The City of North Myrtle Beach celebrated it's fortieth year of incorporation on Wednesday, May 7, 2008. North Myrtle Beach Hotels including Prince Resort, Avista Resort, Barefoot Resort, and North Beach Plantation were not even envisioned as possible in 1968 when the world was focused on Vietnam, The Democratic Convention, the Summer of Love, and Civil Rights was a major dividing issue.

The city featured tours to the public throughout the day and video interviews at city hall. A special ceremony was held celebrating pioneers like the Tilghman family and Brian Floyd for the many contributions they had made to the city.

City tours included City Hall, the five fire stations, the Public Safety Building, Support Services, the J. Bryan Floyd Community Center and the all new Aquatic & Fitness Center. The North Myrtle Beach memorial ceremony included the color guard, an invocation, remarks by Mayor Marilyn Hatley, and remarks by some former mayors of the City and other North Myrtle Beach dignitaries.

In the past fourteen years, North Myrtle Beach has seen an explosion in Oceanfront North Myrtle Beach Hotels and North Myrtle Beach Condo development. Properties including Ashworth, Windy Hill Dunes, Prince Resort, Laguna Keys, Barefoot Resort, North Beach Plantation, Avista, North Shore Villas, Tilghman Beach and Racquet Club, and Ocean Drive Resort have all sprung up on what was once older oceanfront beach home rentals. The highrise hotels now dot the landscape from one end of North Myrtle Beach to the Southern most portion. Also mall development, Barefoot Landing, Tanger outlets, and 4 World class golf courses have been added to the city.

The City of North Myrtle Beach formed in 1968 when four smaller beach towns including Cherry Grove Beach, Ocean Drive Beach, Crescent Beach and Windy Hill Beach were consolidated into one larger city. North Myrtle Beach features 14.81 square miles with nine miles of Oceanfront beaches, including the Meyer Baba community that has several miles of completely undeveloped Oceanfront.

North Myrtle Beach, SC operates under a council-manager form of city government. The city statics represent 13,000 year-round residents, over 30,000 room nights from hotels, beach home rentals, and condos and receives almost 3.5 million tourists each year largely from the Northeast and Southeastern United States.