Origin
Charleston, SC
Morning in Charleston on Tuesday
Local time
6:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Charleston, SC to Summerville, SC
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
26.2 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Summerville, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick getaway from Charleston to Summerville, you can expect a short 25.8-mile journey that typically takes about 35 minutes. This trip is perfect for a one-day excursion, as the distance is short enough that you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations. Budgeting for your fuel is straightforward, with an estimated cost of $4 for the trip. You will navigate a combination of Meeting Street, I-26 West, and US-17 to reach your destination. Both cities are located within the Southeast region, ensuring a familiar climate and atmosphere for your travels. It is an uncomplicated route that serves as an efficient connection between these two South Carolina locales.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 26 | 21.3 mi | 26m |
| North Main Street | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Meeting Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Septima Clark Expressway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| King Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Coming Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Spring Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Calhoun Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 26
— 21.3 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Charleston, SC and Summerville, 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 left onto Calhoun Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Calhoun Street
4
Turn right onto S-10-104
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
King Street
5
Turn left onto Spring Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Spring Street
6
Turn right onto Coming Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Coming Street
7
Turn right onto US 17
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Septima Clark Expressway
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 26
21 mi
·
26 min
·
I 26
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 199A
Toward US 17 Alternate South: Summerville
Use the right lane.
10
Turn straight onto US 17 Alternate
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
North Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn left onto East Richardson Avenue
116 ft
·
5 sec
·
East Richardson Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right
92 ft
·
6 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.2 — 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.
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Coming Street
Turn right onto Coming Street
Navigation decision point
6
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 26
Keep slight left at fork onto I 26
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
23.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward US 17 Alternate South: Summerville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 199A
Toward US 17 Alternate South: Summerville
5
26.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
East Richardson Avenue
Turn left onto East Richardson Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.10 one way
$8.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.48 | $8.96 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.85 | $9.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.78 | $11.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.75 | $1.26 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.29 | $1.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.67 | $1.68 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Summerville, SC
Morning in Summerville on Tuesday
Local time
6:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
86°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
4 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
35m 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 that keeps you engaged rather than offering a monotonous interstate experience. While you will utilize major thoroughfares like I-26 West, the route maintains a 0% highway share, meaning you won't be spending your time cruising on long, uninterrupted stretches of open road. Instead, the character of this drive shifts as you move from the city streets of Charleston into the surrounding areas. You will need to stay alert for frequent turns, making the 35-minute duration feel active and focused. Because there are no designated stops required for this short distance, you can anticipate a continuous flow throughout the drive.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.3 mi on I 26.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 26 and North Main Street. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near S-10-107 / Meeting Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 26.2 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (S-10-107 / Meeting Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (Coming Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (I 26): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Charleston, SC
Full guide →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.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 26.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.3 miles on I 26. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Summerville, SC before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 (S-10-107 / Meeting Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (Coming Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (I 26): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Summerville, 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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