Harbor Island, South Carolina

Harbor Island is a small residential barrier island located 14 miles (22 km) east of Beaufort, South Carolina. It is one of the Carolina Sea Islands. Most of the island is tidal marsh, though approximately 800 acre of upland acreage exists on the northeastern portions. The residential portion of the island was listed as a census-designated place in the 2020 census, with a population of 209.

Harbor Island is served by U.S. Route 21 (US 21), the only vehicular access route to the island and other nearby islands. The original US 21 Harbor River Bridge, a swing-span bridge built in 1939, was narrow and structurally deficient and was replaced with a modern fixed-span bridge to ensure safer and reliable access. The new bridge opened to traffic on April 25, 2021.

History


The island was uninhabited and used primarily as hunting grounds until the 1930s, when US 21 was constructed to connect Saint Helena Island with Hunting Island. Development on Harbor Island remained scarce until The Fripp Company, developers of Fripp Island, purchased most of the land on the island and developed a gated residential and resort community. Small-scale commercial development exists along US 21.

In November 2018, the South Carolina Environmental Law Project filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Harbor Island Owners Association, asking the Beaufort County Circuit Court to order the state to remove seven houses that, through rapid erosion, had ended up in the water on the beach below the mean high water mark. The state was released from the action in 2018, leaving the homeowners and the association as parties to the suit.

Nature
Harbor Island is a certified Community Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

Birds
Harbor Island is part of the Beaufort Barrier Islands Important Bird Area.

Sea Turtles
Harbor Island has a Sea Turtle Nest Protection Program permitted by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and run by volunteers.

Demographics
The residential portion of the island was listed as a census-designated place in 2020. Per the 2020 census, the population was 209.