Washington DC to Myrtle Beach drive: Best stops, distance & time

The best road trip stops on the Washington DC to Myrtle Beach drive are Richmond VA, the Halifax State Historic Site and Fayetteville NC. The distance from Washington DC to Myrtle Beach by car is 431 miles, with a 6h50m driving time.

Planning a Washington DC to Myrtle Beach road trip itinerary

The Washington DC to Myrtle Beach drive takes you from the national capital to one of the top vacation spots in South Carolina.

Washington DC has an enormous range of tours, experiences and attractions available. You could happily spend weeks in the Smithsonian Museums alone. Top choices, however, include the nighttime monuments and memorials tour, small group guided visits to the Capitol and National Library of Congress and Lincoln assassination tours that visit Fords Theatre.

Memorable Washington DC accommodation options include the Willard, where Martin Luther King Jr wrote his I Have A Dream speech. There’s also the Watergate Hotel, a luxurious conversion of the offices from the Watergate scandal.

Myrtle Beach is a beach resort city on the Atlantic coast of South Carolina. Good Myrtle Beach experiences include a history, movies and music trolley tour, guided kayaking adventures and Huntington Beach State Park Segway tour.

There are also several shows on offer. Try the Charles Bach Wonders show for magic, Legends in Concert for tribute acts and the Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show for dancing and fire stunts.

It’s worth booking Myrtle Beach accommodation in advance. For the best deals, check here.

Washington DC to Myrtle Beach distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Washington DC to Myrtle Beach is 431 miles. That makes for a driving time of around six hours and 50 minutes. The bulk of the route is down the I-95.

The best stops to add to a Washington DC to Myrtle Beach road trip itinerary are Richmond VA, the Halifax State Historic Site and Fayetteville NC. For more suggestions, visit the guides to the individual sections of the journey.

Washington DC to Myrtle Beach road trip attractions: Richmond VA

Once the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond VA is not entirely weighed down by its history. The surprisingly wild James River runs through it, and the west end feels energetic and more of the North than the South.

The top attraction, though, is the huge American Civil War Museum at the historic Tredegar Ironworks. After that, walk the suspension bridge to Belle Isle in the middle of the James River, see the dubious Confederate monuments on Monument Avenue, or see the grandiose tombs of the Hollywood Cemetery.

Other good Richmond experiences include food tours of the Arts District or Church Hill, Segway tours of the city landmarks, nighttime ghost walks and guided hikes along the James River.

For Richmond accommodation, the Moxy Richmond Downtown brims with fun, youthful energy. The Residence Inn by Marriott, meanwhile, is a short walk from the lively Shockoe Bottom neighbourhood.

Best stops between Washington DC and Myrtle Beach: Halifax State Historic Site

In 1776, North Carolina became the first colony to recommend independence from England. The congress leading to this took place in Halifax NC.

The museum at the Halifax State Historic Site covers this story and more. Meanwhile, self-guided tours of the restored small town are pepped up by craft demonstrations and costumed interpreters. Highlights include the 18^th century tavern, 19^th century jail and an Underground Railroad Trail.

Washington DC to Myrtle Beach drive: Fayetteville NC

The main lure in Fayetteville NC is the Museum of the Cape Fear, which unveils local history over several buildings. The most handsome of these is the 1897 Poe House, which is most notable for its intricate Victoria verandas. Also on the site is Arsenal Park, the remains of a former ordnance factory used by both the Federal and Confederate governments. Also worth a look is the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, which covers 80 acres.

Good Fayetteville accommodation options include the Mt Rose Hotel for value and the Fairfield Inn and Suites for space.