Why do I say "no traffic"?
Because that’s what the math can honestly measure. The times come from road distances and typical speeds, not from today’s traffic. In real life, I-26 inbound from Summerville and Goose Creek, I-526 across the Wando and the Don Holt, the Ravenel Bridge, and Maybank Highway onto Johns Island all slow to a crawl at rush hour. Twice the number on this page is a fair worst case to plan around.
So use this to compare areas, not to promise yourself a 20-minute drive. Before you make an offer, drive the commute on a weekday at the hour you’d actually leave the house. I tell every buyer the same thing.
How far is each community from the big employers?
Minutes with no traffic, from each area’s reference point. Calculated October 21, 2026. Tap a community for its guide.
| Community | MUSC | Boeing South Carolina | Joint Base Charleston | Charleston airport | Downtown (Marion Square) | Volvo Ridgeville | Google Mount Holly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Island | 14 | 26 | 30 | 28 | 15 | 56 | 43 |
| James Island | 7 | 23 | 27 | 25 | 8 | 52 | 40 |
| Folly Beach | 19 | 34 | 39 | 36 | 19 | 64 | 51 |
| Isle of Palms | 24 | 28 | 33 | 29 | 23 | 57 | 43 |
| Sullivan's Island | 18 | 26 | 31 | 27 | 18 | 55 | 41 |
| Mount Pleasant | 9 | 18 | 22 | 19 | 9 | 47 | 34 |
| West Ashley | 11 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 43 | 30 |
| Downtown Charleston | 2 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 1 | 46 | 33 |
| Summerville | 35 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 33 | 20 | 22 |
| Goose Creek | 27 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 26 | 28 | 10 |
| Moncks Corner | 45 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 43 | 38 | 15 |
Where is each community measured from?
- Johns Island: Maybank Hwy at River Rd
- James Island: Folly Rd at Camp Rd
- Folly Beach: Center St, Folly Beach
- Isle of Palms: Palm Blvd at 21st Ave
- Sullivan's Island: Middle St at Station 22
- Mount Pleasant: Mathis Ferry Rd at US-17 (29464) or Park West Blvd at US-17 (29466)
- West Ashley: Sam Rittenberg Blvd at Ashley River Rd (SC-61)
- Downtown Charleston: Marion Square
- Summerville: Hutchinson Square, Summerville
- Goose Creek: Goose Creek City Hall, US-52
- Moncks Corner: Main St at US-17A, Moncks Corner
Mount Pleasant is measured from both points and shows whichever is faster.
Common questions
How long is the commute from Summerville to downtown Charleston?
About 33 minutes (24.9 miles) from Hutchinson Square to Marion Square with no traffic. Most of that is I-26, and at rush hour I-26 can easily double it. If you’d make that drive every weekday, try it at your real start time before you buy.
Which areas are closest to MUSC?
With no traffic, the shortest drives to MUSC’s main campus on Ashley Avenue are from Downtown Charleston (2 min), James Island (7 min), Mount Pleasant (9 min) and West Ashley (11 min). Johns Island is 14 minutes, but Maybank Highway and the Stono bridges back up at rush hour.
Where is the shortest drive to Boeing South Carolina?
From the reference points in each area, the shortest no-traffic drives to Boeing on International Boulevard are from West Ashley (10 min), Goose Creek (16 min), Downtown Charleston (18 min) and Mount Pleasant (18 min). Summerville is 24 minutes and Moncks Corner 34.
How far is Volvo in Ridgeville from Summerville and Goose Creek?
The Volvo plant is about 20 minutes (13.8 miles) from Summerville and 28 minutes (20.1 miles) from Goose Creek with no traffic. From Mount Pleasant and the beach islands it is roughly 45 minutes to an hour each way, before traffic.
Why do these drive times look shorter than my real commute?
They are calculated on OpenStreetMap roads with no traffic, at roughly posted speeds. Rush hour on I-26, I-526 and the bridges (the Ravenel, the Wando and the Stono crossings) can double them, and school zones and train crossings add more. Use them to compare areas, then drive the route at the hour you would actually commute.
Sources: drive times from the OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap road data (© OpenStreetMap contributors), no traffic, calculated October 21, 2026. Address lookup: U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder and OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Destination points are public building locations, not a specific gate or parking lot. Estimates only; your actual commute will vary.
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