Charleston: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Charleston is a city of 132,609 people in United States (South Carolina), 2 m (7 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Charleston International Airport (CHS), 17 km (11 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Charleston Union Station.
Key facts
Open Charleston in Google Maps
Daylight in Charleston runs from about 10 h 2 min a day in late December to 14 h 22 min in late June (computed for 32.78° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Charleston is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Charleston International Airport (CHS), 17 km (11 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,001 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Hilton Head Airport (HHH, 94 km).
Flights to Charleston: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Charleston Union Station. Trains to Charleston
Buses to Charleston · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Jacksonville, 317 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Charlotte, 285 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Raleigh, 354 km — trains · buses · car rental
- Greensboro, 367 km — trains · buses · car rental
- Durham, 370 km — buses · car rental
- Winston-Salem, 371 km — trains
- Fayetteville, 271 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Cary, 352 km — trains · buses · car rental
- Savannah, 134 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Columbia, 170 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Spoleto, Tempelhof.
Common questions
Which airport serves Charleston?
Charleston International Airport (CHS), 17 km (11 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Charleston?
About 132,609 people live in Charleston, across 330 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Charleston in?
America/New_York, currently UTC-4.
What currency is used in Charleston?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Charleston?
Jacksonville (317 km), Charlotte (285 km), Raleigh (354 km), Greensboro (367 km), Durham (370 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.