Travel

Airport:

Charleston International Airport is located 12 miles from downtown. Rideshare options are available to easily get downtown.

Getting around:

Downtown is a peninsula laid out in a loose grid that gets more historic as you move south.

  • King Street runs north-south and has a lot of shopping, restaurants, and bars. Market Street and Calhoun Street run east-west.

  • Popular areas:

    • Lower King/South of Broad: The quietest, most historic residential area. It ends at The Battery, a seawall park at the southern tip.

    • Middle King/French Quarter: An area filled with art galleries, historic churches, and Charleston City Market.

    • Upper King: Has more nightlife and restaurants, located further north past Calhoun Street.

Mount Pleasant is located directly east of downtown. It’s more suburban and is closer to some Charleston area beaches.

  • Highway 17 (Johnnie Dodds Blvd) cuts through Mount Pleasant and connects directly to the Ravenel Bridge for a 10-minute drive into downtown.

  • Popular areas:

    • Shem Creek: A waterfront area famous for its shrimp boats, boardwalks, and dining by the water. It sits just off Highway 17.

    • The Old Village: A historic, quiet neighborhood lined with live oaks and beautiful homes.

    • The Beaches: Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms are two popular beach communities located just over the marsh bridges from Mount Pleasant.