The drive from Hilton Head Island, SC to Saint Stephen, SC covers 133.8 miles and takes about 3h 6m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 17 Alt, I 95, US 52 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 26.2 miles on US 17 Alt.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $20.92 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.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
66.9 miles from Hilton Head Island, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 27m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 6m. Total distance: 133.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Hilton Head Island, SC to Saint Stephen, SC covers 133.8 miles and takes about 3h 6m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 17 Alt is the longest continuous segment at about 26.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 133.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 18.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 39.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
2.4 mi into trip|~6m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
5
18.2 mi into trip|~27m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
39.5 mi into trip|~56m in
Take the ramp toward I 95 North, US 17 North: Florence
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North, US 17 North: Florence
4
64.5 mi into trip|~1h 23m in
Take the exit toward SC 63: Walterboro
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward SC 63: Walterboro
5
133.8 mi into trip|~3h 6m in|Barry Place
Turn right onto Barry Place
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 17 Alt
26.2 mi
38m
I 95
24.7 mi
26m
US 52
14.3 mi
17m
South Live Oak Drive
12 mi
17m
Coosaw Scenic Drive
9.4 mi
12m
Fording Island Road
9 mi
13m
Lowcountry Drive
7.9 mi
10m
Berlin G Myers Parkway
5.3 mi
9m
Longest stretch:
US 17 Alt
— 26.2 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hilton Head Island, SC and Saint Stephen, 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
3.9 mi·4 min·Okatie Highway
10
Take the exit
488 ft·13 sec
11
Continue on SC 462
7.9 mi·10 min·Lowcountry Drive
12
Continue on SC 462
9.4 mi·12 min·Coosaw Scenic Drive
13
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·35 sec
Toward I 95 North, US 17 North: Florence
14
Merge onto I 95; US 17
25 mi·26 min·I 95; US 17
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi·44 sec
Toward SC 63: Walterboro
16
Turn straight onto SC 63
3.2 mi·6 min·Sniders Highway
17
Turn right onto SC 63
1.2 mi·2 min·Hampton Street
18
Turn left onto SC 64
0.8 mi·1 min·Robertson Boulevard
19
Turn right onto US 17 Alt
26 mi·38 min·US 17 Alt
20
Continue on Berlin G Myers Parkway
5.3 mi·9 min·Berlin G Myers Parkway
21
Continue on SC 165
0.3 mi·31 sec·Berlin Myers Parkway
22
Turn right onto US 17 Alternate
4.6 mi·7 min·North Main Street
Use the left lane.
23
Continue on US 17 Alternate
12 mi·17 min·South Live Oak Drive
24
Merge onto US 52; US 17 Alternate
1.2 mi·2 min·US 52; US 17 Alternate
25
Continue on US 17 Alternate; US 52
0.7 mi·1 min·US 17 Alternate; US 52
26
Turn slight left onto US 52
13 mi·15 min·US 52
27
Turn right onto SC 45
0.2 mi·24 sec·Church Road
28
Turn right onto Barry Place
233 ft·10 sec·Barry Place
29
Arrive at destination
Barry Place
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 66.9 miles from Hilton Head Island, SC, or about 1h 27m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 26.2 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 29 miles or 41m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 66.9 miles or 1h 27m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 33m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Saint Stephen, SC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Hilton Head Island, SC so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Hilton Head Island, SC
This is one driving day of about 133.8 miles and 3h 6m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 miles from Hilton Head Island, SC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 17 Alt for about 26.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 66.9 mi from Hilton Head Island, SC
· 1h 27m into the drive
The midpoint is around 66.9 miles from Hilton Head Island, SC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Saint Stephen, SC
The final approach into Saint Stephen, SC usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Saint Stephen, SC.
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.
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
National Historical Park
The Reconstruction era,1861-1900 the historic period in which the United States grappled with the question of how to integrate millions of newly freed African Americans into social, political, economi...
13 mi from route
~32 min detour
Free
near mile 4.6
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...
25 mi from route
~62 min detour
$10
near mile 106.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$20.92 one way
$41.85 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg47 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$22.88
$45.76
premium
$4.70
$24.76
$49.53
diesel
$5.61
$29.54
$59.08
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 46.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
40.1
0
$14.05
$6.42
Efficient EV
33.5
0
$11.71
$5.35
EV Truck/SUV
53.5
0
$18.73
$8.56
Gas CO2
47 kg
EV CO2
16 kg (66% 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
Hilton Head Island, SC
Afternoon
in Hilton Head Island on Friday
Local time
2:12 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Saint Stephen, SC
Afternoon
in Saint Stephen on Friday
Local time
2:12 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
10 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
3h 6m 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 Hilton Head Island, SC to Saint Stephen, SC covers 133.8 miles and takes about 3h 6m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 17 Alt, I 95, US 52. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 66.9 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 $20.92 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 133.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 18.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 39.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Hilton Head Island, SC to Saint Stephen, SC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Reconstruction Era National Historical Park and Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park.
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.
