The drive from Charleston, SC to Edisto, SC covers 79.7 miles and takes about 1h 35m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 26, Five Chop Road, John C Calhoun Drive for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 66.1 miles on I 26.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.46 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
39.9 miles from Charleston, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 47m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 35m. Total distance: 79.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
This is a 1h 35m highway drive covering 79.7 miles, with most of the trip on I 26 and Five Chop Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 66.1 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 17 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 66.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 26 and Five Chop Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near S-10-107 / Meeting Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 35m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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 12 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.
5
68.6 mi into trip|~1h 19m in
Take the exit toward US 301 South: Orangeburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 154-A
Toward US 301 South: Orangeburg
5
79.5 mi into trip|~1h 34m in|Baxter Street
Turn left onto Baxter Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 26
66.1 mi
1h 14m
Five Chop Road
6.6 mi
8m
John C Calhoun Drive
2.5 mi
3m
Old Edisto Drive
1.5 mi
1m
Meeting Street
0.7 mi
1m
Septima Clark Expressway
0.6 mi
1m
King Street
0.6 mi
1m
Coming Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 26
— 66.1 mi, about 1h 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Charleston, SC and Edisto, 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
66 mi·1 hr 14 min·I 26
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Exit 154-AToward US 301 South: Orangeburg
10
Merge onto US 301
6.6 mi·8 min·Five Chop Road
11
Turn slight left onto John C Calhoun Drive
2.5 mi·3 min·John C Calhoun Drive
12
Continue on US 301; US 601; SC 4
1.5 mi·1 min·Old Edisto Drive
13
Turn left onto John Street
0.1 mi·36 sec·John Street
14
Turn left onto Baxter Street
98 ft·6 sec·Baxter Street
15
Turn right onto George Street
0.1 mi·29 sec·George Street
16
Turn right onto Paula Drive
250 ft·11 sec·Paula Drive
17
Arrive at destination
Paula 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 39.9 miles from Charleston, SC, or about 47m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 66.1 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 18 miles or 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 39.9 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 18m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Edisto, 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 79.7 miles and 1h 35m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 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 66.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 39.9 mi from Charleston, SC
· 47m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
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...
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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.46 one way
$24.93 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg28 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$13.63
$27.25
premium
$4.70
$14.75
$29.50
diesel
$5.61
$17.60
$35.19
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: 27.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
23.9
0
$8.37
$3.83
Efficient EV
19.9
0
$6.97
$3.19
EV Truck/SUV
31.9
0
$11.16
$5.10
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
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
8:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Edisto, SC
Morning
in Edisto on Friday
Local time
8:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
87°F
Summerville, SC
40 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
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 35m 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 Edisto, SC covers 79.7 miles and takes about 1h 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 26, Five Chop Road, John C Calhoun Drive. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 39.9 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 $12.46 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 is a straightforward 1h 35m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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 Edisto, SC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park and Congaree National Park.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
