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Major city · United States

Florence, South CarolinaFlorence, SC

One night, not a base: a highway and Amtrak stop between Charleston and North Carolina with a small museum and a Civil War prison site.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), hurricane season Aug–Oct
Airports
FLO · MYR · CLT
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Florence is a rail and interstate junction in the Pee Dee Country region of northeastern South Carolina, roughly halfway between Charleston and Fayetteville on I-95 and at the end of I-20. It has a county museum, a Civil War stockade site and a national cemetery, plus cheap highway hotels. Most travellers sleep one night here on a road trip; the town itself fills half a day.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Florence, South Carolina, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeUS$2–5
  • Sit-down mealSit-down dinner, main courseUS$18–35
  • Street or quick mealFast-food or diner breakfastUS$8–15
  • BeerDraught beer at a barUS$5–8
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus ride (PDRTA)checkUS$1.50
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entrycheckUS$0–10
  • Budget bedInterstate chain motel room, a night, per roomUS$65
  • Mid-range bedInterstate chain motel room, a night, per roomUS$95
  • High-end bedInterstate chain motel room, a night, per roomUS$140

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$130 · High US$220

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Florence Stockade and National CemeteryFlorence County MuseumI-95 and I-20 junctionAmtrak Palmetto and Silver Meteor stop
Airports
FLO Florence Regional Airport (Nonstop to Charlotte on American; small terminal, few daily flights — check schedules.) · MYR Myrtle Beach International (About 1 h 15 min by car; more flights and rental cars.) · CLT Charlotte Douglas International (About 2 h 30 min by car; the big connecting hub for the region.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Florence, South Carolina: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

13°C

1°C

9 rd

Feb

15°C

2°C

8 rd

Mar

20°C

6°C

8 rd

Apr

25°C

10°C

7 rd

May

29°C

15°C

8 rd

Jun

32°C

20°C

10 rd

Jul

34°C

22°C

12 rd

Aug

33°C

21°C

11 rd

Sep

30°C

18°C

8 rd

Oct

25°C

11°C

6 rd

Nov

20°C

6°C

7 rd

Dec

15°C

2°C

8 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need a car. PDRTA runs seven fixed-route city buses (about US$1.50 a ride, check), but routes are thin and stop early. Downtown is walkable for an evening; everything else — the stockade, the mall, the interstate hotels — is a drive. Ride-hailing exists but waits can be long outside the centre.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Hartsville, South Carolina

go

Door to door: About 45 min

US-52 north by car

Small college town with a restored downtown and a botanical garden; pairs well with a Florence night.

Myrtle Beach

go

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

US-501 east by car

Beach and boardwalk; go early in summer, traffic back is heavy on Sunday.

Charleston, South Carolina

overnight

Door to door: 2 h 30 min by car; about 2 h 30 min by train

I-95 south then I-26, or Amtrak Palmetto/Silver Meteor

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep there instead.

Columbia, South Carolina

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

I-20 west by car

State capital and museum quarter; a long half-day, better as a stop en route.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

I-95 / West Lucas Street strip

Chain motels and diners right off the interstate; the practical choice for one night with a car.

Downtown Florence (Evans and Dargan streets)

Walkable blocks near the museum and restaurants; a handful of small hotels and inns.

West Palmetto Street corridor

More restaurants and mid-range hotels, 5–10 min drive from downtown.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
US$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
US$120–190 excl. bed
High
US$200+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Interstate chain motel room1 × 1 night × US$95US$95
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$130US$260
Rental car, one day, midsize1 × US$60 · check; insurance and fees extraUS$60
Fuel, 150 km of driving1 × US$15US$15
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$46
Trip total≈ US$253 per person per day, bed includedUS$506

2026 estimate in US dollars; fuel and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeUS$2–5
Fast-food or diner breakfastUS$8–15
BBQ or buffet plateUS$14–25
Sit-down dinner, main courseUS$18–35
Draught beer at a barUS$5–8
City bus ride (PDRTA)checkUS$1.50
Museum entrycheckUS$0–10

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Florence is a normal small Southern city: daytime downtown and the interstate strips are fine, but lock the car, keep to lit areas after dark, and expect summer heat to be the bigger risk than crime.
  • Summer heat and humidity are serious: plan indoor stops midday in Jul–Aug.
  • Hurricane season runs Aug–Oct; I-95 is an evacuation route and can jam.
  • The stockade site is lightly developed: no visitor centre hours posted, check before driving out.
  • Rural roads around Florence are dark and deer are common after dusk.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Florence, South CarolinaFlorence, SC

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Florence; consulates are in Atlanta, and embassies in Washington, D.C.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • PDRTA city bus, one-way: US$1.50 (check)
  • Taxi or ride-hailing, downtown to I-95 strip: US$15–25
  • Amtrak Florence → Charleston: about US$25–50 coach, 2 h 30 min (check)

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Where is the restroom? — Where is the restroom?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • The check, please — The check, please

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 per drink at a bar, US$3–5 a night for housekeeping.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Florence, South Carolina. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), hurricane season Aug–Oct · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for FLO and MYR: last flights, taxi and rental fallbacks, overnight rung.
  2. Three walking clusters with anchors: downtown museum blocks, the stockade and cemetery, the I-95 motel strip.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Florence County Museum, Florence National Cemetery, stockade site) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Storm and evacuation fixtures so the I-95 corridor can go green in hurricane season.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources