Charleston tides today
The Customhouse Wharf station on the Cooper River is Charleston Harbor’s reference gauge and the base for predictions along much of the South Carolina coast.
Shaded: night. Green bands: solunar periods (thick = major, thin = minor). Heights in feet above Mean Lower Low Water, the zero of NOAA charts.
Charleston, SC · Tuesday, October 13
Tide rising, 1.3 ft now
High 10:31 PM
5.4 ft · in 4 h 50 min
| Low | 4:00 AM | 0.7 ft |
| High | 10:26 AM | 6.3 ft |
| Low | 4:46 PM | 0.9 ft |
| High | 10:31 PM | 5.4 ft |
Tide coefficient 101 (average), range 5.6 ft
Sunrise 7:22 AM · sunset 6:49 PM
Waxing crescent, 9% lit · fishing day ★★☆☆
Solunar: major 2:00 AM–4:00 AM, minor 9:51 AM–10:51 AM, major 2:25 PM–4:25 PM, minor 7:54 PM–8:54 PM
Charleston tide table, next 7 days
| Day | High tides | Low tides | Coef. | Sun | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:26 AM 6.3 ft · 10:31 PM 5.4 ft | 4:00 AM 0.7 ft · 4:46 PM 0.9 ft | 101 | 7:22 AM–6:49 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 11:06 AM 6.1 ft · 11:12 PM 5.1 ft | 4:36 AM 0.9 ft · 5:27 PM 1.2 ft | 93 | 7:23 AM–6:48 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 11:48 AM 5.8 ft · 11:56 PM 4.9 ft | 5:13 AM 1.1 ft · 6:10 PM 1.5 ft | 85 | 7:24 AM–6:47 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:34 PM 5.6 ft | 5:52 AM 1.3 ft · 6:57 PM 1.7 ft | 77 | 7:25 AM–6:45 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:44 AM 4.8 ft · 1:25 PM 5.5 ft | 6:38 AM 1.5 ft · 7:48 PM 1.8 ft | 72 | 7:25 AM–6:44 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 1:37 AM 4.7 ft · 2:19 PM 5.4 ft | 7:32 AM 1.6 ft · 8:41 PM 1.8 ft | 69 | 7:26 AM–6:43 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 2:32 AM 4.8 ft · 3:12 PM 5.4 ft | 8:31 AM 1.6 ft · 9:33 PM 1.7 ft | 69 | 7:27 AM–6:42 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ |
Plan around the tide at Charleston
No window of 30 minutes or more below 1.0 ft over the next 7 days in daylight. Try a higher level.
A falling tide uncovers sand bars and tide pools first; plan to be back before the water rises past the level you chose. Not for navigation.
Station CHARLESTON (Customhouse Wharf) (NOAA 8665530). Predicted astronomical tide: wind, river flow and storms can move the real water by a foot or more. 5.6 ft is the average daily range here.
Published by Radif Partners · How the tides are computed · predictions downloaded October 13, 2026
Tide times for Charleston come from the National Ocean Service prediction for station 8665530, CHARLESTON (Customhouse Wharf). The tide here is semidiurnal: two highs and two lows of similar height every day, about six hours and a quarter apart, with an average daily range of 5.6 ft. Around the new and full moon the range grows to about 6.9 ft on one day in ten, and at the quarter moons it shrinks to 4.3 ft. Heights are in feet above Mean Lower Low Water, the zero of nautical charts, so a negative number is water below that zero: 180 of the 457 days from October 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027 have one, down to -1.5 ft on January 23, 2027. The highest predicted tide of that period is 6.9 ft on October 1, 2027. Clock times are Eastern Time, daylight saving time included.
The harbor where rivers meet the sea
Charleston Harbor is the meeting point of the Ashley and Cooper rivers, and its gauge on the Cooper River waterfront has a long record. The average day here moves 5.6 ft between low and high. Around the harbor the tide is nearly uniform: NOAA predicts Fort Sumter two minutes later, Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant two minutes earlier, the South Ashley bridge four minutes later, Hobcaw Point 19 minutes later and Wappoo Creek 22 minutes later, all within a few percent of the height.
Sunny-day flooding downtown
Charleston is one of the US cities where the highest tides of the year push water into streets: low parts of the peninsula, built on filled marsh, drain into the harbor through outfalls that back up when the tide is high. On king tide days the water rises from the storm drains even without rain. The highest prediction this period is 6.9 ft, on October 1, 2027; add an onshore wind or a downpour and the flooding grows. The king tides guide explains those dates.
Marsh, creeks and the low tide
At low tide the marsh creeks around the harbor drain to mud banks and oyster beds, and the pluff mud smell of the Lowcountry is strongest. The lowest predicted low of the period is -1.5 ft, on January 23, 2027. Kayakers on the creeks ride the flood in and the ebb out. For the beach, see Folly Beach.
Highest and lowest tides at Charleston, 2026 to 2027
The six highest highs and six lowest lows predicted for CHARLESTON (Customhouse Wharf) between October 1, 2026 and December 31, 2027, one per day. The high-water dates are the king tides of this station; the low-water dates are the best days to see the flats, bars and tide pools.
| Highest highs | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2027 | 9:31 AM | 6.9 ft |
| October 29, 2027 | 8:20 AM | 6.9 ft |
| September 30, 2027 | 8:41 AM | 6.9 ft |
| October 27, 2026 | 9:06 AM | 6.9 ft |
| October 28, 2026 | 9:57 AM | 6.9 ft |
| October 30, 2027 | 9:07 AM | 6.8 ft |
| Lowest lows | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| January 23, 2027 | 2:01 AM | -1.5 ft |
| January 24, 2027 | 2:54 AM | -1.4 ft |
| January 22, 2027 | 1:06 AM | -1.4 ft |
| February 21, 2027 | 1:47 AM | -1.3 ft |
| February 22, 2027 | 2:39 AM | -1.3 ft |
| February 20, 2027 | 12:54 AM | -1.2 ft |
Tidal datums at station 8665530
NOAA's averages over the 1983-2001 epoch, measured from the chart zero (MLLW). Average range of the tide (MN): 5.2 ft; great diurnal range (GT): 5.8 ft.
| Datum | Meaning | Height above MLLW |
|---|---|---|
| MHHW | Mean Higher High Water | 5.8 ft |
| MHW | Mean High Water | 5.4 ft |
| MSL | Mean Sea Level | 2.9 ft |
| MLW | Mean Low Water | 0.2 ft |
| MLLW | Mean Lower Low Water (chart zero) | 0.0 ft |
Other stations nearby
- Folly Beach tides: Folly River Bridge, Folly Island, average range 5.6 ft, highest predicted tide 7.0 ft on October 1, 2027
- Hilton Head tides: Port Royal Plantation, Hilton Head Island, average range 6.3 ft, highest predicted tide 7.8 ft on October 27, 2026
- Myrtle Beach tides: Springmaid Pier, Myrtle beach, average range 5.3 ft, highest predicted tide 6.9 ft on October 1, 2027