Keys to the City

Facts & Fundamentals

Though the numbers may seem a tad off during peak tourist seasons, Myrtle Beach proper has a year-round population of just under 27,000 people. Horry County, which includes the cities of North Myrtle, Surfside, Socastee, Garden City, Little River and Conway, is home to approximately 240,000 people.

The major industry of the Myrtle Beach area is, of course, tourism, and its 460 hotels, 1900 full-service restaurants and more than 100 golf courses certainly bear this fact out.

The SC state sales and use tax is 5%. Neither Horry County nor neighboring Georgetown County has a local option tax. If you cross the state line into Brunswick County, NC, expect a 7% sales tax.

Weather

Myrtle Beach experiences mild temperatures and calm Atlantic breezes year-round, making anytime a good time to visit. Winter temperatures average in the high 50s, and summer sees the thermometer dip into the 70s and reach well into the 90s. More importantly, the water temperature never drops below 50 degrees (even in January and February) and often settles in the low 80s during the summer. If you're going for golf, it's good to know that August and September tend to be the wettest months; meanwhile, April and November are among the driest.

Holidays & Business Hours

On federal and state holidays, many offices and businesses close or have truncated hours. Naturally, policies vary, but in general, the following holidays are broadly observed:

Coming & Going

A large percentage of visitors arrive by car, as the Grand Strand has relatively easy access to Interstates 95 and 20. US Highway 17, meanwhile, makes other coastal cities like Wilmington and Charleston reasonable day trips.

The Strand's primary commercial airfield is Myrtle Beach International Airport (843-448-1589, www.myrtlebeachairport.org). The airport is served by major carriers Delta, Continental, Northwest and US Airways and offers non-stop flights to and from several US destinations, including New York, Washington, Chicago and Atlanta.

The rate schedule for cab rides to and from the airport is as follows: $2.40 per mile, $1 per each additional passenger, and a base rate of $1.50 to start the trip. The airport surcharge may be as much as $6 per ride.

Making Your Way

If you're planning to stay in the area for several days, book yourself a rental car because you'll want to do some exploring.

If you do need a cab, several reputable companies like Ocean Boulevard Taxi (843-444-1144, www.oceanboulevardtaxi.com) and Yellow Cab (843-444-4004) service the entire Strand.

Public transportation is made available via the Coast RTA. The Coast is affordable bus transportation connecting Myrtle Beach to Conway, Georgetown and several major points between. Schedules and rates are available at http://ridecoastrta.com/.

News & Views

The Grand Strand region's major daily newspaper is the Myrtle Beach Sun News (www.myrtlebeachonline.com). It covers not only local news and weather, but events on the national and international levels as well. If you're looking for info about what to do, nearly every restaurant, store, service station or hotel has a kiosk containing not only brochures for area attractions but also coupon books and golf guides. The Chamber of Commerce publishes a magazine called Stay & Play, which is updated annually and features info about restaurants, hotels, attractions, shopping and more.

Quirks & Curiosities

As South Carolina's #1 tourist destination, the Myrtle Beach area welcomes just shy of 14 million visitors from all over the world each year. Not bad, really, for a city whose population is less than 30,000 people, right? Of course, when most folks say "Myrtle Beach," they're actually referring to the entire Grand Strand, or Long Bay. This long stretch of beach spans some 60 miles from Georgetown, SC, all the way to Calabash, NC.

Getting Your Bearings

When you're not familiar with a city, you feel completely adrift. That's exactly what the Myrtle Beach CVB hopes to ward off. They operate visitor centers at the following locations:

Myrtle Beach Welcome Center
1200 N Oak St
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-626-7444 or 800-356-3016
After Labor Day-Mar Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm, Sat 10am-2pm
April-Labor Day Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-2pm

Airport Welcome Center
Myrtle Beach International Airport
1100 Jetport Rd
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-626-7444 or 800-356-3016
Daily 8am-8pm

South Strand Welcome Center
3401 US 17 Bus S
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
843-651-1010 or 800-356-3016
After Labor Day-Mar Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm, Sat 10am-1pm
April-Labor Day Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm

Necessities - Post Offices

It's usually not too difficult to spot a drop box when you're out and about, but if you need to conduct more serious postal business, it's not always that easy. In Myrtle Beach, several locations are convenient to travelers and residents. They include:

Myrtle Beach
505 N Kings Hwy
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-626-9533
Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm

Murrells Inlet
654 Bellamy Ave
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
843-651-2422
Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm, Sat 9am-noon

Surfside
420 Highway 17 N
Surfside Beach, SC 29575
843-238-2523
Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-2pm

North Myrtle
621 6th Ave S
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
843-272-5864
Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm, 9am-noon

Common Courtesies

Although tipping is generally a personal matter, there are some guidelines that prove helpful to travelers. At restaurants, servers typically get 15% of the bill, although 10% acknowledges basic assistance, and 20% awards exceptional service. It is also common now for some restaurants to charge an automatic gratuity of 18% for groups. You should be aware of this possibility before providing an additional tip. Taxi drivers usually fit into similar guidelines by receiving a tip equivalent to 15% of the tab.

Often, a dollar tip covers many situations. Bartenders are customarily given $1 per cocktail, hotel maids are provided $1 for each day of a stay, bellhops get about $1 per bag, and a coat-check clerk typically receives $1 as well. The exception is a concierge, who generally receives $5-$10 for standard service (additional assistance suggests more).