The Town of Hilton Head, South Carolina, is located on an island of the same name in Beaufort County, South Carolina. It is 20 miles north of Savannah, Georgia, and 95 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The island features 12 miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular vacation destination. In 2004, an estimated 2.25 million visitors pumped more than $1.5 billion into the local economy. The year-round population was 33,862 at the 2000 census, although during the peak of summer vacation season the population can swell to 275,000. Over the past decade, the island's population growth rate was 32%.

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 these native islanders, many of whom are descendants of freed slaves known as the Gullah (or Geechee) who have managed to hold onto much of their ethnic and cultural identity.

In the early 1950s, Joseph Fraser and Fred Hack saw the potential of Hilton Head Island as a vast tree farm. They purchased thousands of forested acres on the island for timber. In 1957, Fraser's son, Charles, broke ground for a new resort in Hilton Head Island's longleaf pine forests. When Fraser started planning Sea Pines Plantation. At the time, Hilton Head was an isolated place and most of Beaufort County was impoverished. But Sea Pines' extraordinary success changed all of that.

Within just a couple of generations, Beaufort County was transformed from among the poorest to one of the richest counties in the state. Sea Pines Plantation was the first resort development on the island. Soon other developments, such as Hilton Head Plantation, Palmetto Dunes Plantation, Shipyard Plantation, and Port Royal Plantation followed, imitating the Sea Pines architecture and landscape. In 1983, Hilton Head Island was incorporated as a town.

Shortly thereafter, a four-lane bridge was constructed to replace the James Byrnes two-lane swing bridge (1982). The completion of the Cross Island Parkway in 1998, which connects the island's north and south ends via a six-mile stretch of road, is one of the most recent stepping stones in Hilton Head's development. The idea to connect the road dates back to the 1950s with Fraser and his brother, Joe. The bridge spanning Broad Creek was named in Charles Fraser's honor. Today, more than 30,000 people call Hilton Head home and more than 2 million visitors flock to the island each year.

The Town of Hilton Head has served as the filming location for the 1974 Burt Reynolds movie, "The Longest Yard," and, more recently, Brad Pitt's 2000 golfing film, "The Legend of Bagger Vance."

The Lowcountry Region, including Beaufort County, offers so much to see and do, from a variety of recreational pursuits (fishing, sailing, hunting, bird watching, paddling, surfing, golf, and tennis, to name a few) to enjoying the many historic and artistic venues scattered through the region (lighthouses, historic buildings, museums, art galleries, concerts, movie locations, the Penn Center Historic District, etc).

Local plantation homeowners and their guests love to re-experience the Lowcountry often by taking advantage of the many local tours through the area. Whether being pulled by horse-drawn carriage, riding an air-conditioned bus, enjoying the thrills of boating or kayaking or even joining one of the frequent walking tours, Beaufort County residents - full or part-time - know to relax around the island. Shopping on Hilton Head Island can include one-of-a-kind treasures from the South Carolina Artisans Center, to clever, little, eclectic shops, to mega, bargain hunting at factory outlets.

If you love the outdoors, a beautiful day's walk or easy drive and a little invigorating competition, don't miss an opportunity to tee off in the Lowcountry, one of the world's premier golf destinations. Dozens of courses to delight players of every skill level stretch across Beaufort County. Lowcountry fairways are respected for their spectacular lagoons, envied for the scenic marshes and maritime forests and long remembered for their abundant wildlife experiences. And the golfing is great, as well. With its temperate climate and year-round sunshine, Beaufort County, South Carolina is the perfect place to enjoy a satisfying round of golf.

And, the island itself is a true paradise. Hilton Head Island in coastal South Carolina is often referred to as the second largest barrier island on the eastern seaboard after Long Island (which is not actually a barrier island but two glacial moraines). Technically, Hilton Head Island is only half barrier island. The north end of the island is a sea island dating to the Pleistocene epoch, and the south end is a barrier island that appeared as recently as the Holocene epoch. Broad Creek, which is actually a land-locked tidal marsh, separates the two halves of the island.

For many years, Hilton Head Island in South Carolina has been renowned as a world class destination for golf, tennis and for family vacations. With over 14 miles of beach, terrific shopping, nature preserves, water sports, biking and so much more, it's no wonder why Hilton Head Island has become a permanent home for so many vacationers.

But vacationers are not the only people who love this ideal locale on the Atlantic. Island real estate is immensely popular and coveted. Million dollar estates, plush executive plantations, luxurious homes, condos, gated community properties and waterside manors are abundant throughout the island. It is as common as sunshine to find yachts standing as if in permanent salute along elegant marinas at docking spots up and down Hilton Head's coastline.

Despite extensive development, however, much of the Island remains as it was when sighted from William Hilton's ship more than 300 years ago. Hilton Head Island's natural beauty, spectacular seascapes and exceptional ecology now beckon a new generation of explorers.

For more information on activities in and around Hilton Head, South Carolina, visit:

• Town of Hilton Head, SC
• Beaufort County, SC
• Hilton Head Island - Bluffton Chamber of Commerce
• Hilton Head, SC Real Estate Summary on IDCide
• Hilton Head, SC Google Earth Map
• View Hilton Head, SC Area Jobs on Career Builder
• View Hilton Head, SC Area Jobs on Yahoo HotJobs
• Hilton Head, South Carolina on Wikipedia.com
• Hilton Head, South Carolina on epodunk
• Hilton Head, SC on AskJeeves.com
• Port Royal Plantation
• Sea Pines Plantation
• Shelter Cove Harbour Marina and Villas
• South Shore Commons Villas
• Spanish Wells Plantation
• Wexford Plantation
• Greater Beaufort / Hilton Head Economic Partnership
• Arts Center of Coastal Carolina
• Arts Council of Beaufort County
• Beaufort County / Hilton Head Island Airport
• Beaufort County School District
• South Carolina Low Country Tourism
• Main Street Beaufort, USA
• Beaufort.com
• Hilton Head Island.com