Beaufort, South Carolina

Beaufort ( ) is a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 13,607 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hilton Head Island metropolitan area.

Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island, in the heart of the Sea Islands and South Carolina Lowcountry. The city is widely known for its scenic location and for preserving the historic character of its antebellum architecture. The prominent role of Beaufort and the surrounding Sea Islands during the Reconstruction era after the U.S. Civil War is memorialized by the Reconstruction Era National Monument, established in 2017. The city is also known for its proximity to the military facilities at Parris Island, a U.S. naval hospital, and the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.