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Trip from Hilton Head Island, SC to Shell Point, SC

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

47m

Distance

34.6 mi

56 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 44m ★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 46m

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 Hilton Head Island, SC, SC

Hilton Head Island, SC

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Shell Point, SC, SC

Shell Point, SC

Marc Puddy

Trip Overview

The drive from Hilton Head Island, SC to Shell Point, SC covers 34.6 miles and takes about 47m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Okatie Highway, Fording Island Road, William Hilton Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.2 miles on Okatie Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.41 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 34.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

47m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a 47m drive with frequent turns across 34.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Okatie Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 12.2 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 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Marshland Road.

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 34.6 miles you will encounter 9 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: at 0.2 miles (Marshland Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (US 278 / Cross Island Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

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

3
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | Marshland Road

Turn left onto Marshland Road

Navigation decision point

4
2.4 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

3
2.8 mi into trip | ~6m in | US 278 / Cross Island Parkway

Merge onto US 278 / Cross Island Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining

5
18.2 mi into trip | ~27m in

Keep slight right at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
34.6 mi into trip | ~47m in | US 21 / Parris Island Gateway

At end of road, turn left onto US 21 / Parris Island Gateway

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Okatie Highway 12.2 mi 13m
Fording Island Road 9 mi 13m
William Hilton Parkway 3.9 mi 4m
Cross Island Parkway 2.3 mi 2m
Marshland Road 2.2 mi 5m
Savannah Highway 2.1 mi 3m
Edward Burton Rodgers Bridge 1.7 mi 1m
Robert Smalls Parkway 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Okatie Highway — 12.2 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Hilton Head Island, SC and Shell Point, SC.

1

Start on Allen Road

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Allen Road
2

Turn left onto Marshland Road

2.2 mi · 5 min · Marshland Road
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 53 sec
4

Merge onto US 278

2.3 mi · 2 min · Cross Island Parkway
5

Merge onto US 278

3.9 mi · 4 min · William Hilton Parkway
6

Continue on US 278

9.0 mi · 13 min · Fording Island Road
7

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
8

Keep slight right at fork

147 ft · 4 sec
9

Merge onto SC 170

12 mi · 13 min · Okatie Highway
10

Continue on SC 170

1.7 mi · 1 min · Edward Burton Rodgers Bridge
11

Continue on SC 170

0.4 mi · 27 sec · Robert Smalls Parkway
12

Turn right onto SC 128

2.1 mi · 3 min · Savannah Highway
13

At end of road, turn left onto US 21

160 ft · 2 sec · Parris Island Gateway
14

Arrive at destination

US 21

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 17.3 mi from Hilton Head Island, SC · 26m into the drive

Downtown Bluffton, SC, SC

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bluffton, SC

17 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

Port Royal, SC

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 34.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bluffton, SC

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.3 miles from Hilton Head Island, SC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Shell Point, SC

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Shell Point, SC if you are unfamiliar with the area.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.41 one way

$10.82 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $5.92 $11.83
premium $4.70 $6.40 $12.81
diesel $5.61 $7.64 $15.28

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 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 10.4 0 $3.63 $1.66
Efficient EV 8.7 0 $3.03 $1.38
EV Truck/SUV 13.8 0 $4.84 $2.21

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Hilton Head Island, SC

Afternoon in Hilton Head Island on Thursday

Local time

4:26 PM

EDT

Current temp

80°F

Sunny

S 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued April 16 at 2:47AM EDT until April 16 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington NC

Destination

Shell Point, SC

Afternoon in Shell Point on Thursday

Local time

4:26 PM

EDT

Current temp

57°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

23 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

47m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Hilton Head Island, SC to Shell Point, SC covers 34.6 miles and takes about 47m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Okatie Highway, Fording Island Road, William Hilton Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.3 miles from Hilton Head Island, SC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.41 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 34.6 miles you will encounter 9 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: at 0.2 miles (Marshland Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (US 278 / Cross Island Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
The route from Hilton Head Island, SC to Shell Point, SC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Shell Point, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC

Plan the drive back the other way.

35.1 mi 48m

Continue From Shell Point, SC

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