Origin
Northwood Estates, SC
Afternoon in Northwood Estates on Saturday
Local time
3:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Northwood Estates, SC to Charleston, SC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
16 mi
26 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 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Northwood Estates, SC
Colon Freld
Trip Overview
This short 16-mile drive from Northwood Estates, SC to Charleston, SC will take you about 23 minutes, making it a perfect quick trip. With a highway share of 75%, you'll spend most of your time on Interstate 26 before transitioning to local roads like Meeting Street and Greenridge Road for the final approach. The estimated fuel cost is a very manageable $3, and since it's a single-day trip, no overnight stays are necessary. This route is ideal for a spontaneous outing or as a convenient way to reach Charleston from the surrounding areas in the Southeast region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 26 | 12 mi | 15m |
| Meeting Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Greenridge Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Rivers Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Goose Creek Boulevard South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 26
— 12 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Northwood Estates, SC and Charleston, SC.
1
Start on Greenridge Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Greenridge Road
2
Turn right onto US 52; US 78
153 ft
·
2 sec
·
Goose Creek Boulevard South
3
Continue on US 52; US 78
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
·
Rivers Avenue
4
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 26 East: Charleston
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 26 East: Charleston
6
Merge onto I 26
12 mi
·
15 min
·
I 26
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 221B
Toward Meeting Street, Visitor Center, Downtown
8
Turn right onto US 52
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Meeting Street
Use the right lane.
9
Turn left onto Broad Street
40 ft
·
1 sec
·
Broad Street
10
Arrive at destination
Broad Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 14.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 52; US 78 / Goose Creek Boulevard South
Turn right onto US 52; US 78 / Goose Creek Boulevard South
Navigation decision point
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 26 East: Charleston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 26 East: Charleston
5
2.1 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 26
Merge onto I 26
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
14 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Meeting Street, Visitor Center, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 221B
Toward Meeting Street, Visitor Center, Downtown
6
14.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 52 / Meeting Street
Turn right onto US 52 / Meeting Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.50 one way
$5.00 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.74 | $5.47 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.96 | $5.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.53 | $7.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Charleston, SC
Afternoon in Charleston on Saturday
Local time
3:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°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
28 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
23m 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?
Expect a primarily highway-focused drive, with 75% of the route utilizing major roads like I 26. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12 miles on I 26, offering a consistent pace. As you get closer to Charleston, the drive transitions off the interstate onto more local streets, including Meeting Street and Greenridge Road, for the final leg of your journey. This mix means you'll experience both the efficiency of highway travel and the character of city navigation.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12 mi on I 26.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 26 and Meeting Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near US 52; US 78 / Goose Creek Boulevard South.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (US 52; US 78 / Goose Creek Boulevard South): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 2.1 miles (I 26): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Northwood Estates, SC and Charleston, SC, road signs point toward Visitor Center and Downtown.
Visitor Center
14 mi in
|
~19m
Downtown
14 mi in
|
~19m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 16 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12 miles on I 26. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: at 0.6 miles (US 52; US 78 / Goose Creek Boulevard South): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 2.1 miles (I 26): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Charleston, 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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