Bluffton, South Carolina
The river town just across the bridges from Hilton Head: oak-shaded Old Town on the May River, oysters shucked by hand, and the shops, supermarkets and hotels islanders drive over for.
Book Bluffton River Trips and Tours
May River kayak tours, dolphin and naturalist cruises, and Palmetto Bluff nature walks and bike tours, with live availability.
Booked through FareHarbor, the island operators’ own booking system. HHI.com may earn a commission.
Old Town and the May River
Old Town Bluffton, SC: Calhoun Street, the Heyward House, galleries, the Church of the Cross, the May River dock and restaurants, all within a short walk.
Old Town Bluffton restaurants by street: Calhoun Street, the Promenade, May River Road and the waterfront, with photos, ratings and phone numbers.
Bluffton, South Carolina history: the 1844 Bluffton Movement and Secession Oak, the 1863 burning, the Church of the Cross and the oyster years.
The Heyward House in Old Town Bluffton: a c. 1841 Carolina farmhouse museum with hours, guided walking and golf-cart tours, and parking.
Church of the Cross on Calhoun Street in Old Town Bluffton: an 1850s wooden Gothic Revival church, service times, visiting hours and history.
Art galleries in Bluffton, SC: the Society of Bluffton Artists gallery on Church Street, pottery studios and small galleries in Old Town.
May River Theatre, Bluffton's community theatre in Town Hall's Ulmer Auditorium: plays, musicals and improv, with how to buy tickets.
The Bluffton Farmers Market at Martin Family Park in Old Town: Thursday hours by season, what's sold, and how to get weather updates.
Old Town Bluffton is the original square mile: a grid of sandy lanes under live oaks, running down to the river at the end of Calhoun Street. Its cottages now hold art galleries, small restaurants and shops, and it is compact enough to see on foot in an afternoon. The wooden Church of the Cross, which held its first service in 1857, stands on the bluff above the May River, and the Heyward House, open to the public since 1998, is the town’s historic house museum. Old Town has been a national historic district since 1996.
The history here is bigger than the town. In 1844 South Carolina’s first secession movement, the “Bluffton Movement”, began under a live oak now called the Secession Oak, and on June 4, 1863, Union troops burned about two-thirds of the town’s sixty or so buildings. Down at the water is the Bluffton Oyster Company, open since 1899 and the last full-time oyster-shucking house in South Carolina. On Thursdays a farmers market sets up in the heart of Old Town.
Where to Eat in Bluffton
Bluffton restaurants by meal, food and area: Old Town, brunch, coffee, seafood, BBQ, sushi, bars and breweries, with photos and ratings on every card.
The best restaurants in Bluffton, SC, by part of town: Old Town and May River Road, Buckwalter, US 278 and Belfair, and the breweries.
Burnt Church Distillery in Bluffton, SC: whiskey, gin and vodka, small-group tours and tastings, a full restaurant, a cocktail bar and live music.
Ma Daisy's Porch in Bluffton, SC: Gullah cuisine at Chef B's, Backus Bakery, a heritage center and a market on two acres. Menu, brunch and reservations.
Frankie Bones Bluffton at 26 Discovery Drive: American-Italian steaks, prime rib, coffee-marinated ribeye and Sunday brunch. Menu, hours and reservations.
FARM Bluffton in Old Town: seasonal farm-to-table dinner, Sunday brunch, a vegetarian menu, craft cocktails and reservations at 1301 May River Road.
Truffles Cafe at Belfair in Bluffton, SC: chicken pot pie, crab cakes, steaks, ribs and a full bar at 91 Towne Drive. Menu, hours and reservations.
May River Grill in Old Town Bluffton: a small seafood-forward dinner room with weekly specials, a full bar and weekday lunch. Hours and reservations.
Bluffton Oyster Co at 63 Wharf Street: a family seafood market on the May River since 1899, selling oysters, clams, shrimp and fish. Hours and what to buy.
Breakfast in Bluffton, SC: diners, café brunches, bakeries and donuts, from Old Town to US 278, with hours and phone numbers.
Mexican restaurants in Bluffton, SC: sit-down cantinas with margaritas, counter-service tacos and a birria truck, by area, with phone numbers.
Pizza in Bluffton, SC: wood-fired, Pittsburgh-style and New York pies, chain pizzerias and a takeout slice shop, with phone numbers.
Italian restaurants in Bluffton, SC: a chophouse, family trattorias, takeout and casual pizza and pasta, by night out or quick dinner.
Ice cream in Bluffton, SC: homemade scoops, Ben & Jerry’s, Rita’s custard and Italian ice, and neighborhood shops, with hours and phone numbers.
Bakeries in Bluffton, SC: an 1868 cottage tea room, donut shops, custom cakes and pastry counters, with hours and phone numbers.
Bluffton eats well, and much of it is local: May River oysters in season, shrimp off the boats, and Southern cooking in old cottages. Old Town has the small, chef-run rooms along Calhoun Street and around the Promenade; the US 278 corridor and Buckwalter Parkway have the brewpubs, the family places and the chains. Burnt Church Distillery makes its own spirits and runs a restaurant beside the stills. Several island favorites have a second location here, which is useful to know when the island is busy in summer. Our Bluffton restaurants guide sorts them by meal and by kind of food, and the full list of Bluffton restaurants by part of town. For the Hilton Head side, see our Hilton Head dining guide.
Things to Do: River, Golf and Festivals
Things to do in Bluffton, SC: May River dolphin and kayak trips, Old Town's history and galleries, parks, bowling and mini golf, golf and festivals.
The May River in Bluffton, SC: when the sandbar shows at low tide, kayak and boat tours to book, public landings, and today's Bluffton tides.
Bluffton golf courses: every public course and private club in the Bluffton, SC area, with access, designer and contact details for each.
Station 300 in Bluffton, SC: 24 bowling lanes, an arcade, a grill and a bar on Innovation Drive, with lane booking and party info.
Bluffton events through the year: Mayfest in May, the Arts & Seafood Festival in October, the Christmas parade and the Thursday farmers market in Old Town.
Bluffton Mayfest in Old Town: a free Saturday in early May with 130+ artists and food vendors, live music, the Ugly Dog Contest and pie eating.
The Historic Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival in October: oyster roast, Blessing of the Fleet, Rockin' the Dock and a Street Fest with 100+ artists.
The Local Pickle: an 11-court indoor pickleball club on Fording Island Road with court reservations, lessons, leagues and a café.
Pickleball in Bluffton, SC: The Local Pickle's 11 indoor courts, free outdoor courts at the Bluffton Recreation Center, and lessons.
Tennis in Bluffton: the Tennis Club of the Lowcountry at Rose Hill, who to call about guest play, and where to find public courts.
Yoga in Bluffton, SC: Move Fitness & Yoga and Dancing Dogs Yoga, with drop-in and class-pack prices where the studio lists them.
Wedding venues in Bluffton, SC: Montage Palmetto Bluff, May River Manor, Hewitt Oaks, Hampton Lake and Venue 1223, with addresses and Google ratings.
Most of what there is to do in Bluffton comes back to the river. The May River is a tidal river lined with marsh and oyster beds, and the outfitters here run kayak tours and dolphin and naturalist cruises from Old Town and Palmetto Bluff (the booking cards above show what is running). On dry land, Bluffton has more golf than its size suggests: our Bluffton golf guide sorts the public courses you can book from the private clubs behind the gates. The town’s two big weekends are Mayfest in May and the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival in October, both in Old Town. For a rainy day there are bowling lanes at Station 300. Our things to do in Bluffton guide has the rest.
Parks, Landings and the Riverfront
Parks in Bluffton, SC: Old Town's riverfront lawns, playgrounds and ball fields, nature preserves with trails, dog parks and boat landings on the river.
Bluffton Oyster Factory Park in Old Town: live-oak lawn, pavilion, boat ramp, oyster roasts, the Garvin-Garvey House and an oyster tour.
Oscar Frazier Park in Bluffton: ball fields, playground, splash pad, fenced dog park and the Rotary Community Center, with hours and address.
Widgeon Point Preserve is a 162-acre Beaufort County preserve near Bluffton: a 0.7-mile loop, bird blind, marsh views, hours and what to know first.
Alljoy Beach is the public May River boat landing in Bluffton: two ramp lanes, courtesy docks, restrooms, a small shoreline and tips for launching a kayak.
The Bluffton Pool at 55 Pritchard St: the public covered pool with lap lanes, run by Beaufort County, reopened June 2025 after renovation.
Bluffton, SC has no ocean beach. Here is Alljoy, the May River sandbar, Brighton Beach Boat Landing, and the Hilton Head beaches 15 miles away.
The town’s parks are small and well kept. Oyster Factory Park, beside the oyster house at the end of Wharf Street, has a boat landing and a lawn on the river. Bluffton has no ocean beach of its own; Alljoy Beach, a sandy strip on the May River, is the nearest thing, and the Atlantic beaches are on the island (see our Hilton Head beaches guide).
Shopping in Bluffton
Where to shop in Bluffton, SC: Old Town boutiques and gift shops, the two outlet centres on US 278, jewelers, thrift stores and the supermarkets.
Every thrift store in Bluffton, SC: two Goodwills, the Habitat ReStore, PAL Thrift, church-run shops and consignment stores, and where to donate.
Antique and vintage stores in Bluffton, SC: Coastal Exchange and Vintage Market, with where to find cheaper old furniture and art.
Old Town Bluffton's gift shop on Church Street: candles, coastal decor, local art and Bluffton Made goods. Hours, address and what it sells.
Belfair Towne Village is an open shopping center on Towne Drive in Bluffton, anchored by Kroger. Tenants, address and how it differs from Belfair.
Goodwill in Bluffton, SC: the Island West Park and South Bluffton stores, their hours and phone numbers, what they sell and where to donate furniture.
Shopping splits the same way the town does. Old Town has the independent shops: galleries, boutiques, gift stores and a general store on Church Street, all walkable from Calhoun Street. Out on US 278, on the way to the bridges, are the two Tanger Outlets centers and the big-box stores. Bluffton also has a good run of thrift and consignment shops, several of them run by local charities. Our island Hilton Head shopping guide covers the other side of the bridge.
Where to Stay in Bluffton
Every hotel in Bluffton, SC: Old Town Bluffton Inn, May River Manor, Spark by Hilton, the US 278 chains near Sun City, and Montage Palmetto Bluff.
Old Town Bluffton Inn: 14 rooms on May River Road in Old Town, with breakfast and an all-day pantry. Adults only; walk to Calhoun Street and the river.
Spark by Hilton Bluffton Hilton Head Island, the former Comfort Suites just off US 278 in Bluffton: free breakfast, an outdoor pool and a meeting room.
May River Manor: a six-suite inn on 5.5 wooded acres in Bluffton with a saltwater pool and cooked breakfast, and a venue for small weddings and events.
Hampton Inn & Suites Bluffton-Sun City, on US 278 near Sun City Hilton Head: free hot breakfast, an outdoor pool, suites and three meeting rooms.
Montage Palmetto Bluff reviews, rooms and cottages, rates, Spa Montage, River House and weddings at the Forbes Five-Star resort in Bluffton, SC.
Vacation rentals in Bluffton, SC: where to book, Old Town and Palmetto Bluff stays, and the Town's short-term rental permit rules for owners.
RV parks and campgrounds in Bluffton, SC: Hilton Head National RV Resort, Stoney Crest and two resorts in nearby Hardeeville.
Most visitors to the area sleep on Hilton Head and drive over, but Bluffton has a few places worth staying in their own right. In Old Town there are small inns within a walk of Calhoun Street and the river. Along US 278 are the chain hotels, close to the bridges and the supermarkets (our Bluffton hotels round-up covers them all). Montage Palmetto Bluff, on the May River at the south end of town, is the resort. For staying on the island instead, start with our Hilton Head places to stay guide.
Plan Your Visit: Groceries, Errands and Town Services
If you are renting a house on Hilton Head, Bluffton is where the big supermarket run happens: Publix, Kroger, Food Lion, Aldi, Walmart and Sam’s Club all have Bluffton stores along US 278 and Bluffton Parkway, and the island’s stores are smaller. Stock up on the way in, before you cross the bridges on arrival day. The same corridor has urgent care, pharmacies and the rest of the errands a week away from home turns up. Our Hilton Head grocery stores guide covers the island side.
Bluffton’s weather is Hilton Head’s: long, humid summers with afternoon storms, mild winters, and the best days in spring and fall (our Hilton Head weather guide has the month by month). The town has its own government, library, post office and a campus of the University of South Carolina Beaufort, and the cards below will point to each as its page goes up.
Visitor Basics
Bluffton is in Beaufort County, SC, on the mainland west of Hilton Head. Population, size, what it is known for, Bluffton Parkway, and distances.
Bluffton, SC weather: current conditions, a live 16-day forecast, weather radar, average highs, lows and rain by month, and hurricane season.
Bluffton, SC has two zip codes: 29910 for Old Town and most of town, 29909 for the western communities. See which one your community uses.
Bluffton SC to Savannah GA is about 24 miles and 35 to 40 minutes. Routes, parking, the historic squares as a day trip, and the airport.
Bluffton, SC has no ocean beach. Here is Alljoy, the May River sandbar, Brighton Beach Boat Landing, and the Hilton Head beaches 15 miles away.
Urgent care in Bluffton, SC: three walk-in clinics, two 24-hour emergency rooms, and which hospitals are open, with hours and phone numbers.
Groceries, Salons and Everyday Errands
Every grocery store in Bluffton, SC: Publix, Kroger, Walmart, Sam's Club, Food Lion, Aldi and local markets, with addresses, hours and a first-shop guide.
The Bluffton Walmart Supercenter, store #6395 at 4 Bluffton Road: hours, phone and what's inside, plus other Bluffton grocery stores.
Both Publix stores in Bluffton, SC: Belfair on Baylor Drive and Buckwalter Place, with addresses, hours, phone numbers and how they differ.
Both Kroger stores in Bluffton, SC: Belfair Towne Village and the Buckwalter Place Marketplace, with addresses, hours and phone numbers.
Nine liquor stores in Bluffton, SC with hours, phone numbers and ratings, plus South Carolina's Sunday and 7 pm rules.
Hair and nail salons in Bluffton, SC: chains, independent studios and nail spas, with addresses, phone numbers, ratings and how to book.
Bluffton barber shops compared: hours, phone numbers, Google ratings, walk-ins and booking for nine shops, with a page for the five best known.
Massage and spas in Bluffton, SC: Massage Envy, Align, Inner Peace, Balance, Whisper Creek day spa and LUX med spa, with phone numbers and booking.
Gyms in Bluffton, SC: 24-hour clubs, boot camps, studios and the Buckwalter Recreation Center, with phone numbers and ratings.
Six florists in Bluffton, SC, with addresses, hours, phone numbers and Google ratings, plus tips on delivery and event flowers.
Dog boarding in Bluffton, SC, plus groomers and vets, with phone numbers, hours and Google ratings.
Town Services, Colleges and Churches
Town of Bluffton Town Hall at 20 Bridge Street: hours, phone, permits, business licenses and how WM trash collection works.
Bluffton Branch Library at 120 Palmetto Way: hours, free county library cards, study rooms, Wi-Fi and the children's playroom.
Bluffton post office at 25 Thurmond Way: Monday to Friday and Saturday-morning hours, lobby and package services, and the Palmetto Bluff office.
Bluffton DMV at 15 Sheridan Park Circle: hours (Wednesday opens 9:30), phone and the documents to bring for a South Carolina REAL ID.
Bluffton Health Department, the SC Department of Public Health clinic at 4819 Bluffton Parkway: hours, phone, WIC and how to book.
Bluffton Self Help runs a free grocery market, a clothing closet and emergency aid for neighbors in need: how to get help, what to donate and when.
Churches in Bluffton, SC: historic Old Town churches, community, Catholic, Presbyterian and Lutheran congregations, with addresses, phones and ratings.
USC Beaufort Bluffton, the university's main campus at One University Boulevard: programs, housing and how it fits with Beaufort and Hilton Head.
TCL Lowcountry's New River campus near Bluffton: address, hours and the Culinary Institute of the South's baking, culinary and hospitality programs.
Assisted living Bluffton SC: four communities with memory care or assisted living, their addresses and phone numbers, and how to compare and tour.
Palmetto Bluff and Montage
Palmetto Bluff, SC: where it is in Bluffton, the Wilson and Moreland villages, what visitors can do, Montage, weddings, the club and the Conservancy.
Montage Palmetto Bluff reviews, rooms and cottages, rates, Spa Montage, River House and weddings at the Forbes Five-Star resort in Bluffton, SC.
Palmetto Bluff restaurants by who can eat there: public Buffalo's and RT's Market, Montage's River House and Octagon, and the club's Canoe Club and Cole's.
Palmetto Bluff golf in Bluffton, SC: May River by Nicklaus, Crossroads by King-Collins and Anson Point by Coore and Crenshaw, and how access works.
Somerset Chapel Palmetto Bluff: the Montage resort's white wedding chapel in Bluffton, SC, seating 185, where Justin and Hailey Bieber married in 2019.
Palmetto Bluff real estate: homes, cottages and lots in Wilson and Moreland villages, what to ask about HOA fees and the club, and the listings search.
Palmetto Bluff rentals: cottages and vacation homes in Wilson Village, what to ask about club access, long-term leases and renting out your home.
Palmetto Bluff is the roughly 20,000-acre community on the May River at the south end of Bluffton: homes in small villages set among forest and marsh, miles of trails, and the Montage Palmetto Bluff resort. Several of the outfitters’ nature walks, bike tours and river trips start there. Golfers know it for the May River Golf Club (see our May River Golf Club page and Palmetto Bluff golf).
Real Estate and Communities
Search homes for sale in Bluffton, SC by price, type and community, plus what the listings leave out: builders and gated, golf and 55-plus communities.
Apartments in Bluffton SC by area: twenty complexes near the bridges, Old Town and SC 170, with ratings, bedroom mixes and what to ask before signing.
Hampton Lake in Bluffton, SC: the 227-acre lake, boathouse, pools and trails, plus the homes and how living in this gated community works.
Berkeley Hall in Bluffton, SC: a private, gated golf community on the Okatie River, with two Fazio courses, River Park, a spa and homes.
Colleton River Club, once Colleton River Plantation, is a gated Bluffton golf and waterfront community. See the golf, dock, courts, dining and dues.
Belfair SC guide: the gated Bluffton golf community on the Avenue of the Oaks, with two Tom Fazio courses and a club membership in every home.
Hampton Hall in Bluffton, SC: a private, gated club community of about 1,100 acres with a Pete Dye golf course, and Hampton Lake next door.
Rose Hill in Bluffton, SC: a gated community of about 950 home sites around a public golf course, with the historic Plantation House, tennis and trails.
Oldfield is a private, member-owned community on the Okatie River near Bluffton, with a Greg Norman course, equestrian center, outfitters and weddings.
Crescent Pointe in Bluffton: The Crescent, the gated golf community around a public Arnold Palmer course, with pools, courts and optional golf.
Sun City Hilton Head is Del Webb's 55+ community near Bluffton, SC: homes, fees, the age rule, resident-only golf, clubs, dining and how the gates work.
Moss Creek, the gated club community at the Hilton Head bridge: the gate and guests, two Fazio golf courses, the marina, dues and monthly rentals.
Bluffton is where most of the area’s new homes have gone up since 2000, from big gated golf communities to neighborhoods of first homes off Bluffton Parkway. Each of the main communities gets its own guide here, and our Sun City Hilton Head and Moss Creek guides cover two more just outside the town. For the island, see Hilton Head real estate.
Getting to Bluffton from Hilton Head Island
From Hilton Head there is one road off the island: US 278, over the bridges at the island’s north end. Once across, you are on Bluffton’s side of the water. Stay on US 278 for the outlets, hotels and supermarkets, or turn off on Bluffton Parkway or SC 46 (Bluffton Road) for Old Town and the river. Allow extra time in summer and at rush hour, when the bridges back up. The Hilton Head Island Airport is about 12 miles from downtown Bluffton, and Savannah/Hilton Head International about 30 miles, over the Georgia line. Our Hilton Head Island map shows the island’s side of the drive, and the Hilton Head transportation guide covers taxis and shuttles.
About Bluffton, SC
- County: Beaufort, South Carolina
- People: 27,716 (2020 census)
- Founded: Incorporated 1852
- Size: Over 50 square miles
- River: The May River
Bluffton, SC, is the town on the mainland side of the Hilton Head bridges, in Beaufort County, South Carolina. It began on a bluff above the May River as a summer retreat, where planters came for the higher ground and the breeze off the water, and it was incorporated in 1852. For the next century and a half it stayed small: about one square mile around what is now Old Town. Then, in 1998 and 2000, the town annexed Palmetto Bluff and the big Buckwalter and Jones tracts, and grew past 50 square miles almost overnight.
The people followed. Bluffton counted 27,716 residents at the 2020 census, more than double its 2010 figure, and it keeps growing. For a visitor that makes two Blufftons: the old river village, with its galleries, churches and oyster house, and the newer town along US 278 and Bluffton Parkway, with the outlets, the supermarkets and most of the hotels. Both are worth knowing if you visit Bluffton, SC, from the island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bluffton, SC?
On the South Carolina mainland just west of Hilton Head Island, across the bridges on US 278. Bluffton is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, in the southeastern United States, about 30 miles from the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.
How far is Bluffton from Hilton Head Island?
The town begins as soon as you cross the bridges off the island. Old Town Bluffton is about 12 miles from the Hilton Head Island Airport; allow extra time in summer traffic.
What is Bluffton known for?
Old Town’s galleries and cottages on the May River, the 1857 Church of the Cross, oysters from the Bluffton Oyster Company (hand-shucking since 1899), Palmetto Bluff and the Montage resort, and golf.
Does Bluffton have a beach?
Not an ocean beach. Alljoy Beach is a small sandy stretch on the May River; for the Atlantic, head over the bridges to Hilton Head’s beaches.
How many people live in Bluffton?
27,716 at the 2020 census, more than double the 2010 count. The town grew from about one square mile to over 50 after annexing Palmetto Bluff and the Buckwalter tract in 1998 and 2000.
Is Bluffton worth visiting from Hilton Head?
Yes, for an afternoon and dinner. Walk Old Town and Calhoun Street, see the Church of the Cross and the river, eat oysters, and do your supermarket shopping on the way back.
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