Origin
Bluffton, SC
Late night in Bluffton on Sunday
Local time
12:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bluffton, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
13.3 mi
21 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bluffton, SC
Connor Scott McManus
Hilton Head Island, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Bluffton to Hilton Head Island is a quick, 12.5-mile journey that typically takes about 21 minutes. Because this is a short, local transit, you can easily complete the entire trip in a single day without needing an overnight stay. You will navigate primarily via Burnt Church Road, Fording Island Road, and William Hilton Parkway. With a fuel cost of just $2, it is a very budget-friendly trip for locals or visitors moving between these two South Carolina destinations. Both the origin and destination sit firmly within the Southeast region, making this a straightforward, familiar commute. Keep in mind that there are no planned stops, so you should be prepared to drive the full distance without a break.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| William Hilton Parkway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Fording Island Road | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Cross Island Parkway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| Marshland Road | 2.3 mi | 5m |
| Burnt Church Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Bruin Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Allen Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
William Hilton Parkway
— 3.8 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bluffton, SC and Hilton Head Island, SC.
1
Start on Bruin Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Bruin Road
2
At end of road, turn left onto Burnt Church Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Burnt Church Road
3
Turn right onto US 278
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Fording Island Road
4
Continue on US 278
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
William Hilton Parkway
5
Keep slight left at fork onto US 278
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Cross Island Parkway
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
7
Turn left onto Marshland Road
2.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Marshland Road
8
Turn right onto Allen Road
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Allen Road
9
Arrive at destination
Allen Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 10.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Burnt Church Road
At end of road, turn left onto Burnt Church Road
Navigation decision point
3
1.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 278 / Fording Island Road
Turn right onto US 278 / Fording Island Road
Navigation decision point
4
8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
US 278 / Cross Island Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 278 / Cross Island Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
3
10.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
4
10.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Marshland Road
Turn left onto Marshland Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.08 one way
$4.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.27 | $4.55 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.46 | $4.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.94 | $5.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.16 | $0.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Hilton Head Island, SC
Late night in Hilton Head Island on Sunday
Local time
12:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°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
24 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
23m 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 rather than a high-speed interstate haul. Since the highway share is 0%, you won't be dealing with high-velocity merging or long, monotonous stretches of pavement. The route is characterized by constant navigation through local roads, with no section longer than the segment on Burnt Church Road. You will find that the road surface and traffic patterns shift as you transition from the Bluffton area onto the thoroughfares leading toward the island. It is a practical driving experience that requires your full attention on the road layout rather than long-distance cruising.
46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.8 mi on William Hilton Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near Burnt Church Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m 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: at 0.5 miles (Burnt Church Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (US 278 / Fording Island Road): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (US 278 / Cross Island Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 13.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.8 miles on William Hilton Parkway. 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: at 0.5 miles (Burnt Church Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (US 278 / Fording Island Road): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (US 278 / Cross Island Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Hilton Head Island, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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