Origin
Elgin, SC
Afternoon in Elgin on Friday
Local time
12:14 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elgin, SC to Columbia, SC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
20.6 mi
33 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elgin, SC
Just a Couple Photos
Trip Overview
The drive from Elgin, SC to Columbia, SC covers 20.6 miles and takes about 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Two Notch Road, I. DeQuincey Newman Freeway, Bull Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.3 miles on Two Notch Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.22 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 20.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (26%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 33m drive with frequent turns across 20.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Two Notch Road is the longest continuous segment at about 9.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near S-28-21 / Church 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 20.6 miles you will encounter 7 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-28-21 / Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 12.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
S-28-21 / Church Street
Turn right onto S-28-21 / Church Street
Navigation decision point
4
11.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the ramp toward I 20 West: Augusta
Navigation decision point
Toward I 20 West: Augusta
8
12.7 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward SC 277 South: Downtown, Columbia
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 73 A
Toward SC 277 South: Downtown, Columbia
5
13.8 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
SC 277 / I. DeQuincey Newman Freeway
Merge onto SC 277 / I. DeQuincey Newman Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
20.2 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
US 1; US 378 / Gervais Street
Turn right onto US 1; US 378 / Gervais Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Two Notch Road | 9.3 mi | 15m |
| I. DeQuincey Newman Freeway | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| Bull Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Jefferson Davis Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| I 20 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Gervais Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Church Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Two Notch Road
— 9.3 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elgin, SC and Columbia, SC.
1
Start on Railroad Avenue
176 ft
·
12 sec
·
Railroad Avenue
2
Turn right onto S-28-21
457 ft
·
16 sec
·
Church Street
3
Turn right onto US 1
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
4
Continue on US 1
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Jefferson Davis Highway
5
Continue on US 1
9.3 mi
·
15 min
·
Two Notch Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 20 West: Augusta
7
Merge onto I 20
0.6 mi
·
44 sec
·
I 20
8
Take the exit
1.1 mi
·
2 min
Exit 73 A
Toward SC 277 South: Downtown, Columbia
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto SC 277
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
I. DeQuincey Newman Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on SC 277
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Bull Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Turn right onto US 1; US 378
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
Gervais Street
12
Continue on Gervais Street
234 ft
·
22 sec
·
Gervais Street
13
Arrive at destination
Gervais Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.22 one way
$6.44 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.52 | $7.04 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.81 | $7.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.55 | $9.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
| Efficient EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.80 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.88 | $1.32 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Columbia, SC
Afternoon in Columbia on Friday
Local time
12:14 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
1 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
33m 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 Elgin, SC to Columbia, SC covers 20.6 miles and takes about 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Two Notch Road, I. DeQuincey Newman Freeway, Bull Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.3 miles from Elgin, SC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.22 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 20.6 miles you will encounter 7 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-28-21 / Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 12.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Elgin, SC to Columbia, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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