If you are planning to travel from Florence to Hardeeville, you are looking at a straightforward 160-mile journey through the Southeast. Expect to spend about 2 hours and 58 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal candidate for a single-day trip. You will primarily utilize I-95, transitioning through West Evans Street at the start and Whyte Hardee Boulevard as you reach your destination. Budget approximately $26 for fuel to cover the distance comfortably. Since the drive is relatively short and stays entirely within South Carolina, you likely won't need an overnight stop unless you prefer a slower pace. It is a highly practical route for those who prioritize efficiency over wandering backroads.
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
80 miles from Florence, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 30m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 95
152 mi
2h 42m
West Evans Street
2.4 mi
4m
Whyte Hardee Boulevard
2 mi
3m
West David H McLeod Boulevard
1.5 mi
2m
East Cheves Street
0.7 mi
1m
J Strom Thurmond Freeway
0.5 mi
<1m
Independence Boulevard
0.1 mi
<1m
Warley Street
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 152 mi, about 2h 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Florence, SC and Hardeeville, 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
152 mi·2 hr 42 min·I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·32 sec
Toward US 278: Hardeeville, Hilton Head Island
11
Keep slight right at fork
374 ft·10 sec
Toward Hardeeville
12
Turn slight right onto US 278
0.1 mi·20 sec·Independence Boulevard
13
At end of road, turn left onto US 17
2.0 mi·3 min·Whyte Hardee Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14
Turn left onto SC 46
122 ft·2 sec·Main Street
15
Arrive at destination
SC 46
Trip Plan
To make the most of your 160-mile trek, plan for at least one dedicated stop to stretch your legs and refuel. Since the drive is under three hours, you have plenty of flexibility in your departure time, though avoiding peak traffic hours on I-95 is always a smart move. Keep a close eye on your fuel gauge during that 152-mile interstate stretch, as services can be spaced out depending on your specific pace. Because you are spending the vast majority of your time on the highway, ensure your vehicle is prepared for sustained speeds. Use the simplicity of this route to your advantage by keeping your itinerary light and focusing on a smooth, steady arrival in Hardeeville.
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 80 miles from Florence, SC, or about 1h 30m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 152 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 35 miles or 42m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 80 miles or 1h 30m 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 25m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Hardeeville, 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 160 miles and 2h 58m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 35 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 152 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 158 — 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
5
5.5 mi into trip|~10m in|I 95
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
157.8 mi into trip|~2h 54m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Hardeeville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Hardeeville
7
158 mi into trip|~2h 54m in|US 17 / Whyte Hardee Boulevard
At end of road, turn left onto US 17 / Whyte Hardee Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$25.02 one way
$50.04 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg56 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$27.36
$54.71
premium
$4.70
$29.61
$59.23
diesel
$5.61
$35.33
$70.65
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$25
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$50–$75
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 56 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $17 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
48
0
$16.80
$7.68
Efficient EV
40
0
$14.00
$6.40
EV Truck/SUV
64
0
$22.40
$10.24
Gas CO2
56 kg
EV CO2
19 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
Late night
in Florence on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Hardeeville, SC
Late night
in Hardeeville on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
21 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 58m 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.
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
National Historical Park
The Reconstruction era,1861-1900 the historic period in which the United States grappled with the question of how to integrate millions of newly freed African Americans into social, political, economi...
20 mi from route
~51 min detour
Free
near mile 143.4
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
~64 min detour
Free
near mile 60.7
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is defined by its focus on highway travel, with 95% of the route consisting of major roads. You will settle into a long, uninterrupted 152-mile stretch on I-95, which dictates the overall feel of the drive. Because this is a highway-focused route, you can anticipate a consistent pace rather than the stop-and-go nature of local city streets. The experience is best described as a utilitarian interstate grind, perfect for travelers who want to cover ground quickly. As you navigate the transition from the start in Florence to the final boulevard in Hardeeville, the consistency of the interstate will be the dominant feature of your time on the road.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 152 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and West Evans Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 58m drive. You will face about 11 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 5.5 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.
The longest stretch is about 152 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 5.5 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Reconstruction Era 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 Hardeeville, SC before heading back.
