Origin
Surfside Beach, SC
Morning in Surfside Beach on Friday
Local time
8:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Surfside Beach, SC to White Pond, SC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 12m
Distance
52.5 mi
85 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 6m
★
6 AM
1h 12m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 16m
12 PM
1h 15m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 23m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Surfside Beach, SC
Wikimedia Commons
White Pond, SC
C1 Superstar
Trip Overview
The drive from Surfside Beach, SC to White Pond, SC covers 52.5 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Carolina Bays Parkway, Highway 9 East, Highway 17 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.2 miles on Carolina Bays Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.21 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 12m. Total distance: 52.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 12m highway drive covering 52.5 miles, with most of the trip on Carolina Bays Parkway and Highway 9 East. The longest continuous stretch is about 13.2 miles on Carolina Bays Parkway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Carolina Bays Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Carolina Bays Parkway and Highway 9 East. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.3 miles in.
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 52.5 miles you will encounter 8 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 2.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (US 17 / Highway 17): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward US 17: Myrtle Beach
Navigation decision point
Toward US 17: Myrtle Beach
5
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 17 / Highway 17
Merge onto US 17 / Highway 17
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
14.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward Grissom Pkwy North: SC 31, Carolina Forest
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Grissom Pkwy North: SC 31, Carolina Fore...
6
29.7 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Keep slight left at fork toward SC 9 North: Loris, Dillon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward SC 9 North: Loris, Dillon
5
30.5 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
SC 9 / Highway 9 East
Merge onto SC 9 / Highway 9 East
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Surfside Beach, SC and White Pond, SC, road signs point toward Grissom Pkwy North: Sc 31, Carolina Forest and Dillon.
Grissom Pkwy North: Sc 31
14.8 mi in
|
~21m
Carolina Forest
14.8 mi in
|
~21m
Dillon
29.7 mi in
|
~40m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Bays Parkway | 13.2 mi | 15m |
| Highway 9 East | 11.9 mi | 16m |
| Highway 17 | 11.1 mi | 14m |
| SC 9 | 9.6 mi | 12m |
| Glenns Bay Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| US Highway 17 Bypass South | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Robert M. Grissom Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Surfside Drive | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Carolina Bays Parkway
— 13.2 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Surfside Beach, SC and White Pond, SC.
1
Start on Surfside Drive
72 ft
·
7 sec
·
Surfside Drive
2
Continue on Surfside Drive
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Surfside Drive
3
Continue on S-26-1240
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Glenns Bay Road
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Toward US 17: Myrtle Beach
5
Merge onto US 17
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 17
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on US 17
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
US Highway 17 Bypass South
7
Continue on US Highway 17 Bypass South
8.0 mi
·
11 min
·
US Highway 17 Bypass South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward Grissom Pkwy North: SC 31, Carolina Forest
9
Continue on S-26-1315
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Robert M. Grissom Parkway
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward SC 31 North: North Myrtle Beach
11
Merge onto SC 31
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Carolina Bays Parkway
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward SC 9 North: Loris, Dillon
13
Merge onto SC 9
12 mi
·
16 min
·
Highway 9 East
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn straight onto SC 9
9.6 mi
·
12 min
·
SC 9
15
Turn left onto Audie Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Audie Road
16
Arrive at destination
Audie Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.3 mi from Surfside Beach, SC · 36m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.3 miles from Surfside Beach, SC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in White Pond, SC
The final approach into White Pond, SC usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.21 one way
$16.42 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $8.98 | $17.95 |
| premium | $4.70 | $9.72 | $19.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.59 | $23.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.51 | $2.52 |
| Efficient EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.59 | $2.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21 | 0 | $7.35 | $3.36 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
White Pond, SC
Morning in White Pond on Friday
Local time
8:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
88°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
31 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
1h 12m 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 Surfside Beach, SC to White Pond, SC covers 52.5 miles and takes about 1h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Carolina Bays Parkway, Highway 9 East, Highway 17. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.3 miles from Surfside Beach, SC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.21 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 52.5 miles you will encounter 8 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 2.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (US 17 / Highway 17): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Surfside Beach, SC and White Pond, SC, road signs point toward Grissom Pkwy North: Sc 31, Carolina Forest and Dillon.
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. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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