Car hire and driving in Columbia, SC
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In United States traffic drives on the right. Picking up at CAE means 11 km (7 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q533806.
Drives from Columbia
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia to Charlotte | United States | 137 km (85 mi) | about 1 h 52 min |
| Columbia to North Charleston | United States | 161 km (100 mi) | about 2 h 11 min |
| Columbia to Charleston | United States | 170 km (106 mi) | about 2 h 19 min |
| Columbia to Savannah | United States | 213 km (133 mi) | about 2 h 53 min |
| Columbia to Athens | United States | 216 km (134 mi) | about 2 h 56 min |
| Columbia to Fayetteville | United States | 230 km (143 mi) | about 3 h 7 min |
| Columbia to High Point | United States | 237 km (147 mi) | about 3 h 13 min |
| Columbia to Winston-Salem | United States | 244 km (152 mi) | about 3 h 19 min |
| Columbia to Greensboro | United States | 257 km (159 mi) | about 3 h 29 min |
| Columbia to Wilmington | United States | 286 km (177 mi) | about 3 h 52 min |
| Columbia to Cary | United States | 286 km (178 mi) | about 3 h 53 min |
| Columbia to Raleigh | United States | 294 km (183 mi) | about 3 h 59 min |
| Columbia to New York City | United States | 970 km (603 mi) | about 13 h 9 min |
| Columbia to Toronto | Canada | 1,088 km (676 mi) | about 14 h 45 min |
| Columbia to Brooklyn | United States | 968 km (602 mi) | about 13 h 8 min |
| Columbia to Chicago | United States | 1,047 km (651 mi) | about 14 h 12 min |
| Columbia to Queens | United States | 977 km (607 mi) | about 13 h 15 min |
| Columbia to Houston | United States | 1,431 km (889 mi) | about 19 h 24 min |
| Columbia to Montréal | Canada | 1,428 km (887 mi) | about 19 h 21 min |
| Columbia to Philadelphia | United States | 842 km (523 mi) | about 11 h 25 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Columbia?
The right, as everywhere in United States.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
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.