North Charleston sits between the Ashley and Cooper rivers north of the Charleston peninsula, and I-26 runs right through the middle of it, carrying traffic between downtown Charleston, Summerville and Columbia. I-526, the Mark Clark Expressway, crosses the city east to west, linking West Ashley with Daniel Island and Mount Pleasant. Rivers Avenue, which carries US 52, runs parallel to I-26 as the main commercial street. The city stretches across parts of three counties, and its boundaries wind in and out of neighboring towns, so it helps to share a full address.
Dorchester Road, SC 642, runs northwest toward Summerville, Ashley Phosphate Road crosses the north side, and Montague Avenue leads to Park Circle and the coliseum area. I-26 through North Charleston is one of the most congested stretches of highway in the state, with heavy truck traffic from the port and the plants, and a breakdown on its shoulders is dangerous. Remount Road and Aviation Avenue carry traffic toward the airport and the base, and Rivers Avenue's long signal cycles keep traffic stop-and-go past its strip centers and restaurants.
Charleston International Airport sits in North Charleston, sharing runways with Joint Base Charleston, and the large aircraft assembly plant beside them runs around the clock. The port terminals along the Cooper River, the former Navy base and shipyard, and the industrial parks along I-26 keep shift workers on the road at all hours, and shift changes send waves of traffic onto I-26 and I-526 several times a day. Charleston Southern University and Trident Technical College draw students from across the region.
For a mobile mechanic, North Charleston is mostly driveways and big lots. Park Circle and the older neighborhoods have bungalows and narrow lots, while the newer areas near Ashley Phosphate and Dorchester Road have attached garages. Plant and base lots are workable when the employer allows outside service, and many shift workers book repairs at home during the day.