For many years, Hardeeville billed itself as the "Lowcountry Host" due to the prevalence of lodging and traveler-oriented facilities along U.S. Highway 17 and later Interstate 95.

According to Census estimates, Hardeeville posted the highest population growth rate of any municipality in South Carolina, growing 53.4 percent from 2010 to 2014.

The settlement ultimately failed, as disease and competition from growing Savannah proved too much for the local settlers to overcome.

Many left the immediate area, moving elsewhere in the Lowcountry region (including a new hamlet called Switzerland) or upriver to the new communities of Augusta, Georgia, and Hamburg, South Carolina, though some remained.

The Charleston and Savannah Railway (today's CSX Transportation) was considered a prized possession and major strategic goal for Union forces.

Through the efforts of his son, Whyte William Hardee, a depot and general store along the Charleston and Savannah Railway opened up.

[7] Growth continued at a modest pace throughout the rest of the 20th century, though timbering operations were gradually scaled back as overseas lands became more sought after due to lower costs and more standard logging procedures.

In spite of the decline of the logging industry, the construction of U.S. Route 17 and later Interstate 95 provided a new type of commerce: motorist services such as motels, restaurants, and gas stations.

The development of Hilton Head Island to the southeast as a resort destination had a further impact on the community, with an additional interstate exit providing greater commercial opportunity and affordable costs of living for service employees who moved to the city.

In response, Hardeeville began to annex large undeveloped parcels of land that were previously held by timbering and paper concerns.

[8] In 2004, Core Communities became the first company to sign a development agreement with the city and began constructing Tradition Hilton Head.

[8] Nearly 90 percent of the city limits was annexed between 2000 and 2010, primarily to accommodate large, planned development communities located on former lands devoted to logging and timber harvesting.

Although a small community in terms of population, Hardeeville is among the 10 largest municipalities in South Carolina based on incorporated limits.

"Downtown" or "Historic Hardeeville" refers generally to the original city limit extents of the community, bound between Exits 5 and 8 along I-95 and between the interstate and the CSX rail line.

Locally oriented commerce is located along Main Street and northern portions of Whyte Hardee Boulevard.

Nearby neighborhoods often associated with downtown include Car Moorer Acres, Pine Arbor, Heritage Place, Jenny Greeene, and Deerfield Village.

Additional neighborhoods include the Courtney Bend apartments and Camp Lake Jasper, an RV park.

The city is currently home to the University of South Carolina Beaufort Sand Sharks baseball and softball teams.

Downtown Hardeeville has traditionally been the center of commercial activity in the city, with traveler services along U.S. 17 mixing together with more local-oriented businesses along Main Street.

Hardeeville's two exits along Interstate 95 are some of South Carolina's more popular stopping points, with traveler-oriented commercial services.

Additional light industrial development is occurring in other areas of the city, especially along the Argent Boulevard and Highway 170 corridors.

A future Exit 3 along Interstate 95 is planned to facilitate industrial development in RiverPort and alleviate truck congestion through downtown Hardeeville.