johns Island is bordered by the Stono River, part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The maritime forest vegetation and beautiful live oaks give the island a true Lowcountry feel.

New real estate developments located along Maybank Highway offer affordable housing alternatives. A growing number of developers are pursuing major projects along parts of its waterfront, making Johns Island an up-and-coming area in which to live.

A must-see on the island is the Angel Oak, a live oak tree off of Bohicket Road, which has a height of 65 feet and is estimated to be more than 1,400 years old. Its largest limb has a circumference of 11.25 feet and a length of 89 feet! It is the oldest living tree east of the Mississippi River.

The town of Kiawah Island was incorporated in 1988. As a private resort community, access is limited to property owners and guests. Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup, the 1997 and 2003 World Cups, and most recently the 2007 Senior PGA.

Established in the mid-1800s, McClellanville is a small picturesque village of 459 on Jeremy Creek, which flows into the Intracoastal Waterway. A self-sufficient community of schools, homes, churches, shops, and docking facilities with an economy largely dependent upon the sea, it has undergone a massive restoration since Hurricane Hugo struck in 1989. The McClellanville Arts Council and Center supports Lowcountry arts, history, books and crafts.

A thriving farming town in the early 20th century, Meggett was issued its charter from the state of South Carolina in 1905 and was incorporated in1976. In its heyday, it was the cabbage capital of the world, shipping millions of cabbage seedlings a day all over the country. The Produce Building still stands as a private home. Today, Meggett’s 1,348 residents remain proud of their legacy and committed to the town’s revitalization.

Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant was originally founded as a fishing village; today, however, it has developed as a modern suburb of Charleston. With the completion of the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge, the largest cable-stayed bridge in the Americas, traveling into Mount Pleasant from downtown Charleston is now easier then ever.

With a current population of more than 60,000 people, the town operates its own police and fire departments, and it has a recreation department with facilities that include seven parks, two public swimming pools, 17 tennis courts, 23 ball fields, and one public track. It is also Charleston’s only access to the barrier island beaches of Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms.

Mount Pleasant has many attractions that continue to draw new residents and tourists each year. Check out Boone Hall Plantation, which features nine original slave cabins, a cotton gin house and the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. The site includes archeological discoveries, an 1820s tidewater cottage, and interpretations of African-American life and contributions during the colonial era.

Neighborhoods feature a wide array of diverse residential choices: suburban cul-de-sacs, exclusive resort properties, and upscale apartments. Older neighborhoods exist as well, including the historic Old Village, which is home to both colonial and antebellum period homes as well as many historic churches.

North Charleston

North Charleston, incorporated in 1972, has a population of more than 91,500 people and encompasses more than 60 square miles. As South Carolina’s third largest municipality, North Charleston attracts more than 2 million visitors each year.

With more than 4,000 affordable to luxury accommodations, a wide selection of restaurants, entertainment complexes, shopping malls and specialty shops, and its close proximity to area attractions, North Charleston is a great place to work and live.

This thriving area is home to the North Charleston Coliseum complex, which includes a 13,500-seat coliseum, a convention center, a performing arts center, and an adjacent hotel. The complex hosts a variety of events including concerts, circuses, sporting extravaganzas, consumer shows, arts and crafts exhibits, and ice and hockey shows. It is home to a minor league hockey team, the S.C. Stingrays. North Charleston also has a public golf course, The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation.

North Charleston leads the state in gross retail sales for the 13th straight year with sales at $4.7 billions dollars. Northwoods Mall, Charlestowne Square Mall and the Tanger Outlets are a few of the retail centers that contribute to North Charleston’s status as the retail sales leader in South Carolina.

Ravenel is a town of 2,214 located within the Charleston metro area, just south of West Ashley. It is home of the innovative Caw Caw Interpretive Center, which was once part of several rice plantations and home to enslaved Africans who applied their technology and skills in agriculture to carve the series of rice fields out of cypress swamps.

Seabrook Island is located on the banks of the Edisto River and the Atlantic Ocean and is a mere 35 minutes from Charleston. This naturally preserved location is abundant with palm trees, live oaks, pine trees, and native wildlife.

The town of Sullivan’s Island, incorporated in 1817, is a barrier island north of
Charleston Harbor that contains approximately 2,000 residents. This island has a long military history of protecting the harbor from invaders. Remnants of the military are abundant in now privately held military housing; even former fortifications are now single-family residences. While on the island, visit Fort Moultrie, a fort that was instrumental in delivering a critical defeat to the British in the American Revolutionary War.

West Ashley refers to the area west of the Charleston peninsula, bordered by the Ashley River and Intracoastal Waterway. It is the oldest suburb in Charleston and the closest to town.

West Ashley has continued to prosper since the 1950s. A large selection of moderately priced homes in desirable neighborhoods is available as well as executive homes on the Ashley River, tidal marshes, and creeks. New construction of marsh homes is ongoing as boating on the Ashley River is increasingly becoming more popular. There are also many
neighborhoods with golf, tennis, and swimming.