The drive from Spartanburg, SC to Cayce, SC covers 95 miles and takes about 1h 52m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 26, North Church Street, Highway 221 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 84.6 miles on I 26.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.56 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
47.5 miles from Spartanburg, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 57m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 26
84.6 mi
1h 33m
North Church Street
6 mi
10m
Highway 221
2.5 mi
4m
Airport Boulevard
1.1 mi
1m
Glenn Street
0.5 mi
1m
Tarrytown Lane
<0.1 mi
<1m
Middleton Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 26
— 84.6 mi, about 1h 33m
Traffic on I-26
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 66 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,819 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,519
Quietest
2 AM
~136 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 105 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 Spartanburg, SC and Cayce, SC.
1
Start on US 221; SC 56
6.0 mi·10 min·North Church Street
2
Continue on US 221
2.5 mi·4 min·Highway 221
3
Turn left
0.2 mi·22 sec
4
Merge onto I 26
79 mi·1 hr 26 min·I 26
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 26
5.2 mi·6 min·I 26
Toward CharlestonUse the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Exit 113Toward SC 302: Columbia Airport, CayceUse the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on Tarrytown Lane
348 ft·16 sec·Tarrytown Lane
8
Turn sharp left onto SC 302
1.1 mi·1 min·Airport Boulevard
9
Turn right onto Glenn Street
0.5 mi·1 min·Glenn Street
10
Turn left onto Middleton Street
165 ft·5 sec·Middleton Street
11
Arrive at destination
Middleton Street
Trip Plan
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 47.5 miles from Spartanburg, SC, or about 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 84.6 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 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 47.5 miles or 57m 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 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cayce, SC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Spartanburg, SC so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Spartanburg, SC
This is one driving day of about 95 miles and 1h 52m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Spartanburg, SC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 26 for about 84.6 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 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 8.6 and 94.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
8.6 mi into trip|~15m in|I 26
Merge onto I 26
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
88 mi into trip|~1h 41m in|I 26
Keep slight right at fork onto I 26 toward Charleston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Charleston
8
93.2 mi into trip|~1h 48m in
Take the exit toward SC 302: Columbia Airport, Cayce
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.
Exit 113
Toward SC 302: Columbia Airport, Cayce
5
93.4 mi into trip|~1h 48m in|SC 302 / Airport Boulevard
Turn sharp left onto SC 302 / Airport Boulevard
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
4
94.5 mi into trip|~1h 50m in|Glenn Street
Turn right onto Glenn Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.56 one way
$29.11 round trip
$3.89/gal25.4 MPG avg33 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.27
$15.97
$31.95
premium
$4.64
$17.34
$34.69
diesel
$5.60
$20.94
$41.88
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: 33.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
28.5
0
$9.98
$4.56
Efficient EV
23.8
0
$8.31
$3.80
EV Truck/SUV
38
0
$13.30
$6.08
Gas CO2
33 kg
EV CO2
11 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.
Forecast as of Sep 4, 2026
Origin
Spartanburg, SC
Late night
in Spartanburg on Saturday
Local time
5:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
95°F
Sunny
S 2 mph12% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 4 at 2:38PM EDT until September 4 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington NC
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 4 at 2:38PM EDT until September 5 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington NC
Destination
Cayce, SC
Late night
in Cayce on Saturday
Local time
5:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
97°F
Sunny
S 5 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 4 at 2:38PM EDT until September 4 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington NC
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 4 at 2:38PM EDT until September 5 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington NC
72°F
Clinton, SC
48 mi in
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
2 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
1h 52m 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.
Cowpens National Battlefield
National Battlefield
A pasturing area at the time of the battle, this Revolutionary War site commemorates the place where Daniel Morgan and his army turned the flanks of Banastre Tarleton's British army. This classic mili...
Astonishing biodiversity exists in Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Waters from the Congaree and...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
95 mi in 1h 52m, mostly highway — 84.6 mi of that is on I 26.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 84.6 mi on I 26.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 26 and North Church Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 8.6 miles in near I 26.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 52m 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: at 8.6 miles (I 26): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 88 miles (I 26): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 93.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
805 ft211 ft
Total Climb
306 ft
Total Descent
874 ft
Highest Point
805 ft
Elevation Range
594 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Spartanburg, SC to Cayce, SC, road signs begin pointing toward Charleston along the way.
The longest stretch is about 84.6 miles on I 26. 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 8.6 miles (I 26): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 88 miles (I 26): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 93.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Cowpens National Battlefield and Congaree National 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 Cayce, SC before heading back.
