Fountain Inn, SC to Walden Pond, SC is 20.1 miles and takes about 28m via Golden Strip Freeway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Southeast region, primarily in South Carolina. Given its brief duration and straightforward path, it's ideal for a quick excursion. Consider this route if you need to cover a small distance efficiently without significant time commitment.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Golden Strip Freeway
15.2 mi
17m
Haywood Road
1.4 mi
2m
East North Street
1.2 mi
2m
Cunningham Road
0.7 mi
2m
McCarter Road
0.7 mi
1m
Lynn Drive
0.1 mi
<1m
Old Spartanburg Road
0.1 mi
<1m
South Main Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Golden Strip Freeway
— 15.2 mi, about 17m
Traffic on I-385
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~3,646 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~121 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
30.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 50 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fountain Inn, SC and Walden Pond, SC.
1
Start on SC 14
51 ft·3 sec·South Main Street
2
Turn right onto SC 418
0.7 mi·1 min·McCarter Road
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·43 sec
4
Merge onto I 385
6.3 mi·7 min·Golden Strip Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 385
9.0 mi·10 min·Golden Strip Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·41 sec
Exit 39Toward Haywood RoadUse the slight right lane.
7
Turn right onto Haywood Road
1.4 mi·2 min·Haywood Road
Use the right lane.
8
Turn right onto East North Street
1.2 mi·2 min·East North Street
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on Old Spartanburg Road
0.1 mi·20 sec·Old Spartanburg Road
10
Turn left onto Cunningham Road
0.7 mi·2 min·Cunningham Road
11
Turn right onto Lynn Drive
0.1 mi·32 sec·Lynn Drive
12
Arrive at destination
Lynn Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 17.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1 mi into trip|~2m in|I 385 / Golden Strip Freeway
Merge onto I 385 / Golden Strip Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
7.3 mi into trip|~9m in|I 385 / Golden Strip Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 385 / Golden Strip Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
16.2 mi into trip|~19m in
Take the exit toward Haywood Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 39
Toward Haywood Road
5
16.5 mi into trip|~20m in|Haywood Road
Turn right onto Haywood Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
17.9 mi into trip|~22m in|East North Street
Turn right onto East North Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.97 one way
$5.94 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg7 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.12
$3.26
$6.52
premium
$4.49
$3.55
$7.11
diesel
$4.80
$3.80
$7.59
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging
· 0 stops
· 71% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
6
0
$2.11
$0.96
Efficient EV
5
0
$1.76
$0.80
EV Truck/SUV
8
0
$2.81
$1.29
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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 Jul 11, 2026
Origin
Fountain Inn, SC
Afternoon
in Fountain Inn on Sunday
Local time
1:17 PM
EDT
Current temp
92°F
Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
W 13 mph51% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 11 at 11:21AM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 11 at 3:42AM EDT until July 11 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington NC
Destination
Walden Pond, SC
Afternoon
in Walden Pond on Sunday
Local time
1:17 PM
EDT
Current temp
93°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
WSW 12 mph61% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 11 at 11:21AM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 11 at 3:42AM EDT until July 11 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington NC
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
28m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly highway, with 76% of the 20.1 miles on freeways. You'll experience the longest continuous stretch of 15.2 miles on the Golden Strip Freeway. Expect a series of exits and merges as you navigate this mostly highway profile. The drive transitions to surface roads for the final portion of the trip.
76% 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: 15.2 mi on Golden Strip Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Golden Strip Freeway and Haywood Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near I 385 / Golden Strip Freeway.
Driving Effort6/10
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 20.1 miles you will encounter 9 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: at 1 miles (I 385 / Golden Strip Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (I 385 / Golden Strip Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,038 ft802 ft
Total Climb
290 ft
Total Descent
204 ft
Highest Point
1,038 ft
~14.4 mi in
Elevation Range
236 ft
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Fountain Inn is a suburban city southeast of the city of Greenville in the Upcountry of South Carolina. Fountain Inn is primarily a commuter town of Greenville, but does have a decent collection of restaurants and boutique shops. The population was estimated at 7,800 in 2010.
Top landmarks
•Cannon Building — building in South Carolina, United States
•Fountain Inn High School — high school in Fountain Inn, South Carolina, United States
•McDowell House — house in Fountain Inn, South Carolina
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 20.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.2 miles on Golden Strip Freeway. 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 Walden Pond, 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: at 1 miles (I 385 / Golden Strip Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (I 385 / Golden Strip Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Walden Pond, SC before heading back.
