Origin
Florence, SC
Afternoon in Florence on Friday
Local time
1:23 PM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Florence, SC to Lancaster, SC
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 45m
Distance
81.7 mi
131 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 37m
★
6 AM
1h 45m
8 AM
2h 1m
10 AM
1h 51m
12 PM
1h 49m
3 PM
1h 51m
5 PM
2h 0m
8 PM
1h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Florence, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Lancaster, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Florence, SC to Lancaster, SC covers 81.7 miles and takes about 1h 45m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 601, Pine Avenue, East Bobo Newsome Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.8 miles on US 601. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.52 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
40.8 miles from Florence, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 54m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 601 | 20.8 mi | 24m |
| Pine Avenue | 18.2 mi | 20m |
| East Bobo Newsome Highway | 15.4 mi | 21m |
| State Highway 151 | 9.7 mi | 11m |
| Harry Byrd Highway | 4.8 mi | 6m |
| East Lucas Street | 4.6 mi | 7m |
| South Main Street | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| North Governor Williams Highway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
US 601
— 20.8 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Florence, SC and Lancaster, SC.
1
Start on this road
50 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
44 ft
·
4 sec
3
Turn right
23 ft
·
1 sec
4
Turn slight right
160 ft
·
17 sec
5
At end of road, turn left onto South Church Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
South Church Street
6
Continue on East Lucas Street
4.6 mi
·
7 min
·
East Lucas Street
7
Continue on US 52
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
South Main Street
8
Continue on US 52
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Governor Williams Highway
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
10
Turn left onto SC 34; SC 151
4.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Harry Byrd Highway
11
Continue on SC 34; SC 151
15 mi
·
21 min
·
East Bobo Newsome Highway
12
Continue on SC 151
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
State Highway 151
13
Continue on SC 151
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Pine Avenue
14
Continue on SC 151
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
State Highway 151
15
Turn left onto SC 151 Business
451 ft
·
14 sec
·
Pearl Street
16
Turn left onto Tory Road
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Tory Road
17
At end of road, turn left onto US 601; SC 9
21 mi
·
24 min
·
US 601; SC 9
18
Turn right onto South Main Street
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
South Main Street
19
Arrive at destination
South Main Street
Trip Plan
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 40.8 miles from Florence, SC, or about 54m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 20.8 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 18 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 40.8 miles or 54m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lancaster, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Florence, SC
This is one driving day of about 81.7 miles and 1h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Florence, SC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 601 for about 20.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
41 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 40.8 miles from Florence, SC, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 60.7 — 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
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Church Street
At end of road, turn left onto South Church Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
4
58.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
Tory Road
Turn left onto Tory Road
Navigation decision point
5
60.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
|
US 601; SC 9
At end of road, turn left onto US 601; SC 9
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.52 one way
$25.04 round trip
$3.89/gal
25.4 MPG avg
29 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $13.74 | $27.48 |
| premium | $4.64 | $14.92 | $29.83 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $18.01 | $36.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 28.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 24.5 | 0 | $8.58 | $3.92 |
| Efficient EV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.15 | $3.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 32.7 | 0 | $11.44 | $5.23 |
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Destination
Lancaster, SC
Afternoon in Lancaster on Friday
Local time
1:23 PM
EDT
Current temp
72°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
1 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
1h 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.
What kind of drive is this?
81.7 mi in 1h 45m — 37% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: US 601.
37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.8 mi on US 601.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 early in the drive.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 45m drive. You will face about 8 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Church Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
604 ft
137 ft
Total Climb
661 ft
Total Descent
254 ft
Highest Point
604 ft
~70 mi in
Elevation Range
467 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Florence, SC
Full guide →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.
Top landmarks
- • Christ Episcopal Church — church building in Florence, United States of America
- • U. S. Post Office — former government building in Florence, South Carolina
Arriving in Lancaster, SC
Full guide →Founded 1830
Top landmarks
- • Lancaster County Courthouse — courthouse in Lancaster, South Carolina, U.S.A.
- • Lancaster County Jail — former prison in Lancaster, South Carolina, U.S.A.
- • Lancaster Downtown Historic District — historic district in South Carolina, United States
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 45m. Total distance: 81.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.8 miles on US 601. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Church Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lancaster, SC before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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