Closest Airport to the University of South Carolina
The closest airport to the University of South Carolina is Columbia Metropolitan (CAE), about 15 to 20 minutes from campus by car. Charlotte is about 1.5 hours away.
The closest airport to the University of South Carolina is Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), about 15 to 20 minutes from campus by car, according to the university. Charlotte is the larger option, about 1.5 hours away. Below: the drive from nearby cities, the train, and where to park when you arrive. Families planning a visit can also see our Columbia campus page.
Where is the University of South Carolina?
The University of South Carolina is in downtown Columbia, the state capital, and its visit pages print the ZIP code Columbia, SC 29208. The Congaree Vista Guild describes the Vista district as "adjacent to the South Carolina State House and the University of South Carolina," so campus, the State House and downtown sit side by side.
Max Kaufmann, our Campus Lead and a University of South Carolina student, puts the State House and downtown about "10 minutes from the business school." The Darla Moore School of Business is at Greene and Assembly Streets.
For a visit, the address that matters is the Visitor Center. As of November 2026, the university's Individual Visits page says "The Visitor Center is temporarily located at 1311 Pendleton St." It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Visitor Center's usual home is McKissick Museum on the Horseshoe, and the page gives no date for the move back, so check it again before you go.
What is the closest airport to the University of South Carolina?
The closest airport to the University of South Carolina is Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), "approximately 15-20 minutes (by car) from our campus," according to the university's Explore Columbia page. Experience Columbia, the city's visitor bureau, places it eight miles outside downtown.
What families flying in should know about CAE, as of November 2026:
- Airlines: American, Delta, United and Allegiant, per Experience Columbia.
- Nonstops: the airport's own site, flycae.com, lists Miami, New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas and Newark.
- Daily flights: more than 25 nonstop flights a day, by the visitor bureau's count.
- Getting to campus: eight rental car companies have counters in baggage claim on the lower level, taxis pick up outside baggage claim, and Uber and Lyft both serve the airport.
- The drive: about 10 miles to Greene and Sumter Streets, at the edge of the Horseshoe, by OpenStreetMap routing.
The university's international student office calls CAE "small, but very convenient" on its airport arrival page.
Should we fly into Charlotte or Atlanta to visit the University of South Carolina?
Fly into Charlotte instead of Columbia to visit the University of South Carolina when no nonstop to Columbia fits your trip: Charlotte Douglas (CLT) is "approximately 1.5 hours (by car) from our campus," according to the university. Atlanta is a much longer drive.
- Charlotte (CLT): about 1.5 hours by car. "Charlotte is right here, like an hour and a half up the road," says Max Kaufmann, our Campus Lead in Columbia. The university's airport arrival page also mentions "a Columbia-Charlotte Shuttle that many students use," without naming an operator or a price.
- Atlanta (ATL): "approximately 3.5 hours from Columbia," per the same page, which adds that "Taxis are too expensive to take you from Atlanta to Columbia."
- Columbia (CAE): 15 to 20 minutes from campus, with nonstops from nine cities on its own site, Charlotte and Atlanta among them.
For a one- or two-day visit, the drive back to Charlotte or Atlanta eats into the time you have on campus, so price the CAE flight first.
How far is Columbia, SC from Charlotte, Greenville, Charleston and Atlanta by car?
Columbia, SC is about 93 miles by car from Charlotte, 104 from Greenville, 114 from Charleston and 213 from Atlanta, measured to the University of South Carolina campus by OpenStreetMap routing from each city's downtown.
- Charlotte: about 93 miles, "approximately 1.5 hours," per the university.
- Greenville, SC: about 104 miles.
- Charleston: about 114 miles.
- Atlanta: about 213 miles, "approximately 3.5 hours," per the university.
Experience Columbia notes that three interstates run through Columbia, I-26, I-20 and I-77, and that I-95 connects to I-20 and I-26 for drivers coming up or down the East Coast.
On home football Saturdays, police advise reaching the stadium by I-77, and after the game all lanes of Assembly Street carry stadium traffic. Check the Gamecocks traffic page before a fall Saturday drive.
Can you get to the University of South Carolina by train or bus?
Yes, you can get to the University of South Carolina by train: Amtrak's Columbia station is at 850 Pulaski Street, about an 18-minute walk from Greene and Sumter Streets by OpenStreetMap walking times. Experience Columbia puts the station on Amtrak's Silver Service/Palmetto line, with arrivals from New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Boston.
Greyhound also serves Columbia, and the visitor bureau says it brings passengers to the heart of downtown.
Once you are in town, the COMET's Soda Cap Connector costs $1.00, exact fare, as of October 2026 (catchthecometsc.gov). The university's own shuttle routes run on the COMET and are free to students with a Carolina Card.
Where should we park when we arrive at the University of South Carolina?
Park at the Visitor Center when you visit the University of South Carolina for the official visit, since registered visitors park free, and otherwise park in the university's hourly visitor garages or at city meters. Registered visitors "will receive detailed instructions for our complimentary Visitor Center parking," according to the university's Individual Visits page.
The university's visitor parking page lists hourly visitor spaces in garages and lots across campus, including the Bull Street Garage (gate 3), the Discovery Garage (Park Street side) and the Pendleton Street Garage (enter from Pickens Street). It prints no rates and says its rules are enforced "24 hours a day, 7 days a week," holidays included.
Max Kaufmann, speaking in October 2026, points families to the Bull Street Garage, beside the library and its fountain: "you pull a little ticket out and you pay a dollar for an hour." City meters cost $1.50 an hour as of October 2026, per Experience Columbia, and the City of Columbia says they are free after 7 p.m. on weekdays, all day Sunday, and on Saturday outside the Five Points and Bull Street districts. More on parking and hotels is in our one-day plan for a University of South Carolina visit.
A private tour with a current student starts from Greene and Sumter Streets, near that garage, and costs $150 for your group for 60 to 90 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the University of South Carolina's address?
The University of South Carolina's visit pages give the address Columbia, SC 29208, and for a visit the address to use is the Visitor Center, temporarily at 1311 Pendleton Street as of November 2026, according to the university's Tour Tips page. The Visitor Center is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and its phone number is 1-800-922-9755.
Is there a shuttle from the Columbia airport to campus?
No shuttle from the Columbia airport to campus appears in the airport's ground transportation listing on Experience Columbia, the city's visitor bureau. It lists rental cars, taxis outside baggage claim on the lower level, and Uber and Lyft. The drive to campus takes 15 to 20 minutes, according to the University of South Carolina.
Where does the University of South Carolina campus tour start?
The University of South Carolina campus tour starts at the Visitor Center, temporarily at 1311 Pendleton Street as of November 2026. When classes are in session, tours run weekdays at 9 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., plus 10 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays, according to the university's Individual Visits page. Registration comes with free Visitor Center parking.