Garie Beach

What is the closest city to a North Carolina OR South Carolina beach?

Looking to relocate to North Carolina, specifically Charlotte, but before buying a house there, I'd like to know if there is a closer city to a beach.

Public Comments

1. We just relocated to Charlotte area from Boston. I would say your best bet for a city by the beach is Charleston, SC. It's supposed to be beautiful there. Charlotte is about a 3-3.5 hour drive from Myrtle Beach, SC, which is also nice but you would probably be hard-pressed to find work there as it's more of a tourist area. Charlotte is cool though, there's lots of stuff to do but the closest thing you have to water is Lake Norman, which is nice but it's hardly a substitute for a beautiful beach. There are small beaches along the lake however. Good luck :)
2. The only city that is even close to the size of Charlotte, and on the beach, is Charleston, South Carolina. Much smaller cities that are really close to the beach in North Carolina are Wilmington and Jacksonville.
3. Columbia, SC - about 100 miles from coast. Orangeburg, SC - about 60 miles from coast. Charleston, SC - right on the coast. Check out Orangeburg, SC, it's beautiful and not as expensive as Charleston.