Isle of Palms, South Carolina
Isle of Palms is a city of 4,362 people in Charleston County, South Carolina, founded in 1938.
Why visit Isle of Palms
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 4 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Isle of Palms Connector Bridge, Cook's Old Field Cemetery and Fort Palmetto.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 36°F.
Weather in Isle of Palms
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Isle of Palms
Isle of Palms is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Isle of Palms had a population of 4,347. It is a barrier island on the South Carolina coast. The city is included within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area.
From the Wikipedia article Isle of Palms, South Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Isle of Palms Connector Bridge
Bridge · 2.5 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks2
Cook's Old Field Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic site in Charleston County, South Carolina
Fort Palmetto
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Fort in South Carolina
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes4
History
During the Civil War, the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley departed from Breach Inlet, between Isle of Palms and neighboring Sullivan's Island.
In the late nineteenth century, local residents began using the island as a vacation spot. At that time it was only accessible by ferry. It was bought by J.S. Lawrence in 1899, who gave the island its current name; before then it was known as "Hunting Island" or "Long Island". A 50-room hotel was built in 1906. In 1912, James Sottile had a beach pavilion and an amusement park built, and a trolley line was constructed from Mount Pleasant on the mainland to Isle of Palms via Sullivan's Island. In 1929, Grace Memorial Bridge was built between Charleston and Mount Pleasant to allow automobile traffic to reach the island.
Large-scale residential development began when J.C. Long bought up most of the island and built low-cost housing for World War II veterans. In 1975, the Sea Pines Company (of Hilton Head Island fame) established the 900-acre (360 ha) development now known as the Wild Dunes Beach and Racquet Club.
From the History section of Isle of Palms, South Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship2
Schools, colleges and libraries13
Carolina Park Elementary
School · 6.0 mi
3650 Park Avenue Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant
Charles Pinckney Elementary
School · 5.4 mi
3300 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant
East Cooper Center For Advanced Studies
School · 5.6 mi
900 Warrior Way, Mount Pleasant
East Cooper Montessori Charter
School · 5.9 mi
1120 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant
Mamie P. Whitesides Elementary
School · 4.8 mi
1565 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant
Sullivan'S Island Elementary
School · 5.9 mi
2014 Mike Perkis Place, Sullivan'S Island
Map of Isle of Palms
26 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 36°F | 3.8 in |
| Feb | 61°F | 39°F | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 45°F | 3.5 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 54°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 82°F | 63°F | 3.3 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 70°F | 5.4 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 73°F | 6.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 72°F | 6.7 in |
| Sep | 86°F | 68°F | 5.5 in |
| Oct | 78°F | 58°F | 3.9 in |
| Nov | 69°F | 47°F | 3.0 in |
| Dec | 62°F | 40°F | 3.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sullivans Is (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Charleston County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-05: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2023-08-31: Hurricane Idalia (Hurricane)
- 2022-11-21: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2022-09-29: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Charleston International Airport (CHS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 18 miles away.
- Mount Pleasant 6 mi west, about 10 min by car
- James Island 12 mi southwest, about 19 min by car
- Charleston 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Awendaw 13 mi northeast, about 20 min by car
- Folly Beach 15 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Hanahan 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- North Charleston 20 mi northwest, about 32 min by car
- Goose Creek 20 mi northwest, about 32 min by car
- Ladson 25 mi northwest, about 40 min by car
- Summerville 28 mi northwest, about 46 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Isle of Palms, South Carolina, Dima Sergiyenko; Please attribute this image as the work of " DiscoverWithDima .", CC BY-SA 4.0
- Capers Beach Beauty, Patpathoof, CC BY-SA 4.0
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