DID YOU KNOW?
Town limits
May River
About 92 % of Bluffton is governed by development agreements, many of which were created in the early 2000s.
How Bluffton Grew:
From 1 to 54 Square Miles
Our Town’ s Growth Story
For more than 150 years, Bluffton was just one square mile in size. Today, our Town covers 54 square miles. How did we grow so quickly? The answer starts in the 1990s.
The Turning Point: 1994
In 1994, Del Webb, a national homebuilder, announced plans to build Sun City, a large community that would bring thousands of new homes to our areas. While Sun City is not in Bluffton’ s limits, the project represented the beginning of the region’ s growth phase.
BLUFFTON ' S TOWN COUNCIL FACED AN IMPORTANT CHOICE:
Watch growth happen around them OR
Council members chose to get involved.
They decided to accept requests from nearby property owners to join the Town( called " annexation "). This allowed Bluffton to guide growth with local rules that protect our natural resources and quality of life.
Understanding Development Agreements
Take an active role in shaping how our area would develop
When large areas of undeveloped land join the Town, Bluffton creates a legal contract with the property owner / developer called a " development agreement."
These agreements: Spell out exactly how the land will be developed Include rules for protecting trees and natural resources Plan for parks, roads, neighborhoods and businesses Set limits on how many homes and buildings can be built Do NOT have specific start or end dates
GROWTH MINDSET
Bluffton is the fifth largest town in South Carolina by land area. Our Town covers 54 square miles, making it one of the biggest in the state.
Key Annexation Milestones
DATE
SQUARE MILES
1852 1
1998 34.41
2000 50.40
2005 53.63
2010 53.95
2024 54.29
When was your neighborhood annexed?
View the map gallery
townofbluffton. sc. gov / 686 / map-gallery
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WE’ RE HERE TO HELP( 843) 706-4500 townofbluffton. sc. gov