Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Kiawah is a sea island, or barrier island, on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina, it is operated today largely as a gated beach and golf resort — the Kiawah Island Golf Resort — with spacious villas, beaches, large and acclaimed golf courses, and other attractions. As of the 2010 census, Kiawah Island's population was 1,626, up from 1,163 at the 2000 census. The island is part of the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area. Alternative spellings and variants of the name itself include "Kiawa", "Kittiwar" (in DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy), and "Kittiwah" (in George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess).

History

The Bass Pond Site and Arnoldus Vander Horst House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.8 km²), of which 11.0 square miles (28.4 km²) is land and 2.5 square miles (6.4 km²), or 18.36%, is water.