North Charleston, SC
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Charleston, SC (5.8 mi).
About North Charleston
North Charleston is a city in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, North Charleston had a population of 114,852, making it the third-most populous city in the state, and the 248th-most populous city in the United States. North Charleston is a principal city within the Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 849,417 in 2023.
Source: Wikipedia summary (full article). Population and facts as published there.
Cost breakdown (proposal-scale estimates — see math)
| Item | Basis | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal construction | Mid-size city — metro tier (range $1–2B) | $1.5B |
| Land acquisition | Regional factor 1.0× on $200M base | $200M |
| Track: North Charleston → Charleston | 5.8 mi × $500M/mi | $2.9B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $30M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $4.6B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
The existing Charleston intermodal center (Amtrak). North Charleston's intermodal center is already where Amtrak serves the metro, with I-26 and I-526 converging and Boeing's massive plant nearby. The terminal would serve the region's industrial workforce and give travelers the metro's best highway access, minutes from the airport.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- Park Circle (North Charleston) — historic garden suburb.
- The Ashley-Phosphate corridor — commercial node on the route.
- The Tanger Outlets / I-26 district — retail and highway hub.