Georgetown County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 63,404. Its county seat is Georgetown. The county was founded in 1769. It is named for George III of the United Kingdom. Georgetown County comprises the Murrells Inlet, SC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC Combined Statistical Area.

The early history of Georgetown County is closely tied to South Carolina's population growth. By an Act passed in 1768, the Province of South Carolina abolished its many counties and implemented just seven large districts with corresponding judicial seats. To be specific, there were too few government officials to have county circuit courts, consider and legislate local issues, and execute the law. Although the districts de facto began in 1768, they only received their official charters in 1769, after approval by the British Parliament of a modified provincial Act. George Town was one of the seven judicial seats, so it was the namesake and remained the seat of Georgetown District until and through the American Revolution. The 1785 County Court Act created 34 counties state-wide, with four counties within Georgetown District. The four subordinate judicial counties of Kingston County, Liberty County, Williamsburg County and Winyah County (named after the Winyah Bay) within Georgetown District were abolished in 1798. All overarching Districts were dissolved in 1800 with the respective areas of each former judicial county reformed with the executive, legislative and judicial functions that previously powered districts, as Horry District (est. 1801), Marion District (est. 1800), Williamsburg District (est. 1804) and Georgetown District (est. 1800). The current county dates its establishment from 1800 for this reason.

The legislative processes instituted by the post-Civil War state constitution provided for a fundamental decentralization of power from state to local control, so the districts were renamed counties – Georgetown District became Georgetown County in 1868. The county is named after its county seat, Georgetown, which was named about 1734 for George III of the United Kingdom, when he was Prince George. The largest community in the county is Murrells Inlet.

The economy is partially based on trade due to its transportation network and port facilities.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,034.83 square miles (2,680.2 km²), of which 813.61 square miles (2,107.2 km²) is land and 221.22 square miles (573.0 km²) (21.38%) is water.

Georgetown County has several rivers, including the Great Pee Dee River, the Waccamaw River, Black River, and Sampit River, all of which flow into Winyah Bay. The Santee River, which forms the southern boundary of the county, empties directly into the Atlantic Ocean. The Intracoastal Waterway crosses the county and Winyah Bay. The rivers and the bay have had a decisive effect on human development of the area, especially as the city of Georgetown has an excellent seaport and harbor.

Georgetown County is a diverse county with four distinct areas:

1. The Atlantic coastline, also called Waccamaw Neck, including the communities of Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island and DeBordieu, is part of "The Grand Strand" (beach), which includes Myrtle Beach to the north. The Georgetown County part of the Grand Strand used to be rural area, but is exploding with development today. Condos line the shoreline at Litchfield and many of the old cottages at Pawleys are being demolished for larger houses. DeBordieu is a gated community.