Plan Your Drive

Myrtle Beach to Murrells Inlet directions

Follow the 12-mile Myrtle Beach drive down US-17 Business, then compare the Charlotte, Columbia, and Grand Strand routes that bring you to the Marsh Walk.

Arrival map

Myrtle Beach sets up the Murrells Inlet arrival.

This map shows the main arrival choices before the rest of the trip gets locked in. Myrtle Beach is the primary approach to compare first. Charleston is the helpful backup or add-on choice. The lines are planning corridors, not turn-by-turn road geometry, so use live directions before you drive.

  • Tap a marker to see how each town fits the drive.
  • Solid line is the main approach; dashed lines are alternate regional approaches.
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Myrtle Beach to Murrells Inlet

How far is Murrells Inlet from Myrtle Beach?

Depending on where you start in Myrtle Beach, the drive to the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk is about 12–16 miles and usually takes 20–30 minutes in normal traffic.

Distance
12–16 miles
Typical drive
20–30 minutes
Main route
US-17 South

Summer weekends and beach-day traffic can make the trip substantially longer, so check live navigation before leaving. Choose US-17 Business for the MarshWalk and waterfront restaurants.

Where Is Murrells Inlet?

Murrells Inlet is located in Horry and Georgetown Counties, South Carolina — about 12 miles south of Myrtle Beach along US-17. The town sits directly on the tidal marsh, with the Atlantic Ocean just a few minutes east. It's a convenient destination from most Southeast cities.

12 mi
from Myrtle Beach
~3.5 hrs
from Charlotte, NC
~2 hrs
from Columbia, SC

Driving Directions

From Myrtle Beach

~20 minutes

  1. Take US-17 South (Business) from central Myrtle Beach
  2. Drive approximately 12 miles south through Surfside Beach
  3. Enter Murrells Inlet — the Marsh Walk area is along Business 17
  4. Look for parking lots on the west side of Business 17 near the waterfront

Note: US-17 Business (not the bypass) runs right through the heart of Murrells Inlet. The bypass is faster but takes you around it.

From Charlotte, NC

~3.5 hours

  1. Take I-485 or US-74 East toward Monroe, NC
  2. Connect to US-74 East toward Wilmington
  3. Take SC-9 or SC-31 (Grand Strand Expressway) south toward Myrtle Beach
  4. Continue south on US-17 Business to Murrells Inlet

Scenic option: Come down US-74 to US-17 in Brunswick County, NC, for beautiful coastal scenery the whole way down.

From Columbia, SC

~2 hours

  1. Take I-20 East from Columbia toward Florence
  2. At Florence, take I-95 South briefly or head east on US-76
  3. Take US-501 East toward Myrtle Beach
  4. At the coast, take US-17 South for 12 miles to Murrells Inlet

Tip: US-501 is the main corridor from the Midlands — expect heavier traffic on summer weekends. Leave early to beat it.

Final approach choices

Use US-17 Business for the inlet, not just the fastest blue line

From Myrtle Beach and MYR

US-17 Business gives the direct approach through Surfside Beach and Garden City. Airport-to-inlet time can stretch well beyond the normal twenty-minute estimate on summer Saturdays, so do not put a fixed dinner reservation immediately after landing.

From Charlotte or Columbia

Inland routes eventually funnel toward Conway, Myrtle Beach, or Georgetown before joining US-17. Follow live traffic for the approach rather than committing to one beach corridor hours in advance; US-501 and the Grand Strand can back up independently.

MarshWalk parking

Business 17 puts you beside the restaurant district, but the final parking choice determines the walk. Arrive before the main dinner crowd for the closest lots; otherwise use a public lot near Morse Park Landing and accept a longer flat walk.

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