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Trip from Charleston, SC to Brookdale, SC

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 31m

Distance

76.7 mi

123 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 21 min
4 AM
1h 24m ★
6 AM
1h 31m
8 AM
1h 45m
10 AM
1h 36m
12 PM
1h 35m
3 PM
1h 37m
5 PM
1h 44m
8 PM
1h 27m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Brookdale, SC, SC

Brookdale, SC

Colon Freld

Trip Overview

The drive from Charleston, SC to Brookdale, SC covers 76.7 miles and takes about 1h 31m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 26, Russell Street, Meeting Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 71.7 miles on I 26. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.99 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

38.3 miles from Charleston, SC

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 45m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 31m. Total distance: 76.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 31m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 31m highway drive covering 76.7 miles, with most of the trip on I 26 and Russell Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 71.7 miles on I 26.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 26 is the longest continuous segment at about 71.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 26 and Russell Street. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near S-10-107 / Meeting Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 76.7 miles you will encounter 11 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 (S-10-107 / Meeting Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (Coming Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (I 26): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | S-10-107 / Meeting Street

Turn right onto S-10-107 / Meeting Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | Coming Street

Turn right onto Coming Street

Navigation decision point

6
2.4 mi into trip | ~5m in | I 26

Keep slight left at fork onto I 26

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
74.1 mi into trip | ~1h 25m in

Take the exit toward SC 33: Orangeburg, Cameron

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 149 Toward SC 33: Orangeburg, Cameron
7
74.3 mi into trip | ~1h 25m in

Keep slight right at fork toward SC 33: Orangeburg

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 149 Toward SC 33: Orangeburg

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 26 71.7 mi 1h 20m
Russell Street 1.8 mi 3m
Meeting Street 0.7 mi 1m
Septima Clark Expressway 0.6 mi 1m
King Street 0.6 mi 1m
Shadow Lawn Drive 0.2 mi 1m
Coming Street 0.2 mi <1m
Spring Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 26 — 71.7 mi, about 1h 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Charleston, SC and Brookdale, SC.

1

Start on Broad Street

40 ft · 5 sec · Broad Street
2

Turn right onto S-10-107

0.7 mi · 1 min · Meeting Street
Use the straight lane.
3

Turn left onto Calhoun Street

0.1 mi · 15 sec · Calhoun Street
4

Turn right onto S-10-104

0.6 mi · 1 min · King Street
5

Turn left onto Spring Street

0.2 mi · 30 sec · Spring Street
6

Turn right onto Coming Street

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Coming Street
7

Turn right onto US 17

0.6 mi · 1 min · Septima Clark Expressway
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 26

72 mi · 1 hr 20 min · I 26
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Exit 149 Toward SC 33: Orangeburg, Cameron
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 14 sec
Exit 149 Toward SC 33: Orangeburg
11

Turn straight onto SC 33

1.8 mi · 3 min · Russell Street
12

Turn right onto Old Cameron Road

0.1 mi · 29 sec · Old Cameron Road
13

Turn right onto Shadow Lawn Drive

0.2 mi · 1 min · Shadow Lawn Drive
14

Turn left onto Dellwood Drive

424 ft · 18 sec · Dellwood Drive
15

Arrive at destination

Dellwood Drive

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 38.3 miles from Charleston, SC, or about 45m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 71.7 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 17 miles or 21m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 38.3 miles or 45m 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 15m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brookdale, SC than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Charleston, SC so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Charleston, SC

This is one driving day of about 76.7 miles and 1h 31m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Charleston, SC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 26 for about 71.7 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 38.3 mi from Charleston, SC · 45m into the drive

city in South Carolina, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Goose Creek, SC

38 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

North Charleston, SC

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Summerville, SC

Meal break

The midpoint is around 38.3 miles from Charleston, SC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 26 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 71.7 miles.

Arriving in Brookdale, SC

The final approach into Brookdale, SC usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

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...

4 mi from route ~9 min detour $10
View on nps.gov
Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park

National Park

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...

19 mi from route ~48 min detour Free near mile 74
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.99 one way

$23.99 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 27 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $13.11 $26.23
premium $4.70 $14.20 $28.39
diesel $5.61 $16.93 $33.87

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$12

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$37–$62

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 26.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 23 0 $8.05 $3.68
Efficient EV 19.2 0 $6.71 $3.07
EV Truck/SUV 30.7 0 $10.74 $4.91

Gas CO2

27 kg

EV CO2

9 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 15, 2026

Origin

Charleston, SC

Morning in Charleston on Friday

Local time

11:41 AM

EDT

Current temp

58°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Brookdale, SC

Morning in Brookdale on Friday

Local time

11:41 AM

EDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

9 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

1h 31m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Charleston, SC to Brookdale, SC covers 76.7 miles and takes about 1h 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 26, Russell Street, Meeting Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 38.3 miles from Charleston, SC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.99 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 76.7 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (S-10-107 / Meeting Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (Coming Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (I 26): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Charleston, SC to Brookdale, SC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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