Hilton Head Island is a town located on an island of the same name in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 33,862 at the 2000 census, living on a land area of 108.94 km² (42.06 sq mi). Although the town occupies most of the land area of the island, it is not coterminous with it; there is a small part near the main access road from the mainland, William Hilton Parkway, which is not incorporated into the town. Hilton Head (the island) therefore has a slightly higher population (34,407) and a larger land area (110.45 km² or 42.65 sq mi) than the town. Hilton Head Island is 45 miles north of Savannah, Georgia, and 95 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The island features 12 miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular vacation destination.

The island is served by the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport and by the Hilton Head Airport which is on-island. Hilton Head Island is famous for its world class golf courses and each year hosts the Verizon Heritage Classic Tournament, which is played on the Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines Plantation.

Though known mainly as a tourist destination, Hilton Head has developed a rapidly growing full-time population, made up mostly of affluent transplants from Ohio, New Jersey, and other northern states.