Closest Beaches

Beaches Near Charleston, SC

Charleston is a coastal city with several barrier-island beaches inside its metro. Folly Beach is about 12 miles south of downtown, and Sullivan's Island plus Isle of Palms sit roughly the same distance east across the harbor. Water stays swimmable from May through October.

Plan This Week

Thursday looks like the best day across this list.

Strongest single forecast: Wrightsville Beach on This Afternoon (85).

Within 60 mi

Sullivan's Island Beach

5.7 mi · ~8 min drive · Charleston County, SC

Skip the beach today.

85°F water 84°F air 17 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (44)

Folly Beach

8.4 mi · ~12 min drive · Charleston County, SC

Skip the beach today.

83°F water 83°F air 20 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (43)

Isle of Palms

10 mi · ~15 min drive · Charleston County, SC

Skip the beach today.

85°F water 83°F air 18 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (45)

Edisto Beach State Park

29 mi · ~42 min drive · Colleton County, SC

Skip the beach today.

83°F water 85°F air 17 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (39)

Pawleys Island

65 mi · ~1 hr 33 min drive · Georgetown County, SC

Ideal for a beach walk.

84°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (78)

Hilton Head Island

66 mi · ~1 hr 34 min drive · Beaufort County, SC

Skip the beach today.

83°F water 86°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (41)

Litchfield Beach

68 mi · ~1 hr 37 min drive · Georgetown County, SC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F air 14 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (81)

Tybee Island Beach

74 mi · ~1 hr 47 min drive · Chatham County, GA

Skip the beach today.

83°F water 85°F air 20 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (41)

Garden City Beach

78 mi · ~1 hr 52 min drive · Horry County, SC

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F water 85°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (70)

Surfside Beach (SC)

80 mi · ~1 hr 55 min drive · Horry County, SC

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F water 81°F air 13 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (71)

Myrtle Beach

89 mi · ~2 hr 8 min drive · Horry County, SC

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F water 82°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (76)

North Myrtle Beach

102 mi · ~2 hr 27 min drive · Horry County, SC

Ideal for a beach walk.

83°F water 85°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (83)

Sunset Beach (North Carolina)

111 mi · ~2 hr 40 min drive · Brunswick County, NC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 82°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (83)

Holden Beach

122 mi · ~2 hr 56 min drive · Brunswick County, NC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 86°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (79)

Oak Island Beach

131 mi · ~3 hr 8 min drive · Brunswick County, NC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 85°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (84)

St. Simons Island Beach

141 mi · ~3 hr 23 min drive · Glynn County, GA

Skip the beach today.

87°F air 17 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (32)

Kure Beach

143 mi · ~3 hr 27 min drive · New Hanover County, NC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 82°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (81)

Carolina Beach

146 mi · ~3 hr 31 min drive · New Hanover County, NC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 84°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (84)

Jekyll Island Beach

147 mi · ~3 hr 31 min drive · Glynn County, GA

Skip the beach today.

87°F air 18 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (47)

Wrightsville Beach

158 mi · ~3 hr 47 min drive · New Hanover County, NC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 82°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (85)

Cumberland Island National Seashore

161 mi · ~3 hr 51 min drive · Camden County, GA

Skip the beach today.

87°F air 16 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (38)

Topsail Beach

172 mi · ~4 hr 8 min drive · Pender County, NC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 84°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (85)

Amelia Island Beach

175 mi · ~4 hr 13 min drive · Nassau County, FL

Skip the beach today.

82°F water 86°F air 17 mph wind Best this week: Thursday (39)

Surf City Beach

178 mi · ~4 hr 17 min drive · Pender County, NC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 82°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (85)

North Topsail Beach

186 mi · ~4 hr 28 min drive · Onslow County, NC

Ideal for a beach walk.

82°F water 84°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (80)

Distance is straight-line, drive times are estimates

Mileage shown is straight-line distance from the center of Charleston. Real drive times depend on highway routing, weekend traffic, and where in the metro you start. For summer Saturdays, plan 20–40 minutes longer than the estimates here. The range slider above filters by the same straight-line distance.