Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA Today, Hilton Head has a year-round popula- tion of approximately 40,000, which can swell to over 120,000 a day during the busy tourist season, including some 15,000 people who come from the mainland to work. The island features over 13 miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean, over 64 miles of pedestrian pathways, eight beach and 12 town parks, internationally recognized golf courses and tennis facilities, and world class restaurants, hotels, and residential vacation rentals. Ap- proximately 70 percent of the island is located inside planned communities. The Town, which incorporated in 1983, maintains several public beach access points, including one with park- ing, predominately, for town residents, who have approved several multimillion-dollar land-buying bond referendums to control com- mercial growth. “We became a town in 1983 out of concern of over-development,” explains Town Manager, Steve Riley. “It’s a finite island and we didn’t want to overbuild it. There are limits on where we can put roads and infrastructure, and be- WHAT: A resort island of 40,000 on the South Carolina coast. WHERE: 20 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia WEBSITE: www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov www.culturehhi.org AT A GLANCE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA