Origin
South Santee, SC
Morning in South Santee on Tuesday
Local time
6:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Santee, SC to Charleston, 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
1h 1m
Distance
44.7 mi
72 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Santee, SC
Hilary Halliwell
Trip Overview
South Santee, SC to Charleston, SC is 44.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 1 minute via US 17, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Southeast region, making it a simple hop between two points in South Carolina. Given its focus on highway driving and quick transit time, it's ideal for travelers looking to reach their destination efficiently. You'll spend most of your time on main roads, making it a straightforward trip with minimal complexity. Plan for a smooth arrival into Charleston.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 17 | 42 mi | 56m |
| East Bay Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Meeting Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Morrison Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Calhoun Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 17
— 42 mi, about 56m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Santee, SC and Charleston, SC.
1
Start on US 17
42 mi
·
56 min
·
US 17
Use the straight lane.
2
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward Morrison Drive, East Bay Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Turn left onto US 52 Bus
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Morrison Drive
4
Turn straight onto East Bay Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Bay Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
5
Turn right onto Calhoun Street
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Calhoun Street
6
Turn left onto S-10-107
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Meeting Street
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left onto Broad Street
40 ft
·
1 sec
·
Broad Street
8
Arrive at destination
Broad Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.3 miles from South Santee, 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 44.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 17
Depart onto US 17
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
42 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit toward Morrison Drive, East Bay Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Morrison Drive, East Bay Street
4
42.3 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
US 52 Bus / Morrison Drive
Turn left onto US 52 Bus / Morrison Drive
Navigation decision point
6
43.9 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
S-10-107 / Meeting Street
Turn left onto S-10-107 / Meeting Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
44.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
|
Broad Street
Turn left onto Broad Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.99 one way
$13.98 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $7.64 | $15.29 |
| premium | $4.70 | $8.27 | $16.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.87 | $19.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.69 | $2.15 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.91 | $1.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.26 | $2.86 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Charleston, SC
Morning in Charleston on Tuesday
Local time
6:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 1m 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 heavily focused on highway travel, with 94% of it on major roads like US 17. You'll experience a long stretch of 42 miles on US 17 before transitioning to surface streets in Charleston. Expect a high volume of exits and merging traffic as you approach the city. The initial 42 miles will feel like typical highway cruising.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 42 mi on US 17.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 17 and East Bay Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 17.
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 1h 1m drive. You will face about 7 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 (US 17): Lane positioning matters here; at 42 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 42.3 miles (US 52 Bus / Morrison Drive): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 1h 1m. Total distance: 44.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 42 miles on US 17. 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: near the start (US 17): Lane positioning matters here; at 42 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 42.3 miles (US 52 Bus / Morrison Drive): 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 Charleston, 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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