Origin
Beaufort, SC
Late night in Beaufort on Sunday
Local time
3:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Beaufort, SC to Bluffton, SC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
29.6 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Beaufort, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Bluffton, SC
Connor Scott McManus
Trip Overview
This short, 29.6-mile drive from Beaufort, SC to Bluffton, SC should take you about 37 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll navigate a route with a significant number of turns, primarily using Okatie Highway and Fording Island Road. Given its brevity and low estimated fuel cost of around $5, there's no need for an overnight stay. This journey stays within the Southeast region of South Carolina, offering a straightforward local experience. It's a quick hop that's easy to fit into any schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Okatie Highway | 12.3 mi | 14m |
| Fording Island Road | 5.8 mi | 6m |
| Robert Smalls Parkway | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Boundary Street | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Edward Burton Rodgers Bridge | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| Bluffton Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Carteret Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Bruin Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Okatie Highway
— 12.3 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Beaufort, SC and Bluffton, SC.
1
Start on Port Republic Street
39 ft
·
3 sec
·
Port Republic Street
2
Turn right onto US 21 Business
0.5 mi
·
48 sec
·
Carteret Street
3
Continue on US 21 Business
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Boundary Street
4
Turn left onto SC 170
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Robert Smalls Parkway
5
Continue on SC 170
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Edward Burton Rodgers Bridge
6
Continue on SC 170
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Okatie Highway
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
8
Merge onto US 278
5.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Fording Island Road
9
Turn right onto SC 46
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Bluffton Road
10
Enter roundabout onto SC 46
170 ft
·
3 sec
·
Bluffton Road
11
Continue on SC 46
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Bluffton Road
12
Turn left onto Bruin Road
87 ft
·
2 sec
·
Bruin Road
13
Arrive at destination
Bruin Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 29.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 21 Business / Carteret Street
Turn right onto US 21 Business / Carteret Street
Navigation decision point
3
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
SC 170 / Robert Smalls Parkway
Turn left onto SC 170 / Robert Smalls Parkway
Navigation decision point
3
21.9 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
4
28.7 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
SC 46 / Bluffton Road
Enter roundabout onto SC 46 / Bluffton Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
29.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
Bruin Road
Turn left onto Bruin Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.63 one way
$9.26 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.06 | $10.12 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.48 | $10.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.54 | $13.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.14 | $1.89 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Bluffton, SC
Late night in Bluffton on Sunday
Local time
3:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
27 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
37m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this trip. While 18% of the route involves highway driving, the majority is on local roads, so be prepared for frequent adjustments. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.3 miles on Okatie Highway. The character of the road will shift as you transition between these main thoroughfares, offering a varied, though not overtly scenic, driving experience. This isn't a high-speed interstate cruise but rather a more engaged local transit.
Only 18% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.3 mi on Okatie Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 21 Business / Carteret Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 37m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 21 Business / Carteret Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles (SC 170 / Robert Smalls Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 21.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
29 ft
-5 ft
Total Climb
58 ft
Total Descent
40 ft
Highest Point
29 ft
~25.4 mi in
Elevation Range
33 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 29.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (18%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.3 miles on Okatie Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 21 Business / Carteret Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles (SC 170 / Robert Smalls Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 21.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes — Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bluffton, SC before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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