Traveling from Florence to Folly Beach covers 144 miles of South Carolina terrain, typically taking about 2 hours and 52 minutes to complete. Because this journey is relatively short, it is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, allowing you to reach the coast without needing an overnight stay. You should budget approximately $23 for fuel to make the trek comfortably. Navigating this route involves moving through the Southeast region, specifically transitioning from the inland landscape of Florence toward the coastal environment of Folly Beach. It is a straightforward trip that provides a clear path between these two South Carolina locations, making it an ideal choice for a quick getaway.
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
72 miles from Florence, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 22m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 95
74.8 mi
1h 20m
I 26
52.3 mi
59m
Folly Road
6.7 mi
12m
James Island Expressway
2.6 mi
3m
West Evans Street
2.4 mi
4m
West David H McLeod Boulevard
1.5 mi
2m
East Cheves Street
0.7 mi
1m
Crosstown
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 74.8 mi, about 1h 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Florence, SC and Folly Beach, SC.
1
Start on this road
50 ft·8 sec·this road
2
Turn left
133 ft·15 sec
3
At end of road, turn left onto East Cheves Street
0.7 mi·1 min·East Cheves Street
4
Turn right onto Warley Street
0.1 mi·18 sec·Warley Street
5
Turn left onto S-21-31
2.4 mi·4 min·West Evans Street
6
Turn right onto I 20 Bus
1.5 mi·2 min·West David H McLeod Boulevard
7
Continue on I 20 Bus
0.5 mi·53 sec·J Strom Thurmond Freeway
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi·36 sec
Toward I 95 South: Savannah
9
Merge onto I 95
75 mi·1 hr 20 min·I 95
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·51 sec
Exit 86AToward I 26 East: Charleston
11
Merge onto I 26
52 mi·59 min·I 26
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on US 17
0.5 mi·1 min·Crosstown
13
Continue on US 17
0.1 mi·15 sec·Septima P. Clark Parkway
14
Continue on US 17
0.1 mi·13 sec·Spring Street
Use the straight lane.
15
Continue on Spring Street
0.2 mi·20 sec·Spring Street
16
Turn left onto SC 30
0.1 mi·26 sec·Lockwood Drive
17
Take the ramp onto SC 30
0.3 mi·41 sec·SC 30
Toward SC 30: James Island, Folly Beach
18
Merge onto SC 30
2.6 mi·3 min·James Island Expressway
19
At end of road, turn left onto SC 171
6.7 mi·12 min·Folly Road
20
Continue on SC 171
0.4 mi·1 min·Center Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
21
Turn left onto East Arctic Avenue
64 ft·1 sec·East Arctic Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
East Arctic Avenue
Trip Plan
To make the most of your 2 hour and 52 minute journey, plan for at least one stop to stretch your legs and break up the turn-heavy segments. Since the route is entirely local, departing early in the morning can help you avoid potential congestion on the smaller streets you will be traversing. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge before heading out, as the $23 estimated cost is based on typical driving conditions; having a full tank before leaving Florence is a smart way to ensure a stress-free arrival. Because this trip is short enough to handle in one day, use your flexibility to time your departure based on local traffic patterns. Staying alert is key when navigating these specific local roads, so prioritize rest before you begin your drive to the coast.
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 72 miles from Florence, SC, or about 1h 22m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 74.8 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 32 miles or 39m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 72 miles or 1h 22m 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 14m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Folly Beach, SC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Florence, 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 Florence, SC
This is one driving day of about 144 miles and 2h 52m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 32 miles from Florence, 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 74.8 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 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 80.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|East Cheves Street
At end of road, turn left onto East Cheves Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.7 mi into trip|~1m in|Warley Street
Turn right onto Warley Street
Navigation decision point
5
80.3 mi into trip|~1h 31m in
Take the exit toward I 26 East: Charleston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 86A
Toward I 26 East: Charleston
5
80.6 mi into trip|~1h 31m in|I 26
Merge onto I 26
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$22.52 one way
$45.04 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg50 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$24.62
$49.24
premium
$4.70
$26.65
$53.30
diesel
$5.61
$31.79
$63.59
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 50.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
43.2
0
$15.12
$6.91
Efficient EV
36
0
$12.60
$5.76
EV Truck/SUV
57.6
0
$20.16
$9.22
Gas CO2
50 kg
EV CO2
17 kg (66% 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 20, 2026
Origin
Florence, SC
Morning
in Florence on Tuesday
Local time
6:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Folly Beach, SC
Morning
in Folly Beach on Tuesday
Local time
6:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
87°F
Holly Hill, SC
72 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
12 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 52m 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.
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Two forts stand at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. Patriots inside a palmetto log fort, later named Fort Moultrie, defeated the Royal Navy in 1776. As Charleston blazed a path towards secession to...
5 mi from route
~13 min detour
$10
near mile 134.1
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...
26 mi from route
~65 min detour
Free
near mile 59.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route features zero percent highway travel. You will spend your time navigating through local roads like East Cheves Street, Warley Street, and West Evans Street. This configuration requires your full attention, as the path relies on local connectors rather than high-speed thoroughfares. The experience is best described as a winding, hands-on drive that keeps you engaged with the surrounding local landscape. Since the route lacks long, uninterrupted stretches of highway, you should anticipate a more deliberate pace as you transition from the city streets of Florence toward the beach.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 74.8 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and I 26. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
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 52m drive. You will face about 15 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (East Cheves Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (Warley Street): Navigation decision point.
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.
The longest stretch is about 74.8 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (East Cheves Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (Warley Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park and 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 Folly Beach, SC before heading back.
