Traveling from Summerville to Myrtle Beach covers 104.1 miles and typically takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as the distance is manageable for a round trip if you start early. You should budget approximately $17 for fuel to complete the journey, making it a cost-effective getaway within the Southeast region. Since both cities are located within South Carolina, you will remain in the same geographic area throughout the drive. Whether you are heading to the coast for a quick escape or visiting family, the route is straightforward enough to navigate without needing an overnight split.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
52 miles from Summerville, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 16m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 17 Alternate
24.3 mi
35m
Ocean Highway
17.4 mi
25m
Saints Delight Road
13.8 mi
18m
South Live Oak Drive
12 mi
17m
Highmarket Street
9.4 mi
13m
US 17
7.1 mi
8m
Highway 17
7 mi
8m
North Main Street
6 mi
9m
Longest stretch:
US 17 Alternate
— 24.3 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Summerville, SC and Myrtle Beach, SC.
1
Start on this road
92 ft·11 sec·this road
2
Turn left onto East Richardson Avenue
116 ft·7 sec·East Richardson Avenue
3
Turn right onto US 17 Alternate
6.0 mi·9 min·North Main Street
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on US 17 Alternate
12 mi·17 min·South Live Oak Drive
5
Merge onto US 52; US 17 Alternate
1.2 mi·2 min·US 52; US 17 Alternate
6
Continue on US 17 Alternate; US 52
19 mi·26 min·US 17 Alternate; US 52
7
Turn left onto US 17 Alternate; SC 41
5.8 mi·8 min·US 17 Alternate; SC 41
8
Turn right onto US 17 Alternate
5.1 mi·7 min·Saints Delight Road
9
Continue on US 17 Alternate
8.6 mi·11 min·Saints Delight Road
10
Turn right onto US 17 Alternate; US 521
9.4 mi·13 min·Highmarket Street
11
Keep slight left at fork onto US 17 Alternate
1.5 mi·2 min·Church Street
12
Continue on US 17
0.3 mi·25 sec·L. H. Siau Bridge
13
Continue on US 17
17 mi·25 min·Ocean Highway
14
Continue on US 17
3.6 mi·4 min·Highway 17
15
Take the exit onto US 17
7.1 mi·8 min·US 17
Toward US 17 North: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle BeachUse the straight lane.
16
Continue on US 17
1.2 mi·1 min·US Highway 17 Bypass South
17
Continue on US Highway 17 Bypass South
3.4 mi·4 min·US Highway 17 Bypass South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.3 mi·47 sec
Toward US 501 South: Downtown Myrtle Beach
19
Turn straight onto US 501
2.0 mi·3 min·US 501
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Turn slight right onto 8th Avenue North
248 ft·14 sec·8th Avenue North
21
Turn right onto US 17 Business
0.3 mi·40 sec·North Kings Highway
22
Turn left onto 5th Avenue North
198 ft·11 sec·5th Avenue North
23
Turn right
196 ft·14 sec
24
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Planning your departure is key, as the 2-hour and 30-minute duration can vary based on traffic flow. Since you only need to account for one planned stop, you have plenty of flexibility to adjust your pace to suit your personal comfort level. Be mindful that with 104.1 miles ahead of you, filling up your tank before leaving Summerville is a smart way to manage your $17 fuel budget efficiently. Given that the route involves shifting between US 17 Alternate and other local roads, keep a close eye on your GPS to ensure you stay on track during the transition points. This short distance provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy a stress-free drive without the need for extensive logistical planning.
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 52 miles from Summerville, SC, or about 1h 16m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 24.3 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 23 miles or 35m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 52 miles or 1h 16m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 4m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Myrtle Beach, SC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Summerville, SC so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Summerville, SC
This is one driving day of about 104.1 miles and 2h 30m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Summerville, SC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 17 Alternate for about 24.3 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 104 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 17 Alternate / North Main Street
Turn right onto US 17 Alternate / North Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
89.6 mi into trip|~2h 9m in|US 17
Take the exit onto US 17 toward US 17 North: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward US 17 North: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle...
5
103.7 mi into trip|~2h 29m in|US 17 Business / North Kings Highway
Turn right onto US 17 Business / North Kings Highway
Navigation decision point
5
104 mi into trip|~2h 29m in|5th Avenue North
Turn left onto 5th Avenue North
Navigation decision point
5
104 mi into trip|~2h 29m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.28 one way
$32.56 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg36 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$17.80
$35.60
premium
$4.70
$19.27
$38.53
diesel
$5.61
$22.98
$45.97
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$41–$66
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 36.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
31.2
0
$10.93
$5.00
Efficient EV
26
0
$9.11
$4.16
EV Truck/SUV
41.6
0
$14.57
$6.66
Gas CO2
36 kg
EV CO2
12 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 Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Summerville, SC
Afternoon
in Summerville on Sunday
Local time
4:22 PM
EDT
Current temp
87°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Myrtle Beach, SC
Afternoon
in Myrtle Beach on Sunday
Local time
4:22 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
86°F
Andrews, SC
52 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
29 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 30m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Two forts stand at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. Patriots inside a palmetto log fort, later named Fort Moultrie, defeated the Royal Navy in 1776. As Charleston blazed a path towards secession to...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed driving experience that transitions across different road types as you head toward the coast. You will navigate via US 17 Alternate, Ocean Highway, and Saints Delight Road, with highway travel accounting for 41% of your total time behind the wheel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter lasts for 24.3 miles while traveling on US 17 Alternate. Because this is a mixed drive, you will find segments that require more focus on local navigation alongside faster highway portions. This variety keeps the journey from feeling like a monotonous interstate haul, though you should be prepared for changing road conditions as you move between highway and local paths.
41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.3 mi on US 17 Alternate.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 17 Alternate / North Main Street.
Driving Effort5/10
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 104.1 miles you will encounter 13 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: near the start (US 17 Alternate / North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 89.6 miles (US 17): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 103.7 miles (US 17 Business / North Kings Highway): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 30m. Total distance: 104.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.3 miles on US 17 Alternate. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 17 Alternate / North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 89.6 miles (US 17): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 103.7 miles (US 17 Business / North Kings Highway): 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 Myrtle Beach, SC before heading back.
