Origin
Hilton Head, SC
Late night in Hilton Head on Tuesday
Local time
4:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hilton Head, SC to Beaufort, 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
45m
Distance
35.1 mi
56 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hilton Head, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Beaufort, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Hilton Head to Beaufort is 35.1 miles and takes about 45 minutes via Okatie Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within South Carolina, connecting two points in the Southeast region. Expect a local drive with frequent turns, making it a straightforward journey. Given the brief duration, it's an ideal option for a leisurely day trip or a quick hop between destinations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Okatie Highway | 12.2 mi | 13m |
| Fording Island Road | 9 mi | 13m |
| Robert Smalls Parkway | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| William Hilton Parkway | 4.1 mi | 4m |
| Boundary Street | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Edward Burton Rodgers Bridge | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| Carteret Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Port Republic Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Okatie Highway
— 12.2 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hilton Head, SC and Beaufort, SC.
1
Start on US 278
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
William Hilton Parkway
2
Continue on US 278
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
William Hilton Parkway
3
Continue on US 278
9.0 mi
·
13 min
·
Fording Island Road
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
5
Keep slight right at fork
147 ft
·
4 sec
6
Merge onto SC 170
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Okatie Highway
7
Continue on SC 170
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Edward Burton Rodgers Bridge
8
Continue on SC 170
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Robert Smalls Parkway
9
Turn right onto US 21
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Boundary Street
10
Continue on US 21 Business
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Carteret Street
11
Turn left onto Port Republic Street
39 ft
·
1 sec
·
Port Republic Street
12
Arrive at destination
Port Republic Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.5 miles from Hilton Head, SC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 13 and 35.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
13 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
5
13.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
3
13.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
SC 170 / Okatie Highway
Merge onto SC 170 / Okatie Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
3
32.5 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
US 21 / Boundary Street
Turn right onto US 21 / Boundary Street
Navigation decision point
3
35.1 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
Port Republic Street
Turn left onto Port Republic Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.49 one way
$10.98 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $6.00 | $12.00 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.50 | $12.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.75 | $15.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.69 | $1.68 |
| Efficient EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.07 | $1.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14 | 0 | $4.91 | $2.25 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Beaufort, SC
Late night in Beaufort on Tuesday
Local time
4:50 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
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
45m 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?
This route is characterized as a "turn-heavy local drive," meaning you'll encounter numerous intersections and changes in direction. Only 27% of the drive is on highways, so much of it will feel like navigating local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 12.2 miles on Okatie Highway. Prepare for a driving experience that requires constant attention to navigation as you move through various local areas.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.2 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 around 13 miles in.
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 45m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 13.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.3 miles (SC 170 / Okatie Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
About the Cities
Starting in Hilton Head, SC
Full guide →Hilton Head Island is a city and barrier island in South Carolina, just across the border from Savannah, Georgia. With an approximate population of 40,000, it is on a beautiful, sub-tropical 12-mile (19-km) barrier island. Hilton Head Island is a vacation playland with famous beaches and great golf courses that overlook the Atlantic Ocean.
Arriving in Beaufort, SC
Full guide →Beaufort is a coastal town in the Low Country of South Carolina.
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 45m. Total distance: 35.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (27%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.2 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: at 13 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 13.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.3 miles (SC 170 / Okatie Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
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 Beaufort, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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