Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Hilton Head Island
Harbour Town Marina in Sea Pines Resort with the Harbour Town Lighthouse
Harbour Town Marina in Sea Pines Resort with the Harbour Town Lighthouse
Official seal of Hilton Head Island
Nickname(s): 
Hilton Head, HHI
Map
Interactive map of Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island is located in South Carolina
Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island
Location within South Carolina
Hilton Head Island is located in the United States
Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 32°10′44″N 80°44′35″W / 32.17889°N 80.74306°W / 32.17889; -80.74306
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Carolina
CountyBeaufort
Incorporated (town)1983
Named forNavigational marker left by William Hilton[1]
Government
 • MayorJohn J. McCann
 • Town managerMarc Orlando
 • Fire chiefChris Blankenship
Area
 • Total69.13 sq mi (179.05 km2)
 • Land41.35 sq mi (107.10 km2)
 • Water27.78 sq mi (71.95 km2)  40.19%
Elevation
10 ft (3 m)
Population
 • Total37,661
 • Estimate 
(2022)
38,069
 • Density910.72/sq mi (351.63/km2)
 • Urban
71,824 (US: 395th)[3]
 • Urban density1,135.7/sq mi (438.5/km2)
 • Metro232,523 (US: 202nd)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code
29925, 29926, 29928
Area code843
FIPS code45-34045[6]
GNIS feature ID1246002[7]
Websitewww.hiltonheadislandsc.gov

Hilton Head Island, often referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States.[7] It is 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and 95 miles (153 km) southwest of Charleston. The island is named after Captain William Hilton, who in 1663 identified a headland near the entrance to Port Royal Sound, which mapmakers named "Hilton's Headland." The island features 12 miles (19 km) of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular vacation destination. In 2004, an estimated 2.25 million visitors infused more than $1.5 billion into the local economy.[8] The year-round population was 37,661 at the 2020 census,[9] although during the peak of summer vacation season the population can swell to 150,000.[10] Hilton Head Island is the largest city within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 232,523 in 2023.[11][5]

The island has a rich history that started with seasonal occupation by Native Americans thousands of years ago and continued with European exploration and the Sea Island Cotton trade. It became an important base of operations for the Union blockade of the Southern ports during the Civil War. Once the island fell to Union troops, hundreds of ex-slaves flocked to Hilton Head, which is still home to many of their descendants, who are known as the Gullah (or Geechee). They have managed to hold on to much of their ethnic and cultural identity.[12]

The Town of Hilton Head Island incorporated as a municipality in 1983 and is well known for its eco-friendly development.[13] The town's Natural Resources Division enforces the Land Management Ordinance which minimizes the impact of development and governs the style of buildings and how they are situated amongst existing trees.[14] As a result, Hilton Head Island enjoys an unusual amount of tree cover relative to the amount of development.[15] Approximately 70% of the island, including most of the tourist areas, is located inside gated communities.[16] However, the town maintains several public beach access points, including one for the exclusive use of town residents, who have approved several multimillion-dollar land-buying bond referendums to control commercial growth.[17]

Hilton Head Island offers an unusual number of cultural opportunities for a community its size, including plays at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, the 120-member full chorus of the Hilton Head Choral Society, the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, an annual outdoor, tented wine tasting event on the east coast, and several other annual community festivals. It also hosts the RBC Heritage, a PGA Tour tournament played on the Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines Resort.[18]

  1. ^ "Captain William Hilton and the Founding of Hilton Head Island". www.hiltonheadisland.org. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  3. ^ United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  6. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 27, 1996. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Hilton Head Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  8. ^ "Employment Fast Facts," Archived 2010-04-14 at the Wayback Machine Hilton Head Island — Bluffton Chamber of Commerce – Accessed January 31, 2007.
  9. ^ "Hilton Head Island town; South Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  10. ^ "Consolidated Municipal Budget Fiscal Year July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017," Archived September 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Town of Hilton Head Island, Accessed August 22, 2017.
  11. ^ "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023.
  12. ^ "Snapshots," Archived 2008-02-29 at the Wayback Machine Sky Magazine (Delta), December 2007. Accessed December 24, 2007.
  13. ^ William W. Starr, "Graceful Growth," Archived 2008-02-29 at the Wayback Machine Sky Magazine (Delta), December 2007. Accessed December 20, 2007.
  14. ^ "20 Who Made a Difference," Archived 2003-10-03 at the Wayback Machine Lowcountry Now (Savannah Morning News), 2003 – Accessed February 16, 2007.
  15. ^ Gale B. "Hilton Head: the canopy view," Archived 2015-10-16 at the Wayback Machine American Forests, November–December 1990. Accessed February 16, 2007.
  16. ^ "Hilton Head, way ahead of its time," Archived 2010-05-24 at the Wayback Machine USA Today, September 1, 2006 – Accessed February 14, 2007.
  17. ^ Whitney T. and Gordon J. "An Investigation of Sprawl Development and Its Effect on Transportation Planning: The Lower Savannah Region of Government," Archived 2017-06-18 at the Wayback Machine South Carolina State University — School of Engineering Technology and Sciences, 2001 – Accessed February 15, 2007.
  18. ^ "Hilton Head Island an unquestionable golfing mecca," Archived 2007-12-24 at the Wayback Machine CBS Sportsline.com, April 9, 2007. Accessed May 8, 2007