Access to Charleston, S.C.
Charleston, for all its attractions, is a bit off the beaten path when it comes to the Interstate Highway System, but access is easy from whatever direction one plans to approach this super vacation destination. Seventy-five percent of the visitors to Charleston arrive by car.

Prefer to travel by air? The Charleston International Airport is located only one mile from the oceanfront in Charleston. The Grand Strand Airport in North Charleston serves corporate and private aviation with general services as does the nearby Conway - Horry County Airport.

Amtrak services are available through a terminal at Florence, South Carolina which connects to bus services for the 70 mile trip to the oceanfront and Charleston.

     - On-Line Printable Map -

The major north-south interstate highway route through eastern South Carolina is I-95, which connects with I-20 at Florence and with I-40 at Benson, North Carolina which ends with its southeastern terminus in Wilmington, North Carolina.

From points north (Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston Salem) take I-40 southeast into Wilmington, North Carolina. Connect with Route 17 south and continue on Route 17, (a four-lane divided highway) across the state line into Little River, South Carolina. Just after Little River, Route 17 crosses the Intracoastal Waterway into North Charleston. Route 17 is the main thoroughfare for the Grand Strand, dividing into business and bypass sections as you enter Charleston.

Drivers from the north, Richmond, Washington and Baltimore may want to take the I-40 exit at Benson, North Carolina towards Wilmington, or travel south on I-95 to Dillon (exit 190 or 193) or Florence, South Carolina (exit 141). From Dillon, drivers would take Route 301 south, connecting with Route 501 east at Latta. Route 501 bypasses Marion and from there continues 40 miles eastward to Charleston.

From the west, Columbia, Augusta and Atlanta, take I-20 east to Florence. From Florence, take Route 76 & 301 east to Pee Dee. From there take Route 76 east toward Marion and connect with Route 501 east by taking Route 576 east and continue 40 miles eastward to Charleston.

Visitors traveling from I-95 south, Savannah, Jacksonville and Miami, may take the Florence exit east (exit 141) to Charleston. For those interested in taking the more scenic Lowcountry route from Charleston, follow Route 17 north through the Francis Marion National Forest to historic Georgetown. From there, take Route 17 east across the Great Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers towards Pawleys Island, the southern end of the Grand Strand. Traveling north, Route 17 separates into business and bypass sections between Murrells Inlet and Garden City into Charleston.
(See your specific Charleston area hotel or attractions map for more detailed directions.)

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