Myrtle Beach, resort city (2007 est. pop. 29,970), NE S.C., inc. 1938 as a town, 1957 as a city. Situated on the Grand Strand, a 60-mi (95-km) stretch of beach between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, Myrtle Beach is a noted vacation and recreation destination as well as a retirement center. The area was originally inhabited by the Waccamaw; in the 18th cent. it was sparsely settled by Europeans. Railroad service to the area opened in 1900 and the town began to grow, with cottages springing up around 1910; enormous growth has taken place since the 1960s. Myrtle Beach State Park is nearby.
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