Isle of Palms, South Carolina
17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1919 and the latest in 1990. It stands in the Mount Pleasant census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29451. It lies near Little Goat Island. The Survey maps it on the Fort Moultrie quadrangle. 4,347 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 3 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresIsle of Palms grew from 4,133 to 4,347 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 4,133 | |
| 2020 | 4,347 | +214 (+5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 17 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1919 USGS Fort Moultrie quadrangle1:21120, 3 printings
- 1943 USGS Fort Moultrie quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1948 USGS James Island quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Fort Moultrie quadrangle1:24000, 5 printings
- 1968 USGS James Island quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS James Island quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1986 USGS James Island quadrangle1:100000
- 1990 USGS James Island quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
54 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 54 fires within 5 miles of Isle of Palms between 1992 and 2015, burning about 397 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 9 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 21 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 9 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 August 1995 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 2 July 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 45 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 9 June 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 June 2011 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 29 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 13 June 2001 | Natural | 40 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 11 June 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 1 June 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 May 2000 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
9 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 9 workings within 5 miles of Isle of Palms: 4 unknowns, 3 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Zirconium, Titanium, Iron, Thorium, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Moultrie Quadrangle | Zirconium, Titanium, Iron, Thorium | Unknown | Placer , Modern , Beach | |
| Island Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay | Unknown | Sedimentary | |
| Island Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay | Producer | ||
| Isle of Palms (Area 1) | Iron, Titanium, Zirconium | Unknown | Placer , Modern , Beach | |
| Isle of Palms (Area 2) | Iron, Titanium, Thorium | Unknown | Placer , Modern , Beach | |
| East Copper #1 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| R & L Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Shell Point (Mt. Pleasant Pit) | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Yaupon Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary |
Storms near this place
17 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Isle of Palms in 17 storm reports between 1996 and 2024: 8 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 3 hail, 1 waterspout. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2001 | Lightning | Isle Of Palms | 1 hurt | A 32 year old man experienced a double jolt from lightening within a 10 minute span. The man was driving a Toyota pickup when a bolt of lightning struck his CB antenna. This caused the antenna to pop off, it broke out the rear window on the cab and blew out the left rear tire. When he stopped the truck to get out to assess the damage, a second bolt of lightning hit the bed of the pickup and the force threw him out into the roadway. |
| July 2000 | Tornado (F0) | Isle Of Palms | $200,000 | Waterspout came ashore briefly and damaged two homes under construction. A flower pot was thrown through a car window a block away. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Isle Of Palms | $30,000 | The Public reported quarter to golf ball size hail and estimated winds to be around 60 mph near the Wild Dunes resort on Isle of Palms, South Carolina. The individual reported that car windows were broken by the large hail. |
| August 2024 | Tornado (EF1) | Isle Of Palms | - | A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team confirmed an EF1 tornado with an estimated maximum wind speed of 87 mph in Isle of Palms, South Carolina occurring from 1233 AM to 1237 AM EST. ||The brief tornado, associated with an outer rainband from Tropical Storm Debby, moved onshore near 25th Avenue where it did minor roof damage to one house and also pulled the front door out the frame. The tornado continued north-northwest along 25th Avenue between Palm Boulevard and Hartnett Boulevard, where it pulled out a few windows and snapped/uprooted some trees. As the tornado moved just north of Hartnett Boulevard, it removed the shingles from a portion of the roofs from a few homes. Beyond this point, the tornado curved a bit more northwest and snapped a few more trees before starting to lift near the intersection of Waterway Boulevard and 24th Avenue, then dissipated within the Intra Coastal Waterway. Overall, an estimated 29 homes sustained some level of damage, either directly by the tornado or from trees or large limbs falling on them. |
| April 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Isle Of Palms | - | The Weatherflow sensor at Isle of Palms Pier measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Isle Of Palms | - | The Weatherflow sensor at the Isle of Palms Pier measured a 62 mph wind gust. |
| February 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Isle Of Palms | - | The Weatherflow sensor on the Isle of Palms Pier measured a wind gust of 63 mph. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Isle Of Palms | - | The Charleston County 911 Call Center reported a tree down at the intersection of 4th Avenue and Merritt Boulevard. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Isle Of Palms | - | The Weatherflow site at the Isle of Palms Pier recorded a 50 knot wind gust. |
| September 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Isle Of Palms | - | The Weatherflow site at the Isle of Palms pier measured a 50 knot wind gust. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Isle Of Palms | - | The Weatherflow site at the Isle of Palms pier measured a 61 knot wind gust with a passing thunderstorm. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Isle Of Palms | - | The public reported baseball size hail on Isle of Palms, South Carolina. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Isle Of Palms | - | The Public reported quarter to golf ball size hail and estimated winds to be around 60 mph near the Wild Dunes resort on Isle of Palms, South Carolina. The individual reported that car windows were broken by the large hail. |
| August 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Isle Of Palms | - | A tornado moved through the Wild Dunes private community causing widespread damage. An estimated 250 trees were blown down, several of which fell on cars. Also, windows were blown out of cars. About25 homes received minor roof and siding damage and a half dozen homes received moderate damage. An estimated 300 pound swing set was thrown about 15 feet. |
| August 2000 | Tornado (F0) | Isle Of Palms | - | A waterspout that was moving just off the coast of the Isle of Palms came ashore briefly and threw around a couple of beach chairs and some beach towels. The waterspout dissipated almost immediately once it came ashore. |
| March 2003 | Hail | Isle Of Palms | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Waterspout | Isle Of Palms | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island of Palms | 0.6 miles | 17 | |
| Forest Trail | 2.0 miles | 17 | |
| Seaside Farms Estates | 2.3 miles | 17 | |
| Cassina Heights | 2.5 miles | 17 | |
| Sullivans Island | 2.8 miles | 17 | |
| The Village | 2.8 miles | 17 | |
| Harborgate | 2.9 miles | 17 | |
| Myrtle Acres | 3.1 miles | 17 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Isle of Palms | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1843576 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1227790. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.







