How far is Garden City Beach, SC from Surfside Beach, SC?

The driving distance from Garden City Beach, SC to Surfside Beach, SC is about 2.9 miles (4.7 km), with a travel time of about 00h 08m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 2.8 miles (4.5 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 16m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
2.94 mi
00h 08m
Flight
2.8 mi
4.5 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Garden City Beach.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
2.8 mi
Kilometers
4.5 km
Flight Time

Driving Distance

Road route
2.94 mi
Kilometers
4.73 km
Drive Time
00h 08m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 08m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Surfside Beach
Wed, Apr 15, 2:53 PM EDT
Return by in Garden City Beach
Wed, Apr 15, 3:01 PM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Garden City Beach
2026-04-15T14:45
Arrive Surfside Beach
Wed, Apr 15, 2:53 PM EDT
Route Timing
00h 08m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:08 AM to 7:08 PM EDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
8:14 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Garden City Beach
10:00 PM EDT
Flexible departure

This departure sits inside the recommended comfort window for the route.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Murrells Inlet
SC

Town in Georgetown County and Horry County, South Carolina, United States

From Garden City Beach
1.5 mi
00h 04m
To Surfside Beach
1.5 mi
00h 04m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
77°F
Wednesday

Sunny

Starts
Wed, Apr 15 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
6 to 12 mph SW
Destination
79°F
Today

Sunny

Starts
Wed, Apr 15 11:00 AM EDT
Wind
8 to 15 mph SW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Garden City Beach and Surfside Beach.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Garden City Beach and Surfside Beach.

  1. 1

    Start on Cedar Avenue

    92 m · 19 sec · Cedar Avenue

  2. 2

    Turn left onto South Waccamaw Drive

    1.7 mi · 4 min · South Waccamaw Drive

  3. 3

    Continue on South Ocean Boulevard

    1.1 mi · 2 min · South Ocean Boulevard

  4. 4

    Turn left onto Surfside Drive

    93 m · 14 sec · Surfside Drive

  5. 5

    Continue on Surfside Drive

    31 m · 8 sec · Surfside Drive

  6. 6

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Surfside Drive

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Garden City Beach and Surfside Beach.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
6 steps
2 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
0
0 merges, 0 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
206.9 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
South Waccamaw Drive
1.73 mi · 59%
South Ocean Boulevard
1.07 mi · 36%
Surfside Drive
0.08 mi · 3%
Cedar Avenue
0.06 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

South Waccamaw Drive

Turn left onto South Waccamaw Drive

1.73 mi · 00h 04m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 08m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 16m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+0.1 mi
2.8 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Murrells Inlet
00h 04m from Garden City Beach
Leave By
8:14 PM EDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Garden City Beach and Sunny near Surfside Beach.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Garden City Beach to Surfside Beach?

The road trip is about 2.9 miles (4.7 km) and usually takes 00h 08m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Murrells Inlet is a useful midpoint, sitting about 1.5 miles from Garden City Beach and 1.5 miles from Surfside Beach.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 2.8 miles (4.5 km), while the road route adds roughly 0.1 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 8:14 PM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $0.40 one way or $0.79 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 0.9 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Garden City Beach and Sunny near Surfside Beach.

Stop Ideas Near Murrells Inlet

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Murrells Inlet, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Murrells Inlet.

RAIL

Kingstree

74 mi away
101 East Main St.
RAIL

Florence

98 mi away
805 East Day Street
RAIL

Dillon

101 mi away
100 North Railroad Avenue
RAIL

Charleston, South Carolina

117 mi away
4565 Gaynor Avenue

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Garden City Beach and Surfside Beach. Straight-line distance: 2.8 mi (4.5 km).

Photo coming soon

#1 Garden City Beach

Garden City Beach is a place in South Carolina, United States.

Population0
Coordinates33.5737800, -79.0025300
Altitude0
CountryUnited States
Surfside Beach

#2 Surfside Beach

City in Horry County, South Carolina, United States

Population4,580
Coordinates33.6060000, -78.9730900
Altitude3
CountryUnited States
Start: Cedar Avenue (-79.002611, 33.573689)
End: Surfside Drive (-78.973062, 33.606027)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 5 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 05m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 04m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 03m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 02m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 02m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 02m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.1 gal
0.39 L · about $0.40
Round trip
$0.79
0.2 gal · 0.78 L
Estimated CO2
0.9 kg one way
Round trip: 1.8 kg / 4 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.96 $0.40 $0.79
Mid-grade $4.43 $0.44 $0.89
Premium $4.78 $0.48 $0.96
Diesel $5.62 $0.56 $1.12

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in South Carolina · Apr 15, 2026

There is no time difference between Garden City Beach and Surfside Beach. The current time is 14:45:07.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.