Why would you choose to live in Conway, South Carolina?
With so many beautiful areas and cities in South Carolina, you may find it difficult to narrow it down to one for you and your family to settle into and call home. We get a lot of inquiries about towns in and around the Myrtle Beach area, and one in particular has caught a lot of attention. And for myriad reasons, we understand why.
Nestled about fifteen miles northwest of Myrtle Beach (about a fifteen- to twenty-minute drive) is Conway, South Carolina, a beautiful town home to an array of unique dining, shopping, and scenic views for residents to enjoy. This city, while a little farther from Myrtle Beach, has been around for years and is where all the businesses were located before the beach grew into the incredible, active area it is today.
Picture yourself walking down Main Street and seeing moss-draped oaks, charming antique stores, cozy coffee shops, delicious bakeries, and the county courthouse. The live theatre is still there too. Theatre of the Republic, Horry County’s official theatre since 1975, performs at the historic Main Street Theatre, and the company is planning a second, smaller stage nearby. If you like the nostalgia and Southern charm of South Carolina, you are likely to fall for Conway. The town feels more turn-of-the-century than beach strip, and it’s growing, with plenty for families to do. Most of the downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Conway is often called South Carolina’s historic river town.
The median sale price in Conway is still just under $287,000, though asking prices tend to run higher. About 31,000 people live in the city now, up from roughly 25,200 in the 2020 Census. Families in Conway attend schools in the Horry County school system, and a few private schools are in the area, including Conway Christian School. For higher education, Conway is home to Horry-Georgetown Technical College and Coastal Carolina University.
We work with many clients buying and selling in Conway, and plenty of people ask what the town is really like. We hope this post brings a little of Conway, South Carolina to life and shows you why it could be a wonderful place for you and your family to call home.
A stroll through Conway, SC
Imagine walking or driving through town and seeing historical markers that point out the charm and history around you. The streets were built around live oaks, many of them protected by a tree ordinance written to preserve the landscape and the town’s “oldest citizens.” Local lore still credits Mary Beaty, who in 1887 stood with a shotgun and told railroad crews not to touch a single bough of the oaks along Main Street. Visitors will find quaint shops, locally owned restaurants, and moss-draped oaks over the sidewalks. A February 2025 Riverwalk extension now ties that waterfront path to Main Street at Fourth Avenue, so a downtown stroll can drop straight onto the river.
If the walk takes you down Third Avenue, you will find a handful of mom-and-pop stores, a full-service salon and spa, and Rivertown Bistro, still a downtown favorite for lunch and dinner. You will also pass the old county courthouse buildings. The 1825 former courthouse is now Conway City Hall, and the 1908 Horry County Courthouse, listed on the National Register in 2022, still stands a short way up the avenue. Depending on the time of year, festivals fill the streets with families of all ages. October turns the oak canopy and the Riverwalk into Halloween, S.C. Late June brings Riverfest. December adds tree lighting, a Christmas parade, and the lighted boat parade on the river. Art celebrations, food events, and holiday parties round out the calendar. Whatever you are looking for in a small town, Conway is likely to have it, along with a little Southern charm and hospitality.
A brief history of Conway, SC
Conway is one of the oldest towns in South Carolina and was founded in 1734, making it rich with both natural and American history. The town has gone through many name changes, from “Kings Town,” which was chosen by early English colonists, shortly after was changed to “Kingston,” then eventually to “Horry,” which honored General Peter Horry. Finally, in 1883 the name “Conway” was established by the General Assembly for General Robert Conway and has stuck ever since. Several homes and communities in the area feature historic Conway Homes for Sale and other historic memorabilia.
What is there to do in Conway, SC?
The Conway Riverwalk is the perfect place for a day outdoors, offering visitors a mostly level path of wooden boardwalk and paved walk along the blackwater of the Waccamaw River. The route runs about 1.3 miles, from the Kingston Lake confluence north to the Highway 905 bridge. A February 2025 extension finally connects the waterfront to Main Street at Fourth Avenue, so a stroll can end in the downtown shops and restaurants. Enjoy the rustic wooden buildings, let the kids burn some energy on the playgrounds, or have lunch at the picnic tables. The path is ADA accessible and stroller-friendly, and leashed dogs are welcome. After heavy rain, low sections can flood and close, so it is worth checking conditions if it has been wet.
You will find marinas nearby, including Conway City Marina and Riverfront Park, where you can launch a boat or rent a kayak and see the boardwalk from the water. There is also an arboretum at one end of the trail, with a variety of colorful plants and trees that showcase the natural beauty of the area. The Riverwalk is part of a historical walking trail that traces the early days of the town, passing churches, homes, and other significant buildings, and it runs under the 1937 Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Riverwalk is not only a place for leisure. It is also the stage for some of Conway’s biggest events. Riverfest, held since 1980, fills the waterfront in late June with food, a kids zone, paddle races, live music, and fireworks over the river. In October the whole downtown, Riverwalk included, becomes Halloween, S.C., with elaborate displays and a full month of walks, races, and markets. December brings the Rivertown Regatta Christmas Boat Parade on the river, plus tree lighting and the downtown Christmas parade.
A pedestrian ferry and boardwalk across the Waccamaw, the Kingston Boardwalk Trail project, were approved in 2026 and are still under construction. Until that opens, the existing Riverwalk, marina, and historic district are the visit.
If you or anyone in your family likes live theatre, the Theatre of the Republic is on Main Street at the historic Main Street Theatre. It has been producing shows since 1969 and has been the official theatre of Horry County since 1975. Local actors stage affordable productions year-round, and show nights fill downtown restaurants. The company bought the 1925 building at 1014 Fourth Avenue in 2025 for a future smaller stage, the Century Theatre, which is not open yet.
For a history lesson, the L.W. Paul Living History Farm at 2279 Harris Short Cut Road shows everyday life on an early-1900s Horry County farm. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and runs free Saturday programs for kids. Golfers still have plenty of public options in and around Conway, including Burning Ridge Golf Club and the General James Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina. Conway and the surrounding area offer enough family-friendly stops to fill a day, no matter the activity.
Black Water Market, at Fourth Avenue and Laurel Street, is still a downtown boutique stop, with shops such as The Haberdashery and restaurants including Crooked Oak Tavern inside. Tenant lineups change, so a walk-through is better than a fixed shopping list. Conway also has several antique stores, including Carolina Marketplace and AAA Resale Antiques & Collectibles on Highway 544, and RoadRunner Antiques, which moved to North Main Street in 2025.
Conway has restaurants for just about every taste. For seafood in a small log-cabin setting, Luvan’s Fish Camp on Highway 701 is still a local draw. It is cash only, and one person runs the room, so plan on a wait. Pizza lovers should start with Bellissimo Italian Pizzeria on Main Street. International options include Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant, El Patio, and Jo Hibachi. For breakfast, Eggs Up Grill Conway is an easy stop.
What is it like to live in Conway SC?
It is safe to say Conway has something for every fashion sense, budget, and palate. For something hot and fresh, The Trestle Bakery on Main Street is still a downtown staple, with fresh bread, pastries, breakfast, and lunch. For coffee, C3 Coffee Bar has been roasting in Conway since 2016, and Rivertown Roasters On Main is another Main Street stop. Crady’s Eclectic has been a local favorite for years. Shoppers will find boutiques around downtown, including Bodega for specialty kitchen and home accessories.
The city gives residents plenty of ways to get outside through Conway Parks, Recreation & Tourism. Kids can play at Billy Gardner Recreation Complex, which opened a large new playground in 2026, as well as Sherwood Forest Park and Smith Jones Park. The Conway Blueways Trail and the Waccamaw River Blue Trail are the easy way onto the water. The Conway Sports & Fitness Center has a weight room, cardio room, basketball courts, a walking track, and an indoor pool. Smith Jones Park also has the seasonal Oasis outdoor pool. Conway sits on the western bank of the Waccamaw, so river views and paddling are part of daily life.
Summers are warm and humid. Highs often run from the upper 80s into the low 90s, and winters are mild, with January days usually in the upper 50s. That is enough outdoor weather, plus the river and the parks, to keep people outside most of the year.
What is transportation like in Conway, SC?
If you are getting around historic downtown Conway, the best way is on foot, unlike Myrtle Beach. If you drive, everyday parking is free. October is the exception. Thursday through Sunday evenings, Halloween crowds bring road closures and turn limits, and the city runs free shuttles from a remote lot on Marina Drive. For buses, the Coast Regional Transit Authority, Coast RTA, serves Conway, with its offices and primary station near the historic district. By air, Conway-Horry County Airport (HYW) is a small general-aviation field on U.S. 378 about three miles west of town. It handles private planes, not airline flights. Those come into Myrtle Beach International, about 15 miles away.
How do I learn more about Conway, SC?
Call our team at Jerry Pinkas Real Estate Experts today at (843) 839-9870. We can answer questions and show you the places people are actually buying in and around Conway. Retired, or planning to retire soon? Conway is an easy next chapter: a historic river town about 15 miles from the beach, with recent median sale prices still around $287,000 and no state tax on Social Security. We can walk through home prices, taxes, climate, and neighborhood fit so you have what you need to decide. Conway is the Horry County seat, full of Southern charm and a welcoming downtown, and close enough to Myrtle Beach for a beach day without living in the tourist strip. Call us today and let us help you find a home in this community.
