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Traffic heat map of South Carolina: roads over 1,000 vehicles a day shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on I 26 and I 85

South Carolina Traffic Counts

Our South Carolina traffic data covers 376,802 road segments over 24,125 road miles, with an average segment of just 338 ft. Its busiest road, I 26 in Lexington County, carries 109,966 vehicles a day, 15.6 times the average road. Whether you are evaluating a new retail location, planning routes or assessing infrastructure, these numbers replace guesswork.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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total traffic icon

Total Traffic Volume & Performance in South Carolina

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day7,040
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

9.5%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

33.3 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

18.2%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

46.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$73,901

Our data shows 7,040 vehicles per day on the average road in South Carolina, and 146,996,561 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈53.7 billion per year) across its 24,125 miles of monitored roads. Trucks are 9.5% of traffic, close to the 9.3% across the US.

Analytical insight

The average road in South Carolina carries 7,040 vehicles per day, essentially matching the national average of 6,986. Across the whole network, that travel is about 1.9% of the national total. 64% of states nationwide see less traffic than South Carolina's 7,040 vehicles per day.

At 33.3 minutes, the average travel time matches the national level closely. 54% of states nationwide have a shorter average travel time than South Carolina's 33.3 minutes.

The congestion ratio of 18.2% is in line with the national level.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in South Carolina

Trafficvehicles per day15,257
Trucks13.7%
Average travel time38.8 min
Congestion ratio33.4%
Drivers’ average age47.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income$73,619

Travel in South Carolina splits roughly evenly, with about half of it (49% of vehicle-miles) on highways. The average highway carries 15,257 vehicles per day, 144% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 6,257 vehicles per day.

With 19% of the road miles (4,507 miles in 32,806 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 72,609,074 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈26.5 billion per year).

That is more highway travel volume than 64% of states nationwide.

More highway trucks than 80% of states nationwide

Highway truck concentration here (13.7%) closely tracks the national average for similar road classifications. The highway traffic mix is typical for the US: neither freight- nor commuter-dominated.

South Carolina's highway truck share (13.7%) is higher than 54% of states nationwide. South Carolina's highway truck count is higher than 80% of states nationwide, at roughly 2,089 trucks per day.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in South Carolina

Trafficvehicles per day6,257
Trucks5.4%
Average travel time32.8 min
Congestion ratio16.9%
Drivers’ average age46.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income$74,530

Travel in South Carolina splits roughly evenly, with about half of it (51% of vehicle-miles) on local roads. On the average non-highway road, that comes to 6,257 vehicles per day.

Spread over 19,619 miles and 343,996 segments, 81% of the road network, local roads carry a lighter load per mile: 74,387,491 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈27.2 billion per year). Trucks make up 5.4% of non-highway traffic, about 1 in 18 vehicles.

Drivers from lower-income areas than 82% of states nationwide

The concentration of trucks on non-highway roads is 60% lower than on highways.

Non-highway congestion (16.9%) runs slightly lower than the national level (8% lower).

82% of states nationwide see higher average driver income among trip origins than South Carolina. The driver population here skews older than 60% of states nationwide.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 7:00 AM–9:00 AM and PM peak 4:00 PM–6:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 74% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are somewhat quieter: volumes run about 19% below weekday levels, the usual weekend dip.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
Traffic is nearly flat through the year: even April–June, the busiest stretch, runs only +4% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -9% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In South Carolina, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic, and traffic stays steady through the year (+4% in high season).

South Carolina vs. United States Traffic Comparison

On all four measures, South Carolina stays closely in line with the United States average, within 5%.

MetricSouth CarolinaUnited States averageDifference
Traffic7,0406,986+0.8%
Truck % (Total Traffic)9.5%9.3%+1.6%
Truck % (Highway)13.7%13.1%+4.7%
Avg. Travel Time33.3 min33.3 min-0.1%

How South Carolina compares

South Carolina moves the least traffic of its nearby states

Nothing in this table sets South Carolina sharply apart from the 4 states nearest to it, though it has the third busiest roads of the five. The same kind of road, just less of it: traffic per road matches the states around it while the network itself is smaller.

South Carolina and the 4 nearest states by centroid distance, with the United States average for scale.
StateAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
South Carolina7,0409.5%146,996,56133.3 min18.2%
North Carolina6,3328.7%273,243,43032.3 min18.6%
Georgia7,3989.7%279,644,55733.6 min16.8%
Virginia5,3499.6%221,943,87731.7 min16.8%
Tennessee7,25111.3%180,022,48032.1 min16.1%
United States average6,9869.3%N/A33.3 min18.9%

Busiest counties in South Carolina

South Carolina's three busiest counties account for 23.0% of all the vehicle-miles measured in the state.

Ranked by daily vehicle-miles, across the 46 counties in South Carolina with a published traffic page. Vehicle-miles is total travel, so this ranks by traffic MOVED rather than by how busy a typical road is.
CountyDaily vehicle-milesAverage daily trafficTruck shareRoad miles
1. Greenville County11,852,07810,9096.4%1,090
2. Charleston County11,678,51613,5756.3%858
3. Richland County10,314,2309,6868.4%895

Most truck-intensive counties in South Carolina

South Carolina's five most truck-intensive counties account for 10.6% of the truck vehicle-miles driven in the state.

Ranked by truck share of all traffic, across the same 46 counties, shown with the traffic volume that share is measured against.
CountyTruck shareTruck share on highwaysAverage daily trafficDaily vehicle-miles
1. Dillon County19.1%21.9%3,1041,306,947
2. Clarendon County18.3%23.4%3,1551,778,904
3. Cherokee County18.2%28.5%2,9452,021,737
4. Fairfield County16.4%20.6%2,2271,599,900
5. Calhoun County16.4%18.8%1,8871,706,516

Asking the same question of truck vehicle-miles gives a different answer - Spartanburg County, Richland County, Lexington County, Greenville County and Charleston County, together 30.4% of all truck travel in South Carolina.

Busiest roads in South Carolina

The three busiest roads in South Carolina average 105,408 vehicles a day, 15.0 times the state average of 7,040 across all its monitored roads.

I 26 in Lexington County is the busiest road, at 109,966 vehicles a day, 7,494 of them trucks (6.8%). I 85 in Greenville County is practically level with it at 108,332. I 85 in Spartanburg County carries the most trucks on the list, 14,970 a day (19.1% of its traffic), although it ranks #10 for all traffic.

Freight stands out on I 85 in Cherokee County and I 95 in Hampton County: trucks are 29.7% and 23.9% of the traffic there, against 9.5% state-wide.

Trips using I 85 in Cherokee County are long: a median of 61.5 minutes against 33.3 state-wide, the mark of a through route.

Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge in Charleston County draws drivers from wealthier areas: their neighborhoods average $109,466 in household income, 48% above the state's $73,901.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 26Lexington County · Motorway · 109,966vehicles7,494trucks · 6.8%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
73.9%
Median trip time
36.3 min
Drivers’ median age
44.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$78,585

I 26 carries 15.6 times the state average at its busiest, 7,494 of them trucks (6.8%, below the state-wide 9.5%).

2I 85Greenville County · Motorway · 108,332vehicles12,370trucks · 11.4%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
75.5%
Median trip time
44.0 min
Drivers’ median age
45.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$77,544

Delays build on I 85: its congestion ratio of 75% over free-flow time is well above the state's 18%.

3I 26Charleston County · Motorway · 97,927vehicles9,033trucks · 9.2%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
80.4%
Median trip time
35.0 min
Drivers’ median age
44.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$84,676

Travel on I 26's busiest stretch runs 80% over free-flow time, against 18% across the state, so expect slower peak hours.

4Arthur Ravenel Jr BridgeCharleston County · Motorway · 96,471vehicles8,821trucks · 9.1%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
53.9%
Median trip time
30.9 min
Drivers’ median age
44.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$109,466

Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge carries 13.7 times the state average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 30.9 minutes.

5Southeastern BeltwayLexington County · Motorway · 84,266vehicles14,421trucks · 17.1%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
73.2%
Median trip time
42.0 min
Drivers’ median age
43.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$68,857

At 12.0 times the state average, Southeastern Beltway draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $68,857 in household income.

6I 85Anderson County · Motorway · 84,094vehicles13,657trucks · 16.2%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
55.0%
Median trip time
45.8 min
Drivers’ median age
45.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$76,664

A main artery: I 85's busiest stretch carries 11.9 times the state average; trucks are 16.2% of it, above the state-wide 9.5%.

7I 26Richland County · Motorway · 82,651vehicles6,779trucks · 8.2%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
57.0%
Median trip time
38.1 min
Drivers’ median age
44.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$84,877

I 26 is a trunk route for the state, carrying 11.7 times the state average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 8.2% of it, below the state-wide 9.5%.

8I 20Richland County · Motorway · 79,989vehicles9,628trucks · 12.0%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
61.4%
Median trip time
42.0 min
Drivers’ median age
44.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$76,052

I 20 carries 11.4 times the state average at its busiest, 9,628 of them trucks (12.0%, above the state-wide 9.5%).

9I 77York County · Motorway · 78,403vehicles11,096trucks · 14.2%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
49.2%
Median trip time
44.3 min
Drivers’ median age
44.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$89,495

I 77 carries 11.1 times the state average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 44.3 minutes.

10I 85Spartanburg County · Motorway · 78,155vehicles14,970trucks · 19.1%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
63.7%
Median trip time
47.2 min
Drivers’ median age
45.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$74,178

At 11.1 times the state average, I 85 draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $74,178 in household income.

Ranked by trucks per day

Only named roads are listed. Some unnamed segments, such as ramps or unlabeled carriageways, may carry as much traffic as the roads shown.

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 85Spartanburg County · Motorway · #10 by traffic78,155vehicles14,970trucks · 19.1%
2Southeastern BeltwayLexington County · Motorway · #5 by traffic84,266vehicles14,421trucks · 17.1%
3I 85Anderson County · Motorway · #6 by traffic84,094vehicles13,657trucks · 16.2%
4I 85Greenville County · Motorway · #2 by traffic108,332vehicles12,370trucks · 11.4%
5I 85Cherokee County · Motorway · 40,441vehicles12,020trucks · 29.7%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
42.0%
Median trip time
61.5 min
Drivers’ median age
45.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$66,690

A main artery: I 85's busiest stretch carries 5.7 times the state average; trucks are 29.7% of it, above the state-wide 9.5%.

6I 95Jasper County · Motorway · 58,475vehicles11,855trucks · 20.3%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
60.5%
Median trip time
58.4 min
Drivers’ median age
48.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$66,939

A freight route: trucks are 20.3% of the traffic on I 95's busiest stretch, 2.1 times the state-wide 9.5%.

7I 26Calhoun County · Motorway · 56,235vehicles11,671trucks · 20.8%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
58.7%
Median trip time
61.2 min
Drivers’ median age
43.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$68,734

Drivers on I 26 are on long journeys, a median 61.2 minutes against 33.3 state-wide: a through route more than a local street.

8Southeastern BeltwayRichland County · Motorway · 72,844vehicles11,651trucks · 16.0%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
51.8%
Median trip time
44.7 min
Drivers’ median age
43.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$69,735

Southeastern Beltway is a trunk route for the state, carrying 10.3 times the state average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 16.0% of it, above the state-wide 9.5%.

9I 77York County · Motorway · #9 by traffic78,403vehicles11,096trucks · 14.2%
10I 95Hampton County · Motorway · 43,730vehicles10,447trucks · 23.9%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
53.8%
Median trip time
60.8 min
Drivers’ median age
50.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$68,234

I 95 carries through traffic: the median trip using it lasts 60.8 minutes, against 33.3 for the state.

How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

South CarolinaDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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States near South Carolina

The same traffic breakdown for the states closest to South Carolina.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.

Counties in South Carolina

Traffic counts, truck share, congestion and driver demographics for each of the 46 counties TrafficZoom measures in South Carolina.