Getting Around

Easy Access by Car, Bike or Plane

Located along the I-85 corridor between Atlanta and Charlotte, Upstate South Carolina makes it easy to get around — whether you’re off to work, a day-trip or an international destination. On average, Upstate SC residents enjoy a 26-minute commute — about half the national average. Most own a car and drive to work, but many choose to bike thanks to our growing bicycle infrastructure, which includes the first protected bike lane in the state and what was the first bike-share program in the Southeast. For domestic and international travel, GSP International offers convenience and efficiency with 100 non-stop daily departures to 18 major cities with connections to hundreds of destinations across the world. And, for some in the Upstate, Charlotte’s CLT Douglas International Airport is less than an hour’s drive. Learn more about getting around in Upstate SC below.

Facts + Figures

1st

PROTECTED BIKE LANE IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA

100

NON-STOP DAILY DEPARTURES FROM GSP

25 Minutes

AVERAGE COMMUTE TIME

145 MILES TO ATLANTA | 102 MILES TO CHARLOTTE

Driving Distance to Major Airports

Upstate South Carolina’s convenient location puts you within 2.5 hours of three major airports, offering connections to hundreds of domestic and interactions locations.

Commute
Airports
Daytrips

Cut Your Commute in Half

While most of the country has a commute of about 30 minutes, Upstate South Carolina residents take an average 25 minutes to get to and from work. Most residents drive to work via Upstate SC’s well-maintained roads and 14,000 miles of highways — and ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft — but many choose to bike or walk. In 2012, Greenville BCycle launched its electric bike-sharing program, which now has 12 bike stations across the city. And Greenville’s Swamp Rabbit Trail is the perfect place to ride if you plan to ditch your car keys — work commutes accounted for 9.7% of trips taken on the trail in 2022.

For more information on recreational cycling, visit the Play Outdoors page. Public transportation is also available, including Greenlink Transit, which provides bus and trolley service in Greenville and throughout the Upstate, and SPARTA, which provides bus routes in and around Spartanburg.

Three Airports Within 2.5 Hours

With three major airports located within about 2.5 hours of Upstate South Carolina, traveling across the country and around the world couldn’t be easier.

Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) is ranked among the most user-friendly airports in the country and serves more than 2 million passengers per year. On average, GSP offers 100 non-stop daily departures to 20 major airports and 18 major cities across the U.S., including Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Miami.

Charlotte (CLT), is ranked among the world’s top 10 busiest airports and is under an hour away by car for many residents of the Upstate. CLT offers more than 178 non-stop flights, including 36 international locations and three U.S. territories.

Atlanta (ATL) is the busiest and most efficient airport in the world and, by some accounts, the best in North America. Just about 2.5 hours from the Upstate SC region, ATL offers non-stop service to more than 150 domestic and 75 international destinations across Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, and South and Central America.

Take a Daytrip

With its central location on the I-85 corridor between Charlotte and Atlanta, and at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Upstate South Carolina is perfectly situated for daytrips around the Carolinas and beyond. Whether it’s hiking, brewery hopping, shopping or catching a game, you’ll find all kinds of reasons to spend the day — or the weekend — somewhere new. For ideas for your next adventure, visit our Day Trips page.