Traveling from Allendale to Florence covers 136.8 miles across South Carolina's Southeast region. Expect to spend about 2 hours and 45 minutes behind the wheel, making this a very manageable day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. You should budget approximately $22 for fuel to complete the journey. The route utilizes a combination of I-95, Five Chop Road, and Main Highway, offering a practical path between these two points. Since the drive is relatively short, you have the flexibility to depart at your leisure and reach your destination comfortably within a single day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
68.4 miles from Allendale, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 26m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 95
63.6 mi
1h 8m
Five Chop Road
21.3 mi
26m
Main Highway
18.8 mi
23m
Bamberg Road
12.4 mi
15m
Burtons Ferry Highway
8.7 mi
11m
John C Calhoun Drive
2.4 mi
3m
West Evans Street
2.4 mi
4m
Bufords Bridge Highway
1.9 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 63.6 mi, about 1h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Allendale, SC and Florence, SC.
1
Start on US 301
0.3 mi·28 sec·Main Street South
2
Continue on US 301
8.7 mi·11 min·Burtons Ferry Highway
3
Continue on US 301; US 321
1.9 mi·2 min·Bufords Bridge Highway
4
Keep slight right at fork onto US 301
19 mi·23 min·Main Highway
5
Continue on US 301; US 601
12 mi·15 min·Bamberg Road
6
Continue on US 301; US 601; SC 4
1.7 mi·2 min·Old Edisto Drive
7
Continue on US 301; US 601; SC 4
2.4 mi·3 min·John C Calhoun Drive
8
Turn right onto US 301
21 mi·26 min·Five Chop Road
9
Take the exit onto US 15; US 301
0.3 mi·33 sec·US 15; US 301
Use the right lane.
10
Merge onto I 95
64 mi·1 hr 8 min·I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 20 Business East: Florence
12
Merge onto I 20 Bus
1.6 mi·2 min·I 20 Bus
13
Turn left onto S-21-31
2.4 mi·4 min·West Evans Street
14
Turn right onto Warley Street
0.1 mi·20 sec·Warley Street
15
Turn left onto West Cheves Street
0.7 mi·1 min·West Cheves Street
16
Turn right
133 ft·11 sec
17
Turn right
50 ft·3 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Given the 2 hour and 45 minute duration, you can easily complete this trip with just one planned stop to stretch your legs. Aim to depart mid-morning to avoid the heaviest regional traffic patterns on the interstate sections. Since you are only covering 136.8 miles, you have plenty of flexibility to adjust your pace if you encounter unexpected delays. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge before merging onto the longer 63.6-mile stretch of I-95, as service options can be spaced out. Planning for a single, well-timed break will keep you refreshed for the transition from the interstate back onto local roads.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 68.4 miles from Allendale, SC, or about 1h 26m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 63.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 30 miles or 37m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 68.4 miles or 1h 26m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Florence, SC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Allendale, SC so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Allendale, SC
This is one driving day of about 136.8 miles and 2h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 miles from Allendale, SC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 95 for about 63.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 11 and 136.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
11 mi into trip|~14m in|US 301 / Main Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 301 / Main Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
67.5 mi into trip|~1h 25m in|US 15; US 301
Take the exit onto US 15; US 301
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
67.8 mi into trip|~1h 25m in|I 95
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
131.4 mi into trip|~2h 34m in
Take the exit toward I 20 Business East: Florence
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 20 Business East: Florence
5
136.8 mi into trip|~2h 44m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$21.39 one way
$42.79 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg48 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$23.39
$46.78
premium
$4.70
$25.32
$50.64
diesel
$5.61
$30.20
$60.41
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 47.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
41
0
$14.36
$6.57
Efficient EV
34.2
0
$11.97
$5.47
EV Truck/SUV
54.7
0
$19.15
$8.76
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026
Origin
Allendale, SC
Late night
in Allendale on Tuesday
Local time
5:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Florence, SC
Late night
in Florence on Tuesday
Local time
5:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
60°F
Brookdale, SC
68 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 45m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Congaree National Park
National Park
Astonishing biodiversity exists in Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Waters from the Congaree and...
22 mi from route
~55 min detour
Free
near mile 47.2
Caution: Backcountry Trail Conditions
Park Closure: Boardwalk Partially Closed for Construction
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This trip offers a mixed driving profile, transitioning between faster interstate travel and slower local road segments. With a highway share of 48 percent, you will spend a significant portion of your time navigating local routes like Five Chop Road and Main Highway. The most significant stretch of high-speed driving occurs on I-95, where you will face a longest uninterrupted segment of 63.6 miles. Prepare for a shift in pace as you move from the interstate onto the secondary highways, which require more consistent attention to speed limit changes.
48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 63.6 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 11 miles in near US 301 / Main Highway.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 45m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 11 miles (US 301 / Main Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 67.5 miles (US 15; US 301): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 67.8 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Florence is a city in the Pee Dee Country Region of South Carolina. It was the site of the Florence Stockade, a Confederate POW camp, notably bad but still maybe not as bad as Andersonville, then a railroad hub, and nowadays a regional center for medical care and manufacturing, including as it sits at the terminus for I-20. Even though it got started rather late, in 1871, it's more or less the hub for northeastern South Carolina, aka Pee Dee Country.
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 63.6 miles on I 95. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 11 miles (US 301 / Main Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 67.5 miles (US 15; US 301): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 67.8 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Congaree National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Florence, SC before heading back.
