Atlanta to Charleston road trip: Drive time, distance & best stops
The distance from Atlanta to Charleston by car is 305 miles, with a 4h38m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Atlanta to Charleston drive are Hard Labor Creek State Park, Augusta GA and Orangeburg SC.
Planning an Atlanta to Charleston road trip itinerary
The Atlanta to Charleston drive takes you from the capital of Georgia to the South Carolina coast.
Charleston SC is one of the most attractive historic cities in the South.
Highlights of a visit include plantation tours – take your pick from the Boone Plantation and the Magnolia Plantation. Most visitors will also take the ferry to Fort Sumter, where the American Civil War started.
Other classic Charleston activities include a horse and carriage tour, history cruises on the harbor and night-time ghost walks.
For less conventional options, try a dinner cruise with live music, a Downtown food tour and a speakeasy cocktail-making class.
Atlanta played a massive part in the Civil Rights movement, and a black history and civil rights tour is pretty much a must-do.
For more Atlanta experiences, try a sightseeing trolley tour for orientation and overview. Or a guided bike ride to get a better feel for the neighbourhoods.
Other Atlanta favourites include the World of Coca Cola, Midtown food and cocktail tours and multi-brewery beer tours.
Atlanta to Charleston distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Atlanta to Charleston is 305 miles. You can expect a driving time of around four hours and 38 minutes. The quickest route is largely along the I-20 and I-26.
The best stops to add to an Atlanta to Charleston road trip itinerary are Hard Labor Creek State Park, Augusta GA and Orangeburg SC.
For more suggestions, read the guides to the Atlanta to Augusta drive and Augusta to Charleston drive.
Atlanta to Charleston drive: Hard Labor Creek State Park
Hard Labor Creek State Park near Rutledge, Georgia, is best known for its golf course. But come the summer months, the real highlight is the lakeside beach.
If you fancy being more active, there are 24 miles of trails for walkers and horse riders. You can stay overnight in the campground and cottages, too.
The Hard Labor Creek Observatory, a professional astronomy facility, is also inside the park. It opens to the public on select nights between March and October.
Best stops between Atlanta and Charleston: Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is, famously, the home of the US Masters golf tournament.
Augusta’s top attractions are the Augusta Museum of History, the Laurel and Hardy Museum and the Augusta National Golf Club. You can also take a jetski tour along the Savannah River or take a stroll along the garden-lined Augusta Riverwalk.
Atlanta to Charleston SC road trip attractions: Orangeburg SC
Orangeburg bills itself as the Garden City, and it comes as no surprise to learn that gardens are the highlights here. Top billing goes to the Edisto Memorial Gardens, which have been tended since the 1920s. There are more than 4,800 roses, from more than 120 different varieties, on display here.
For wildlife as well, try the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens. For a slightly bizarre combination of art and space, head to the I.P. Stanbeck Museum and Planetarium.
More Atlanta road trips
Albany GA to Atlanta | Anderson SC to Atlanta | Auburn AL to Atlanta | Augusta to Atlanta | Atlanta to Baton Rouge | Atlanta to Biloxi MS | Birmingham AL to Atlanta | Braselton GA to Atlanta | Buford GA to Atlanta | Atlanta to Brunswick GA | Buffalo to Atlanta | Charlotte to Atlanta | Atlanta to Chattanooga | Chicago to Atlanta | Cincinnati to Atlanta | Clemson SC to Atlanta | Cleveland to Atlanta | Columbia SC to Atlanta | Columbus GA to Atlanta | Columbus OH to Atlanta | Commerce GA to Atlanta.
Dallas to Atlanta | Atlanta to Daytona Beach | Atlanta to Denver | Atlanta to Destin | Detroit to Atlanta | Dothan AL to Atlanta | Dublin GA to Atlanta | Durham NC to Atlanta | Greensboro NC to Atlanta | Greenville SC to Atlanta | Griffin GA to Atlanta.
Hampton GA to Atlanta | Atlanta to Hilton Head | Houston to Atlanta | Atlanta to Indianapolis | Atlanta to Jackson MS | Atlanta to Jacksonville | Jonesboro GA to Atlanta | Atlanta to Kansas City | Knoxville to Atlanta | LaGrange GA to Atlanta | Atlanta to Lexington KY | Atlanta to Little Rock | Atlanta to Louisville | Atlanta to Macon GA | McDonough GA to Atlanta | Memphis to Atlanta | Atlanta to Milwaukee | Minneapolis to Atlanta | Atlanta to Mobile AL | Atlanta to Montgomery AL | Morrow GA to Atlanta | Atlanta to Myrtle Beach.
Nashville to Atlanta | Newnan GA to Atlanta | Atlanta to New Orleans | Atlanta to Oklahoma City | Atlanta to Omaha NE | Atlanta to Orlando | Atlanta to Panama City | Atlanta to Pensacola | Atlanta to Pigeon Forge | Raleigh NC to Atlanta | Richmond VA to Atlanta | Atlanta to Roanoke VA | Atlanta to Savannah | Atlanta to Sevierville | Shreveport to Atlanta | Atlanta to St Augustine | St Louis to Atlanta | Stockbridge GA to Atlanta | Atlanta to Tallahassee | Atlanta to Tampa | Tifton GA to Atlanta | Atlanta to Tulsa | Atlanta to Tuscaloosa | Valdosta GA to Atlanta | Warner Robins GA to Atlanta | Atlanta to Washington DC | Atlanta to Wilmington NC | Winston-Salem to Atlanta.
More Charleston road trips
Asheville to Charleston | Augusta to Charleston | Charlotte to Charleston | Charleston to Greenville SC | Jacksonville to Charleston.