Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 43m
Distance
72.1 mi
116 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Spartanburg, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Tega Cay, SC
Daniel Sell
The drive from Spartanburg, SC to Tega Cay, SC covers 72.1 miles and takes about 1h 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 85, Highway 55 West, State Highway 557 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.3 miles on I 85. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.05 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
36 miles from Spartanburg, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 47m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 85 | 23.3 mi | 26m |
| Highway 55 West | 11.8 mi | 16m |
| State Highway 557 | 6.6 mi | 10m |
| York Road | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| Chesnee Highway | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| Charlotte Highway | 3 mi | 4m |
| NC 49 | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Tega Cay Drive | 1.8 mi | 3m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 23 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~1,740 veh/hr typical · worst 2,360
Quietest
2 AM
~326 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 44 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Spartanburg, SC and Tega Cay, SC.
Start on US 221; SC 56
Continue on US 221; SC 9
Turn slight right onto US 221
Continue on US 221
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 85
Take the exit
Turn right onto SC 5
Continue on SC 5
Continue on SC 5
Continue on SC 5
Continue on SC 5
Turn left onto SC 55
Continue on SC 55
Continue on Kings Mountain Street
Continue on Bethel Street
Continue on SC 55
Turn left onto SC 557
Continue on SC 49
Continue on NC 49
Turn right onto Youngblood Road
Continue on Zoar Road
At end of road, turn right onto SC 160
Turn right onto Gold Hill Road
Continue on Tega Cay Drive
Turn left onto Windward Drive
Turn slight right onto Windward Drive
Enter roundabout onto Point Clear Drive
Continue on Point Clear Drive
Arrive at destination
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.
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 16 miles or 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 36 miles or 47m 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 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Tega Cay, SC than in the middle of the route.
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 72.1 miles and 1h 43m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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.
A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 36 miles from Spartanburg, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 5.8 and 71.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 85 North: Charlotte
Navigation decision point
Merge onto I 85
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward SC 5, SC 198: Blacksburg, Rock Hill
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Enter roundabout onto Zoar Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Enter roundabout onto Point Clear Drive
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Regular Gas
$11.05 one way
$22.10 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $12.12 | $24.25 |
| premium | $4.64 | $13.16 | $26.33 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $15.89 | $31.79 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.6 | 0 | $7.57 | $3.46 |
| Efficient EV | 18 | 0 | $6.31 | $2.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.8 | 0 | $10.09 | $4.61 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Spartanburg on Saturday
Local time
1:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Tega Cay on Saturday
Local time
1:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Clear
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
72.1 mi in 1h 43m, mostly highway — 23.3 mi of that is on I 85.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 85 and Highway 55 West. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 5.8 miles in.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 43m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (I 85): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 29.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
752 ft
Total Descent
929 ft
Highest Point
866 ft
~5.1 mi in
Elevation Range
319 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Spartanburg, SC to Tega Cay, SC, road signs begin pointing toward Rock Hill along the way.
Rock Hill
Founded 1831
Spartanburg is both a county and city in Upcountry South Carolina.
Top landmarks
Tega Cay is a small city along the eastern shore of Lake Wylie west of the town of Fort Mill in the Olde English District of South Carolina. Tega Cay is a suburb of the major city of Charlotte and has experienced rapid growth over the past decade.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 43m. Total distance: 72.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Straightforward navigation.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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