The drive from Myrtle Beach, SC to Clearwater, SC covers 212.9 miles and takes about 4h 21m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on J Strom Thurmond Freeway, Church Street, US 76 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 119.5 miles on J Strom Thurmond Freeway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $33.29 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
106.4 miles from Myrtle Beach, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 18m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 21m. Total distance: 212.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
This is a 4h 21m highway drive covering 212.9 miles, with most of the trip on J Strom Thurmond Freeway and Church Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 119.5 miles on J Strom Thurmond Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
J Strom Thurmond Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 119.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on J Strom Thurmond Freeway and Church Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 21m drive. You will face about 13 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: Navigation decision point; near the start (US 17 Business / North Kings Highway): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (6th Avenue North): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 17 Business / North Kings Highway
At end of road, turn right onto US 17 Business / North Kings Highway
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Congaree National Park
National Park
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...
22 mi from route
~55 min detour
Free
near mile 132.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$33.29 one way
$66.59 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg75 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$36.40
$72.81
premium
$4.70
$39.40
$78.81
diesel
$5.61
$47.01
$94.01
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$33
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$58–$83
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 74.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
63.9
0
$22.35
$10.22
Efficient EV
53.2
0
$18.63
$8.52
EV Truck/SUV
85.2
1
$29.81
$13.63
Gas CO2
74 kg
EV CO2
25 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
Myrtle Beach, SC
Morning
in Myrtle Beach on Friday
Local time
7:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Clearwater, SC
Morning
in Clearwater on Friday
Local time
7:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
90°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
32 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
4h 21m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Myrtle Beach, SC to Clearwater, SC covers 212.9 miles and takes about 4h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are J Strom Thurmond Freeway, Church Street, US 76. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 106.4 miles from Myrtle Beach, SC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $33.29 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. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 21m drive. You will face about 13 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (US 17 Business / North Kings Highway): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (6th Avenue North): Navigation decision point.
The route from Myrtle Beach, SC to Clearwater, SC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include 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.
