Charleston, SC to Conway, SC is 97.4 miles and takes about 2h 16m via US 17, with a fuel budget near $15 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within South Carolina, connecting two points in the Southeast region. Expect a straightforward journey primarily on well-traveled highways. It's a manageable distance, making it ideal for a single-day trip without feeling rushed. Consider this route if you're looking for an efficient way to travel between these two locations.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
48.7 miles from Charleston, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 7m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 17
49.4 mi
1h 3m
North Fraser Street
21.9 mi
31m
Highway 701 South
12.4 mi
17m
Johnnie Dodds Boulevard
6.6 mi
11m
4th Avenue
2.5 mi
5m
Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge
2.3 mi
3m
East Bay Street
0.8 mi
1m
Meeting Street
0.7 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
US 17
— 49.4 mi, about 1h 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Charleston, SC and Conway, SC.
1
Start on Broad Street
40 ft·5 sec·Broad Street
2
Turn right onto S-10-107
0.7 mi·1 min·Meeting Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn right onto Calhoun Street
0.3 mi·40 sec·Calhoun Street
4
Turn left onto East Bay Street
0.8 mi·1 min·East Bay Street
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward US 17 North
6
Merge onto US 17
2.3 mi·3 min·Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on US 17
6.6 mi·11 min·Johnnie Dodds Boulevard
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on US 17
49 mi·1 hr 3 min·US 17
Use the left lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto US 17
22 mi·31 min·North Fraser Street
10
Continue on US 701
12 mi·17 min·Highway 701 South
11
Continue on US 701
2.5 mi·5 min·4th Avenue
12
Arrive at destination
SC 905
Trip Plan
Given the 2h 16m duration and 97.4 miles, this trip is perfectly suited for a same-day excursion. Departing in the morning or early afternoon will give you ample time to reach Conway without needing an overnight stay. There are no designated stops in the data, but with a drive this length, you can easily pull over if needed. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge; the estimated cost is around $15, so plan your refueling accordingly before you leave Charleston or as you approach Conway, as services can be spaced out on US 17.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 48.7 miles from Charleston, SC, or about 1h 7m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 49.4 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 21 miles or 32m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 48.7 miles or 1h 7m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 50m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Conway, SC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Charleston, SC so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Charleston, SC
This is one driving day of about 97.4 miles and 2h 16m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Charleston, SC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 17 for about 49.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 60.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip|~0m in|S-10-107 / Meeting Street
Turn right onto S-10-107 / Meeting Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
0.8 mi into trip|~1m in|Calhoun Street
Turn right onto Calhoun Street
Navigation decision point
3
1.1 mi into trip|~2m in|East Bay Street
Turn left onto East Bay Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.4 mi into trip|~5m in|US 17 / Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge
Merge onto US 17 / Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
60.6 mi into trip|~1h 22m in|US 17 / North Fraser Street
Keep slight left at fork onto US 17 / North Fraser Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.23 one way
$30.46 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg34 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$16.65
$33.31
premium
$4.70
$18.03
$36.05
diesel
$5.61
$21.50
$43.01
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$15
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$40–$65
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 34.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
29.2
0
$10.23
$4.68
Efficient EV
24.4
0
$8.52
$3.90
EV Truck/SUV
39
0
$13.64
$6.23
Gas CO2
34 kg
EV CO2
11 kg (68% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026
Origin
Charleston, SC
Late night
in Charleston on Tuesday
Local time
5:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
89°F
Sunny
SW 5 to 9 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Conway, SC
Late night
in Conway on Tuesday
Local time
5:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
90°F
Sunny
W 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
1 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
2h 16m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Two forts stand at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. Patriots inside a palmetto log fort, later named Fort Moultrie, defeated the Royal Navy in 1776. As Charleston blazed a path towards secession to...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 63% of the route utilizing major roads. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 49.4 miles on US 17, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of the journey. The roads are generally well-maintained, facilitating smooth travel. While not a winding scenic byway, the highway character ensures you can maintain a steady speed, making for an efficient trip.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 49.4 mi on US 17.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 17 and North Fraser Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near S-10-107 / Meeting Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 16m 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 (S-10-107 / Meeting Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Calhoun Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (East Bay Street): Navigation decision point.
Charleston is the largest and oldest city in the state of South Carolina in the United States of America. Its historic downtown is on a peninsula formed by two rivers, the Ashley and the Cooper, flowing into the Atlantic, and protected from the open ocean by surrounding islands. Charleston was captured in the American Civil War without much property damage, so the historic part of town has buildings that are hundreds of years old. The current downtown skyline, with practically no tall buildings due to the city's height restriction ordinance, is dominated by church steeples and the stunning Arthur Ravenel cable-stay bridge over the Cooper River. The city is a major port on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and a popular destination for domestic and international tourists.
The longest stretch is about 49.4 miles on US 17. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (S-10-107 / Meeting Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Calhoun Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (East Bay Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie 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 Conway, SC before heading back.
