Myrtle Beach is a coastal resort city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It is the de facto hub of both the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area and the Grand Strand, a complex of beach towns and barrier islands stretching from Little River to Georgetown, South Carolina. Arising from a getaway for lumber workers from Conway, Myrtle Beach has rapidly developed into a major tourist destination in the Southeastern United States in the latter 20th century and 2000s. As of 2006, the metro area had an estimated population of 299,353. According to the 2000 census, the area was the 13th fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States.