Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Town

Kiawah Sunrise

Location of Kiawah Island in
South Carolina
Coordinates: 32°36′31″N 80°04′54″W / 32.60861°N 80.08167°W / 32.60861; -80.08167Coordinates: 32°36′31″N 80°04′54″W / 32.60861°N 80.08167°W / 32.60861; -80.08167
Country United States
State South Carolina
County Charleston
Government
 • Mae Weeks Charles R. Lipuma
Area
 • Total 13.4 sq mi (34.8 km2)
 • Land 11.0 sq mi (28.4 km2)
 • Water 2.5 sq mi (6.4 km2)
Elevation 13 ft (4 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 1,626
 • Density 148/sq mi (57.2/km2)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 29455
Area code 843
FIPS code 45-38162[1]
GNIS feature ID 1253569[2]
Website www.kiawahisland.org

Kiawah is a sea island, or barrier island, on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina, it is operated today largely as a gated beach and golf resort — the Kiawah Island Golf Resort — with spacious villas, beaches, large and acclaimed golf courses, and other attractions. As of the 2010 census, Kiawah Island's population was 1,626,[3] up from 1,163 at the 2000 census. The island is part of the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area. Alternative spellings and variants of the name itself include "Kiawa", "Kittiwar" (in DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy), and "Kittiwah" (in George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess).

The marshes at Kiawah Island

History

The Bass Pond Site and Arnoldus Vander Horst House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4]

Kiawah was named for the Kiawah Indians who were led by their head chieftain or cassique. In the year 1670, the cassique of the Kiawah led English colonists to settle at Charlestowne Landing.[5][6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.8 km2), of which 11.0 square miles (28.4 km2) is land and 2.5 square miles (6.4 km2), or 18.36%, is water.[3]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
188091—
1990718—
20001,16362.0%
20101,62639.8%
Est. 20151,749[7]7.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,163 people, 557 households, and 474 families residing in the town. The population density was 104.2 people per square mile (40.2/km²). There were 3,070 housing units at an average density of 275.0 per square mile (106.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.19% White, 0.34% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.17% Asian, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.

There were 557 households out of which 6.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.9% were married couples living together, 1.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.9% were non-families. 13.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.25.

In the town the age distribution of the population shows 6.0% under the age of 18, 1.5% from 18 to 24, 6.4% from 25 to 44, 48.8% from 45 to 64, and 37.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 61 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $76,114, and the median income for a family was $83,829. Males had a median income of $60,938 versus $32,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $47,782. About 4.4% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Golf

Kiawah Island is widely hailed as one of the premier golf destinations on the East Coast.[6][9] The island features seven award-winning golf courses designed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Fazio, and Pete Dye. The courses snake along the narrow island, moving from the dense wooded interior of the island to the breezy oceanfront. Five of the courses are owned and maintained by Kiawah Island Golf Resort. These are the Ocean Course, Turtle Point, Osprey Point, Oak Point, and Cougar Point. Two courses are owned and maintained by Kiawah Island Club. These are the River Course and Cassique.

The Ocean Course

Pete Dye designed the Ocean Course in 1991 and the course has since proved to be one of the toughest on the East Coast.[10] The Ocean Course was the home of the 1991 Ryder Cup, the 1997 World Cup of Golf, the 2007 Senior PGA Championship, and the 2012 PGA Championship, becoming only the fourth golf course in history to host each of the PGA of America's men's major championships.[11] The Ocean Course was featured in the 2000 movie The Legend of Bagger Vance, starring Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron.

County parks

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC)[12] operates a park on the island, Beachwalker County Park, located on the west end of the island. In 2013, Forbes ranked the park's beach as the 10th best in the United States.[13]

Walking and biking

Thirty miles of paved trails and 10 miles of beach provide a natural setting for biking and walking.[14]

Boating and fishing

Tidal creeks, salt marshes, and the Kiawah River itself allows for various canoeing and kayaking opportunities. There are numerous water access points, including a community kayak rental dock at Mingo Point and boat storage near the 15th green of the Cassique golf course, as well as a full marina just outside Kiawah’s gate, for more expansive Kiawah Island fishing and deep sea fishing excursions. Also, Kiawah Island Club Members enjoy private access to a kayak dock in Cassique, and the Kiawah Community Association maintains a launch and storage at Cinder Creek and Rhett’s Bluff.[15]

Government

The city is run by an elected mayor–council government system. The current mayor is Charles R. Lipuma.

The Kiawah Island Community Association is a non-profit corporation established in 1976 that governs and manages the business and property that contribute to the overall ambiance and property values of Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The association maintains and insures the roads, ponds, facilities, parks and open areas built or conveyed by the developer, and offers social and recreational programs for property owners.

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Kiawah Island town, South Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  4. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  5. ↑ Cobb, Ashton (2006-06-16). Kiawah Island:: A History. Charleston, SC: The History Press. ISBN 9781596290396.
  6. 1 2 "A Little About Kiawah Island, South Carolina". Kiawah Island Getaways. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  7. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Must-play golf courses in Charleston, South Carolina". Golf.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  10. ↑ "Rankings".
  11. ↑ "South Carolina Golf Courses near Charleston: Kiawah Island Golf Resort".
  12. ↑ "Charleston County Parks and Recreation - Official Website".
  13. ↑ Bender, Andrew (May 24, 2013). "America's Top 10 Beaches of 2013". Forbes.com.
  14. ↑ Vegis, Mike (June 14, 2014). "Bike around Kiawah Island". kiawahresort.com.
  15. ↑ studio, {e} house. "Outdoor Recreation, Biking, Fishing - Kiawah Island Real Estate".
  16. ↑ McDermott, John (March 26, 2011). "General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt Says Going Green Pays". The Post and Courier.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Kiawah Island.
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