Origin
Folly Beach, SC
Afternoon in Folly Beach on Saturday
Local time
3:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Folly Beach, SC to Summerville, SC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
52m
Distance
35.6 mi
57 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Folly Beach, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Summerville, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Folly Beach, SC to Summerville, SC covers 35.6 miles and takes about 52m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 26, Folly Road, SC 30 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.3 miles on I 26. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.57 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 26 | 21.3 mi | 26m |
| Folly Road | 6.6 mi | 12m |
| SC 30 | 3 mi | 4m |
| North Main Street | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Septima Clark Expressway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Crosstown | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Courtenay Drive | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Center Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 26
— 21.3 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Folly Beach, SC and Summerville, SC.
1
Start on East Arctic Avenue
214 ft
·
11 sec
·
East Arctic Avenue
2
Turn left
200 ft
·
19 sec
3
At end of road, turn left onto East Ashley Avenue
272 ft
·
11 sec
·
East Ashley Avenue
4
Turn right onto SC 171
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Center Street
5
Continue on SC 171
6.6 mi
·
12 min
·
Folly Road
6
Turn right onto SC 30
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
SC 30
Toward SC 30 East: Downtown
7
Turn left onto Courtenay Drive
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
Courtenay Drive
8
Turn right onto US 17
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Septima P. Clark Parkway
9
Continue on US 17
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Crosstown
10
Continue on US 17
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Septima Clark Expressway
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 26
21 mi
·
26 min
·
I 26
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 199A
Toward US 17 Alternate South: Summerville
Use the right lane.
13
Turn straight onto US 17 Alternate
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
North Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto East Richardson Avenue
116 ft
·
5 sec
·
East Richardson Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right
92 ft
·
6 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 35.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.8 miles from Folly Beach, SC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 35.5 — 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
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Ashley Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto East Ashley Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
11.7 mi into trip
|
~22m 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.
7
33 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward US 17 Alternate South: Summerville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 199A
Toward US 17 Alternate South: Summerville
5
35.5 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
East Richardson Avenue
Turn left onto East Richardson Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.57 one way
$11.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $6.09 | $12.17 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.59 | $13.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.86 | $15.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.74 | $1.71 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.98 | $2.28 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Summerville, SC
Afternoon in Summerville on Saturday
Local time
3:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
87°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
25 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
52m 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?
35.6 mi in 52m, mostly highway — 21.3 mi of that is on I 26.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.3 mi on I 26.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 26 and Folly Road. 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.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 35.6 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Ashley Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 11.7 miles (I 26): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 52m. Total distance: 35.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.3 miles on I 26. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Summerville, SC before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Ashley Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 11.7 miles (I 26): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Summerville, SC before heading back.
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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