Traveling from Summerville to Florence covers 112.6 miles and typically takes about 2 hours and 8 minutes. This route stays within the Southeast region of South Carolina, making it a straightforward journey that works perfectly as a one-day trip. You will spend the vast majority of your time on major thoroughfares, specifically utilizing I-26 and I-95 before pulling into Florence via West Evans Street. Budgeting roughly $18 for fuel should cover your needs for this direct transit. Since the drive is relatively short, you won't need to worry about overnight splits, allowing you to easily complete the trip in a single morning or afternoon session.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
56.3 miles from Summerville, SC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 3m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 95
73.9 mi
1h 19m
I 26
29.8 mi
31m
West Evans Street
2.4 mi
4m
North Main Street
2.2 mi
3m
I 20 Bus
1.6 mi
2m
West Cheves Street
0.7 mi
1m
Warley Street
0.1 mi
<1m
East Richardson Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 73.9 mi, about 1h 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Summerville, SC and Florence, SC.
1
Start on this road
92 ft·11 sec·this road
2
Turn left onto East Richardson Avenue
116 ft·7 sec·East Richardson Avenue
3
Turn right onto US 17 Alternate
2.2 mi·3 min·North Main Street
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·55 sec
Toward I-26 West
5
Merge onto I 26
30 mi·31 min·I 26
6
Take the exit
0.8 mi·1 min
Exit 169BToward I 95 North: Florence
7
Merge onto I 95
74 mi·1 hr 19 min·I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 20 Business East: Florence
9
Merge onto I 20 Bus
1.6 mi·2 min·I 20 Bus
10
Turn left onto S-21-31
2.4 mi·4 min·West Evans Street
11
Turn right onto Warley Street
0.1 mi·20 sec·Warley Street
12
Turn left onto West Cheves Street
0.7 mi·1 min·West Cheves Street
13
Turn right
133 ft·11 sec
14
Turn right
50 ft·3 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Given the two-hour duration, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure around your personal schedule. Because the route is so direct, there are no mandatory stops required to reach Florence, though you may want to fuel up before hitting the long 73.9-mile stretch on I-95. Keep a close eye on your speed and traffic flow, as these major interstates can see heavy congestion during peak commuting hours. If you prefer a relaxed pace, consider leaving mid-morning to avoid the busiest windows on the highway. Your best strategy is to treat this as a quick, functional transit, focusing your energy on the local navigation through Florence once you arrive.
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 56.3 miles from Summerville, SC, or about 1h 3m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 73.9 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 25 miles or 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 56.3 miles or 1h 3m 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 41m
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 Summerville, 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 Summerville, SC
This is one driving day of about 112.6 miles and 2h 8m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 miles from Summerville, SC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 95 for about 73.9 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 112.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|East Richardson Avenue
Turn left onto East Richardson Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 17 Alternate / North Main Street
Turn right onto US 17 Alternate / North Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
32.4 mi into trip|~36m in
Take the exit toward I 95 North: Florence
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 169B
Toward I 95 North: Florence
5
33.2 mi into trip|~38m in|I 95
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
112.6 mi into trip|~2h 8m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.61 one way
$35.22 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg39 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$19.25
$38.51
premium
$4.70
$20.84
$41.68
diesel
$5.61
$24.86
$49.72
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 39.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
33.8
0
$11.82
$5.40
Efficient EV
28.2
0
$9.85
$4.50
EV Truck/SUV
45
0
$15.76
$7.21
Gas CO2
39 kg
EV CO2
13 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 20, 2026
Origin
Summerville, SC
Late night
in Summerville on Tuesday
Local time
4:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Florence, SC
Late night
in Florence on Tuesday
Local time
4:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°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
2h 8m 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...
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 50.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highly efficient, highway-focused experience with 94% of the trip spent on high-speed roads. The drive is dominated by an interstate grind, featuring a significant 73.9-mile stretch on I-95 that dictates the rhythm of your travel. Because this is a utility-driven route rather than a scenic byway, you will find consistent pavement and clear signage throughout the journey. Transitions between I-26 and I-95 are the primary navigational points you will encounter. Once you exit the interstate system for West Evans Street, the character of the drive shifts quickly from heavy-duty highway traffic to local city access.
94% 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: 73.9 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 near East Richardson Avenue.
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 8m drive. You will face about 13 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 (East Richardson Avenue): Navigation decision point; near the start (US 17 Alternate / North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 32.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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 73.9 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 (East Richardson Avenue): Navigation decision point; near the start (US 17 Alternate / North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 32.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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 Florence, SC before heading back.
