West Ashley vs Summerville

West Ashley

Government

Mostly City of Charleston · A few unincorporated county pockets

ZIP codes

29407, 29414 · The ZIP doesn't settle the jurisdiction

West Ashley Greenway

About 8 miles · Albemarle Rd to Main Rd, on an old rail bed

Charles Towne Landing

664 acres · State historic site of the 1670 settlement

Summerville

Counties

Dorchester, Berkeley, Charleston · Town limits cross all three

Population

53,177 · Town limits, Census estimate July 2025

Downtown Charleston

About 35 min · 25 miles, no traffic

Founded

1847 · Grew from a 1690s settlement

West Ashley

Pros

• Close to downtown, with older neighborhoods and mature trees near the river.
• The West Ashley Greenway, Charles Towne Landing and the Ashley River Road sites.
• Real investment underway: Ashley Landing, the Ashley River bike bridge and drainage work.
• Wide range of housing, from 1940s homes to later subdivisions.

Cons

• US 17, Sam Rittenberg and I-526 back up at peak hours.
• Drainage and flood problems in the Church Creek basin and other low areas.
• Older homes often need sewer line, roof and drainage updates.
• Years of I-526 and Main Road construction ahead.

Summerville

Pros

• A real historic downtown with a walkable town square.
• Wide range of housing: historic homes, mature suburbs and new construction.
• Recent road investment, including the I-26 widening and Berlin G. Myers Parkway.
• Inland, with no storm surge exposure.

Cons

• I-26 commutes can be slow at peak hours.
• Rapid growth, with contested annexation and density decisions around Nexton.
• Floodplain pockets along the Ashley River and Sawmill Branch.
• Three counties and town-vs-county lines make taxes and services confusing.