Origin
Union, SC
Afternoon in Union on Sunday
Local time
2:06 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union, SC to Spartanburg, SC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
26.1 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union, SC
Sebastián Casimiro
Spartanburg, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion from Union to Spartanburg, you are looking at a brief 26.1-mile journey that typically takes about 39 minutes to complete. This is a straightforward route through the Southeast that functions perfectly as a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stops. Budgeting approximately $4 for fuel will cover your transit across these South Carolina locales. You will primarily navigate via the Furman L Fendley Highway, the Highway 176 Bypass, and South Pine Street. Because the drive is so short, it offers great flexibility for your schedule, allowing you to easily manage your departure and arrival times without the fatigue associated with longer hauls.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Furman L Fendley Highway | 12.2 mi | 16m |
| South Pine Street | 7 mi | 10m |
| Highway 176 Bypass | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Union Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Thompson Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| North Duncan Bypass | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Henry Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Harwood Heights | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Furman L Fendley Highway
— 12.2 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union, SC and Spartanburg, SC.
1
Start on SC 18
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
North Pinckney Street
2
Turn slight left onto SC 18
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Thompson Boulevard
3
Turn slight left onto SC 215
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
Harwood Heights
4
Turn right onto US 176; SC 18 Truck
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Duncan Bypass
5
Continue on US 176
12 mi
·
16 min
·
Furman L Fendley Highway
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on US 176
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 176 Bypass
7
Continue on US 176
7.0 mi
·
10 min
·
South Pine Street
8
Turn left onto Forest Avenue
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Forest Avenue
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto SC 56
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Union Street
10
Turn left onto SC 56
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Henry Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
11
Turn right onto US 221; SC 56
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Church Street
12
Arrive at destination
US 221; SC 56
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 25.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 176; SC 18 Truck / North Duncan Bypass
Turn right onto US 176; SC 18 Truck / North Duncan Bypass
Navigation decision point
6
24.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
Forest Avenue
Turn left onto Forest Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
24.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
SC 56 / Union Street
Turn right onto SC 56 / Union Street
Navigation decision point
4
25.5 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
SC 56 / East Henry Street
Turn left onto SC 56 / East Henry Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
4
25.9 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
US 221; SC 56 / South Church Street
Turn right onto US 221; SC 56 / South Church Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.08 one way
$8.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.46 | $8.93 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.83 | $9.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.76 | $11.53 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Spartanburg, SC
Afternoon in Spartanburg on Sunday
Local time
2:06 PM
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
12 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
39m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. The route features a highway share of only 9%, meaning you will spend the vast majority of your time on local roads. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs during the 12.2 miles spent on the Furman L Fendley Highway. As you transition from the quiet of Union toward the busier streets of Spartanburg, the road conditions shift from open local stretches to the more congested flow of the Highway 176 Bypass and South Pine Street. It is a technical, active drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel.
Only 9% 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 Furman L Fendley Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 1.6 miles in near US 176; SC 18 Truck / North Duncan Bypass.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 39m 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 1.6 miles (US 176; SC 18 Truck / North Duncan Bypass): Navigation decision point; at 24.1 miles (Forest Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles (SC 56 / Union Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
805 ft
587 ft
Total Climb
420 ft
Total Descent
256 ft
Highest Point
805 ft
~26.1 mi in
Elevation Range
217 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Spartanburg, SC
Full guide →Spartanburg is both a county and city in Upcountry 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 39m. Total distance: 26.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (9%). 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 Furman L Fendley 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 1.6 miles (US 176; SC 18 Truck / North Duncan Bypass): Navigation decision point; at 24.1 miles (Forest Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles (SC 56 / Union Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Cowpens National Battlefield. 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 Spartanburg, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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