Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown, South Carolina | |
|---|---|
Georgetown harbor | |
Location in Georgetown County and the state of South Carolina | |
| Coordinates: 33°22′3″N 79°17′38″W / 33.36750°N 79.29389°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Georgetown |
| Incorporated | 1729 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Carol Jayroe |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.59 sq mi (19.65 km2) |
| • Land | 6.99 sq mi (18.11 km2) |
| • Water | 0.59 sq mi (1.54 km2) |
| Elevation | 18 ft (5 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 8,403 |
| • Density | 1,201.80/sq mi (464.02/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 29440, 29442 |
| Area code(s) | 843, 854 |
| FIPS code | 45-28870 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1247888 |
| Website | cityofgeorgetownsc |
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Lowcountry. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 9,163. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Black, Great Pee Dee, Waccamaw, and Sampit rivers, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina, handling over 960,000 tons of materials a year, while Charleston is the largest.
Beginning in the colonial era, Georgetown was the commercial center of an indigo- and rice-producing area. Rice replaced indigo as the chief commodity crop in the antebellum era. A timber industry also developed and sawmills were built.