County · code 45019
Charleston CountySouth Carolina
Charleston County is in South Carolina with its county seat in Charleston. The county was formed in 1769.
- Founded1769
- County seatCharleston
- Land area918 sq mi + 440 sq mi water
- Population408,235 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped33,267 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Charleston 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.
History
Founded in 1769
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Charleston District became Charleston County in 1868 when a new state constitution abolished all judicial districts. The county has changed boundaries multiple times through the 20th century, gaining and losing land to Berkeley County, Colleton County, and Dorchester County.
- 1868Eliminated Charleston District eliminated, became Charleston County when new state constitution abolished all judicial districts. Charleston County assumed all functions of local government from both judicial districts and parishes. · Swindler, 8:497
- 1882Lost territory Charleston lost to creation of Berkeley. · S.C. Acts 1881, no. 527, secs. 1-3, 14/pp. 682-684
- 1893Gained territory Charleston gained from Berkeley. · S.C. Acts 1893, no. 388, secs. 2-3, 8/pp. 561-562, 565-566
- 1911Gained territory Charleston gained from Colleton. · S.C. Acts 1911, no. 171, sec. 1/p. 327; Acts 1953, no. 165, secs. 1, 3/pp. 211-214
- 1921Gained territory Charleston gained from Berkeley. · S.C. Acts 1921, no. 133, sec. 1/pp. 184-185; Acts 1931, no. 337, sec. 1/pp. 552-554
Show all 13 changes
- 1868Eliminated Charleston District eliminated, became Charleston County when new state constitution abolished all judicial districts. Charleston County assumed all functions of local government from both judicial districts and parishes. · Swindler, 8:497
- 1882Lost territory Charleston lost to creation of Berkeley. · S.C. Acts 1881, no. 527, secs. 1-3, 14/pp. 682-684
- 1893Gained territory Charleston gained from Berkeley. · S.C. Acts 1893, no. 388, secs. 2-3, 8/pp. 561-562, 565-566
- 1896Boundary clarified Charleston's boundaries redefined (no change).no change· S.C. Acts 1896, no. 146, secs. 1-2/pp. 309-310
- 1911Gained territory Charleston gained from Colleton. · S.C. Acts 1911, no. 171, sec. 1/p. 327; Acts 1953, no. 165, secs. 1, 3/pp. 211-214
- 1921Gained territory Charleston gained from Berkeley. · S.C. Acts 1921, no. 133, sec. 1/pp. 184-185; Acts 1931, no. 337, sec. 1/pp. 552-554
- 1967Lost territory Charleston lost small area to Dorchester. · S.C. Acts 1967, no. 227, sec. 1/pp. 316-317
- 1969Lost territory Charleston lost small area to Dorchester. · S.C. Acts 1969, no. 51, sec. 1/p. 53, and no. 52, sec. 1/p. 54
- 1975
- 1977Lost territory Charleston lost to Dorchester. · S.C. Acts 1977, no. 295, sec. 1/pp. 901-902, no. 296, sec. 1/pp. 902-904, and no. 297, sec. 1/pp. 904-906
- 1982Boundary clarified Boundary between Charleston and Dorchester redefined (no change).with Dorchesterno change· S.C. Acts 1982, no. 407, sec. 1/pp. 2438-2440
- 1985Lost territory Charleston lost small area to Dorchester. · S.C. Acts 1985, no. 267, sec. 1/pp. 1880-1882
- 1987Lost territory Charleston lost to Colleton. · S.C. Acts 1987, no. 259, sec. 1/pp. 2324-2327
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Charleston
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 33,267 parcels from Charleston County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 14 May 2024 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Charleston County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- 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
Charleston by the Census
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
- County government
The official website of Charleston County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Charleston 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.
Questions
Common questions about Charleston County
- When was Charleston County founded?
- Charleston County was founded in 1769.
- What is the county seat of Charleston County?
- The county seat of Charleston County is Charleston.
- Is there an online parcel map for Charleston County?
- Yes. Charleston County publishes a parcel map of 33,267 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Charleston County's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 13 changes for Charleston County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 11 later changes, chiefly involving Dorchester County, Berkeley County and Colleton County.
- Who issues building permits in Charleston County?
- The county's page on building permits: Property Records & Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Charleston County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby