Edisto, pronounced Ed’-is-toe, is an island along the coast of South Carolina, surrounded by lush, ever-changing marshlands, fishing creeks, bays, and rivers. The South Edisto River (the longest black water river in the country), embraces the west side of Edisto Island and flows into the Atlantic Ocean beside Edisto Beach.
Once famed for sea island long-staple cotton, today Edisto Island is home to farmlands, plantations, and a thriving family oriented beach community.

Off the beaten path, almost between Charleston and Beaufort on scenic U.S. Highway 17, South Carolina Highway 174 begins it’s winding way through Spanish moss draped ancient oaks, passing antebellum plantations, well preserved churches, and rich farmland. Once you cross the Dawhoo Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, you have entered the island called Edisto.
Edisto Island is a rural, unspoiled island — one of few on the Atlantic coast. Residents remain committed to moderate, controlled growth to retain the ease and charm of island life. Edisto Beach is a family beach, encouraging a quiet return to the childhood joys of the more natural way of being.
This gentle growth process mirrors a concern for combining history and progress. Edisto island’s community includes historic plantations, large state and county parks, condominiums, and conveniences for residents and tourists which include a boat launch, a post office with a shopping center next door, a marina with a ship’s store, several excellent restaurants offering a variety of Lowcountry fare, gift shops, convenience stores, a storage facility, two full service banks, a Bi-Lo Supermarket, and a garden center. A physician and a dentist attend to local medical needs, and a professional office building is located near the bank.