Created in 1937 by the United States Geological Survey, the map titled “Myrtle Beach” captures a formative moment in the history of South Carolina’s Grand Strand. At a scale of 1:48,000, it presents the coastal plain with the disciplined clarity for which USGS topographic mapping became renowned: roads, waterways, settlements, shorelines, and subtle relief are brought into a single, precise geographic portrait. Myrtle Beach appears not as the dense resort city familiar today, but as a coastal community still closely tied to its natural setting. The Atlantic Ocean defines the eastern edge, while inland creeks, ponds, forests, and small settlements reveal a landscape poised between rural Horry County and the coming age of seaside tourism.

The United States Geological Survey brought a scientific rigor to maps such as this, producing documents intended for engineers, planners, land managers, and government agencies, yet now prized for their historical richness. The topographical style emphasizes contour lines and hydrological detail, showing the low, gently undulating terrain that characterizes this stretch of the South Carolina coast. In a region where even modest changes in elevation shape drainage, settlement, and transport, such mapping was especially valuable. The careful depiction of relief, watercourses, roads, and human-made structures gives the map a layered quality: it is simultaneously a technical survey, a record of federal cartographic practice, and a snapshot of the coastal Southeast on the eve of dramatic development.

Myrtle Beach’s coastal geography is the central drama of the map. The Atlantic shoreline forms a long, elegant boundary, while the interior is textured by waterways such as Dead Dog Creek and Kings Creek, along with ponds including Cathy’s Pond and Grier’s Pond. These features evoke the wet, sandy, and forested character of the region before large-scale urban expansion transformed much of the Grand Strand. The surrounding landscape includes areas such as Ocean Forest, Pinewood, Carolina Forest, and Surfside Beach, each contributing to the sense of a coastal district made up of small communities, resort enclaves, woodland tracts, and watery lowlands. The result is a fascinating portrait of place before the modern beachfront skyline emerged.

The map is particularly compelling for what it suggests about Myrtle Beach in 1937: a destination in the making. Ocean Forest, one of the area’s most storied early resort developments, points to the ambitions that were already reshaping the coast. Nearby communities and landmarks—including Cherry Grove Beach, Little River, Conway, Aynor, and the broader Horry County landscape—place Myrtle Beach within a regional network of inland towns, coastal settlements, and transportation routes. North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach, today familiar names along the Grand Strand, appear within a geography that was still comparatively open and undeveloped. Seen through this map, the region’s later transformation into a major vacation corridor becomes all the more striking.

As a historical document, “Myrtle Beach” offers more than geographic information; it preserves a vanished balance between coast, forest, creek, pond, and settlement. The map allows modern viewers to trace how the area’s natural systems and early infrastructure shaped the growth that followed, from resort construction to suburban expansion and beachside commerce. Its topographic detail makes visible the environmental foundations beneath the modern city: low relief, drainage patterns, sandy coastal terrain, and the proximity of inland waterways to the oceanfront. For collectors, historians, and admirers of the South Carolina coast, this 1937 USGS map is a refined and evocative record of Myrtle Beach before it became one of America’s most recognizable seaside destinations.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Myrtle Beach
• Atlantic Ocean
• Ocean Forest
• Pinewood
• Cathy's Pond
• Dead Dog Creek
• Kings Creek
• Carolina Forest
• North Myrtle Beach
• Surfside Beach
• Grier's Pond
• Cherry Grove Beach
• Aynor
• Conway
• Little River
• Horry County

Historical context & cartographic details

• Created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 1937
• The USGS is known for detailed topographical maps used by federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as private entities
• Shows Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and its surrounding coastal region
• Uses a topographical style at a scale of 1:48,000
• Emphasizes contour lines to show elevations and landforms
• Depicts coastal geography, including relief, water bodies, and human-made structures
• Reflects the development and geographical character of Myrtle Beach in 1937
• Offers insight into changes in urban development and landscape over time

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.