Getting Around
the CSRA

The interstates

• I-20 runs east-west across the CSRA. West to Atlanta is roughly 148 miles; east to Columbia, South Carolina is roughly 71 miles. It is the region's main artery and the road newcomers learn first.
• I-520, the Bobby Jones Expressway, loops around Augusta's south and east sides, rejoining I-20 at both ends. It serves Fort Gordon, the airport corridor, and south Augusta, and it is the pressure valve when I-20 clogs.

The arterials that matter

• Washington Road runs from downtown Augusta northwest through the medical district into Evans. It is the main commercial strip: hospitals, shopping, restaurants.
• Gordon Highway runs east from downtown past Fort Gordon toward Grovetown. It is the military commute corridor.
• Deans Bridge Road runs south from Gordon Highway into south Augusta and Hephzibah.
• Mike Padgett Highway continues the east-west corridor south of Gordon Highway.
• Riverwatch Parkway (SR 104) connects downtown to I-20 in the northwest, following the Savannah River.
• Peach Orchard Road (US 25 / SR 121) runs south through Hephzibah toward Waynesboro.

Crossing into South Carolina

The Savannah River is the state line. The main crossings into North Augusta are the downtown river bridges (13th Street and 5th Street) and I-520 to the south. Commuters cross both ways every day, and sales-tax and gas-price differences give some drivers a reason to pick a side. More on the Georgia–South Carolina tax comparison.

Nobody publishes official CSRA commute times, so think in corridors, not minutes:

• Evans / Grovetown to Fort Gordon: I-20 east to I-520, or Gordon Highway straight in. This is the heaviest military commute in the region. The Evans guide cites a commercial relocation guide's estimate of 30 to 40 minutes in the heaviest traffic; treat that as a characterization, not a measurement.
• North Augusta to downtown Augusta: the river bridges. Short on the map, sensitive to bridge traffic at rush hour.
• South Augusta / Hephzibah to the medical district and downtown: Deans Bridge Road and Mike Padgett Highway northbound.
• Aiken to Augusta: I-20 west into Georgia, or US 1 for the surface route.
• Columbia County to downtown: Washington Road southeast, or I-20 east to the downtown exits.

If your household has two commutes, map both before you sign a lease. The corridor that looks fine at noon can be a different road at 7:30 a.m. To compare towns side by side on commutes, schools, and taxes, see the where-to-live guide; the newcomer's guide to the CSRA covers the rest of the setup checklist.

Augusta Regional Airport at Bush Field sits on Highway 56 Spur (Doug Barnard Parkway), 4 miles south of I-520 East at Exit 10. From I-20, take Exit 196A to I-520 East (per the airport's official FAQ, flyags.com).

• Airlines: Delta flies to Atlanta; American Airlines flies to Charlotte, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. (per flyags.com). Everything else is a connection.
• Terminal: one terminal building. The airlines recommend arriving 90 to 120 minutes before departure; checked bags must be processed at least 30 minutes prior (per flyags.com).
• From Fort Gordon: out Gate 5 onto Tobacco Road leads directly toward the airport (per flyags.com).
• Ground transport: taxis, rideshares, and rental cars serve the airport; there is a dedicated ground transportation area outside baggage claim.

Flying internationally or chasing a fare? Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is about 67 miles east and sometimes prices better. Compare before you commit to the drive.

Driving to a bigger airport sometimes wins. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) is about 148 miles west, roughly 2 hours 45 minutes each way. Consider the drive for international itineraries or when the fare gap clearly beats the extra hours behind the wheel; for domestic trips that connect anyway, starting at AGS usually wins on total travel time.

Augusta's public bus system, Augusta Transit, runs ten fixed routes across Augusta-Richmond County (per the official Augusta-Richmond County transit system map at augustaga.gov).

• Fares: the regular one-way fare is $1.00, with discounted fares for seniors, riders with disabilities, and students with ID, plus transfers and weekly and monthly passes (per the official transit system map). Fares change; verify the current table at augustaga.gov before you budget around it.
• Coverage: the system serves Augusta-Richmond County. It does not extend into Columbia County (Evans, Grovetown, Martinez) or across the river, so suburban commuters should not plan around it.
• Paratransit and rural service exist for eligible riders; details and reservations go through Augusta Transit directly.

Bottom line: the bus works if you live and work inside Augusta proper. Outside that footprint, you need a car.

• Southeastern Stages serves Augusta via the bus station on Broad Street, with Greyhound using the same station (per Wikipedia's "Transportation in Augusta, Georgia").
• There is also an intercity bus station on Fort Gordon; civilians can access the base for specific services like this one with proper identification (per Wikipedia).
• Passenger rail: no Amtrak train serves Augusta. Amtrak's official Georgia station list names five stations (Atlanta, Gainesville, Jesup, Savannah, Toccoa), and Augusta is not one of them. The nearest Amtrak station is Columbia, South Carolina, about 71 miles away (roughly 1 hr 25 min by car), served by the Floridian. Atlanta (the Crescent), Savannah (the Palmetto, the Silver Meteor, and the Floridian), and Toccoa (the Crescent) are the other options, per Amtrak.

Fort Gordon sits along Gordon Highway and I-520 between Augusta and Grovetown, and it anchors the region's eastbound commute.

• The installation has multiple gates, and gate hours plus entry requirements change. Check the installation's official channels before you drive over.
• Civilians commuting to on-post jobs should confirm which gate their destination uses; the wrong gate can add a long loop around the post perimeter.
• The Fort Gordon guide covers base access, PCS moves, and on-post life in detail. This page stays on the roads.

Measured from downtown Augusta on September 29, 2026. Every drive time is an estimate for normal traffic; your starting point, the hour, and construction change the number. Check a routing app at the hour you will actually travel.

A few notes on the trips:

• Atlanta is a full-day trip, not a casual errand. Leave early; Atlanta traffic is a separate planning exercise.
• Columbia is the easiest big-city day trip in the region.
• Aiken is close enough for dinner, shopping, or a second labor market.
• Savannah and Charleston are weekend trips, not day trips.

One week each April, the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club rewrites local traffic. Washington Road near the course congests, rental demand spikes across the region, and many locals simply plan around it.

• If you live here: expect delays near Augusta National, allow extra time on Washington Road and I-20, and do not schedule anything time-sensitive across town that week.
• If you are visiting: book lodging and rental cars far in advance, and assume every route near the course runs slow.
• The tournament is also the region's biggest annual economic event; the data centers guide is not about golf, but it is about the other thing reshaping the local economy.

Honest answer: the CSRA is built for driving, and car-free living takes deliberate planning.

• Inside Augusta proper, Augusta Transit's ten routes plus rideshares cover daily needs for many residents.
• Downtown Augusta and North Augusta are the most walkable pockets. North Augusta's Greeneway, a rails-to-trails path, is the region's best car-free corridor for recreation and short trips.
• Columbia County suburbs and most of the region have limited sidewalks and no fixed-route transit. Living car-free there is not practical today.
• If you are moving here without a car, prioritize housing inside Augusta's transit footprint and verify your specific commute on the route map before signing. And budget for the car you will almost certainly end up needing: our cost-of-living guide publishes October 7 with the full breakdown of what driving here actually costs.