Horry County

Administrative district in the far east of South Carolina; area 2,960 sq km/1,143 sq mi, population (1990) 144,100. The county is bounded on the northeast by North Carolina, on the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by the Little Pee Dee River. Its seat is at Conway.

Horry County is honeycombed by rivers and swamps, and was virtually cut off from the rest of South Carolina during its early history. It gained a reputation for the self-reliant spirit of its farmers and foresters, and for a while was known as ‘The Independent Republic of Horry’. It now contains the thriving summer vacation resort of Myrtle Beach, and a large portion of the Grand Strand. Commercial and sport fishing, hunting, lumbering, and farming are important to the economy. Crops grown here include tobacco, melons, fruit, corn, and other vegetables.