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County · code 45013

Beaufort CountySouth Carolina

Beaufort County is a county in South Carolina with its seat in Beaufort, founded in 1764 and named after Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort.

  • Founded1764
  • County seatBeaufort
  • Named forHenry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort
  • Land area576 sq mi + 347 sq mi water
  • Population187,117 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped141,372 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Beaufort County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

JasperColletonHampton Beaufort Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Beaufort on the map of South Carolina

South Carolina has 46 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Abbeville CountyAiken CountyAllendale CountyAnderson CountyBamberg CountyBarnwell CountyBerkeley CountyCalhoun CountyCharleston CountyCherokee CountyChester CountyChesterfield CountyClarendon CountyColleton CountyDarlington CountyDillon CountyDorchester CountyEdgefield CountyFairfield CountyFlorence CountyGeorgetown CountyGreenville CountyGreenwood CountyHampton CountyHorry CountyJasper CountyKershaw CountyLancaster CountyLaurens CountyLee CountyLexington CountyMcCormick CountyMarion CountyMarlboro CountyNewberry CountyOconee CountyOrangeburg CountyPickens CountyRichland CountySaluda CountySpartanburg CountySumter CountyUnion CountyWilliamsburg CountyYork CountyBeaufort County Beaufort
Counties of South Carolina · Beaufort highlighted

History

Founded in 1764

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Beaufort District became Beaufort County in 1868 when South Carolina's new state constitution abolished all judicial districts. The county lost territory to the creation of Hampton County in 1878 and Jasper County in 1912, though it later gained small areas from Jasper County in 1916, 1939, and experienced a final loss to Jasper in 1951.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

  1. 1868
    Eliminated Beaufort District eliminated, became Beaufort County when new state constitution abolished all judicial districts. Beaufort County assumed all functions of local government from both judicial districts and parishes. · Swindler, 8:497
  2. 1878
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to creation of Hampton.
    to Hampton
    · S.C. Acts 1878, no. 353, sec. 1/p. 375
  3. 1912
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to creation of Jasper.
    to Jasper
    · S.C. Acts 1912, no. 459, sec. 1/pp. 827-829
  4. 1916
    Gained territory Beaufort gained two small areas from Jasper.
    from Jasper
    · S.C. Acts 1916, no. 416, sec. 1/pp. 754-756
  5. 1939
    Gained territory Beaufort gained three small areas from Jasper.
    from Jasper
    · S.C. Acts 1939, no. 325, sec. 1/pp. 536-538
  6. 1951
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to Jasper.
    to Jasper
    · S.C. Acts 1950, no. 970, secs. 1, 13/pp. 2332-2336; S.C. Reports, 220:469-492

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Beaufort

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Beaufort by the Census

Population
187,117 2020 Census count
Housing units
98,068 2020 Census count
Land area
576 square miles
Water area
347 square miles · 38% of the county, including large bodies of water
People per sq mi
325 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Permits

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Beaufort County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Beaufort County

When was Beaufort County founded?
Beaufort County was founded in 1764, and named after Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort.
What is the county seat of Beaufort County?
The county seat of Beaufort County is Beaufort.
Is there an online parcel map for Beaufort County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 141,372 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Beaufort County's boundary or name changed?
Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 changes for Beaufort County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Jasper County and Hampton County.
Who issues building permits in Beaufort County?
The county's page on building permits: Inspection and Permit Requirements. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Beaufort County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door