Tri-Command Community

Charleston, South Carolina

callan

Welcome

The Charleston metropolitan area is made up of three counties: Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester. The region’s recorded history began in 1670, when a group of English colonists settled on a tract of land that they called Charles Towne, after King Charles II of England. The colony soon expanded into a busy, successful maritime and agricultural community, playing a significant role in the nation’s founding. The name was changed to Charleston in 1783. Today, the Charleston metropolitan area continues to grow and flourish yet maintains its rich, historic charm. The region stretches from central to southern South Carolina, some 50 miles inland, with 90 miles of oceanfront. The area’s economic mix is diverse, combining with it the largest containerized cargo port on the south Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Area Housing

The Charleston metro area offers virtually any type of housing: antebellum mansions, beachfront homes, resort condominiums, luxury townhouses, affordable apartments and starter homes. The estimated purchase price for a newly built home with 1,800 square feet of living area (three bedrooms, two bathrooms in a mid-management executive household neighborhood) in the Charleston area is under $300,000. The average monthly rental cost for an apartment is $989.

Utilities

Telephone

BellSouth provides telephone service for the majority of the region. For more information, call 843-780-2355 or go to https://www.att.com/local/south-carolina/charleston/.

Electric and Gas

South Carolina Electric and Gas Co., 800-251-7234 or www.sceg.com, is the main power supplier for many areas in the region. In some areas, Berkeley Electric Co-op (www.becsc.com), Santee Cooper (www.santeecooper.com ) and Edisto Electric Co-op (www.edistoelectric.com) supply electricity. Contact local municipalities for more information.

Water

Contact your local municipality for water and sewer hook-up.

Cable TV

Xfinity (Comcast) 843-554-4100
www.xfinity.com

WOW (Knology) 843-225-1000
www.wowway.com

AT&T 843-556-7611
https://www.att.com/local/south-carolina/charleston/

Schools

Public

There are 114 schools in Charleston County from early learning programs to high schools, including three alternative programs; in addition, there are 10 charter schools (843-937-6300 or www.ccsdschools.com/schools/specialty_schools/charter_schools); more than 40 schools in Berkeley County, plus an evening high school and two adult education programs (843-899-8600 or www.berkeley.k12.sc.us); over 20 schools in Dorchester County’s District II, including an evening high school and alternative and adult education programs (843-873-2901 or www.dorchester2.k12.sc.us); and seven schools in Dorchester County’s District IV (843-563-4535 or www.dorchester4.k12.sc.us).

Private

There are nearly 50 private and parochial schools that serve the Charleston area. For information, contact:

Tri-County Admissions Council
P.O. Box 39612
Charleston, SC 29407
www.charlestonprivateschools.org

School Registration

All children entering first grade must present a birth certificate and must be 6 years of age by Sept. 1 of the current school year. All children entering South Carolina schools for the first time must present an immunization certificate. The school year is 180 days, begins at the end of August/early September and concludes at the end of May/early June. School bus service is available for students who live more than a half mile from the school where they are assigned.

Colleges/Universities

Charleston Southern University 843-863-7000
9200 University Blvd.
North Charleston, SC 29406
www.csuniv.edu

The Citadel 843-225-3294
171 Moultrie St.
Charleston, SC 29409
www.citadel.edu

College of Charleston 843-805-5507
66 George St.
Charleston, SC 29424
www.cofc.edu

Medical University of South Carolina 843-792-3281
45 Courtenay Drive, MSC 203
Charleston, SC 29425
http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/musc/academics

Trident Technical College
Main Campus 843-574-6111
7000 Rivers Ave.
North Charleston, SC 29406
www.tridenttech.edu

Trident Technical College
Palmer Campus 843-722-5500
66 Columbus St.
Charleston, SC 29403
www.tridenttech.edu

Webster University 843-760-1324
4105 Faber Place Drive, Suite 100
North Charleston, SC 29405
www.webster.edu/charleston

Shopping Centers/ Newspapers and Magazines

There are numerous shopping centers and banks in the area. The Post and Courier are the daily newspapers in the metropolitan area. There are also a number of nondaily and weekly newspapers in communities throughout the Tri-County region.

Transportation

Charleston has an excellent highway system. Major highways within the region include interstates 29, 526 and 95. U.S. highways include 17, 52, 78, 176 and 701.

Buses

Local Transit: Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority. To obtain bus route schedules and fares, call CARTA at 843-724-7420 or go to www.ridecarta.com.

Intercity: Greyhound (843-744-4247 or www.greyhound.com) and Palmetto Breeze (843-757-5782 or www.palmettobreezetransit.com) provide public bus transportation.

Contact each bus line or go to the websites for route schedules and fares.

Rail

For prices and schedules call Amtrak, 800-835-8725 or go to www.amtrak.com.

Air Service

Charleston International Airport provides commercial and military air service. Five commercial airlines offer more than 90 flights per day (www.chs-airport.com). Airlines include American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United. In addition, six private airports throughout the region accommodate both corporate and private aircraft.