Florence County is a county in South Carolina, United States, about 80 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach and 80 miles east of Columbia. It had a population of 137,059 at the 2020 census, an estimated 138,504 by 2025, and covers 804.28 square miles (2,083.1 km2) centred near 34°02′N 79°43′W.
Florence is the county seat and the county’s largest city; its postal code is 29501. The county holds 3 cities, 6 incorporated towns and 7 unincorporated communities, and it runs on Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Florence County
Florence County has 16 named places on record: 9 incorporated cities and towns and 7 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. CDP stands for census designated place; Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities with no formal boundary.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence | City · seat | 39,899 | 29501 |
| Lake City | City | 5,903 | 29560 |
| Timmonsville | Town | 2,099 | 29161 |
| Johnsonville | City | 1,378 | 29555 |
| Pamplico | Town | 1,061 | 29583 |
| Quinby | Town | 915 | 29506 |
| Coward | Town | 748 | 29530 |
| Scranton | Town | 648 | 29591 |
| Olanta | Town | 550 | 29114 |
| Danwood | CDP | — | — |
| Cartersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Effingham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Evergreen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hannah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kingsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mars Bluff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poston | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 29501 — Florence (the county’s main ZIP; the city also uses 29502–29505 for PO boxes and business routes)
- 29506 — north Florence and Quinby
- 29560 — Lake City
- 29555 — Johnsonville
- 29161 — Timmonsville
- 29583 — Pamplico
- 29530 — Coward
- 29591 — Scranton
- 29114 — Olanta
Danwood, Cartersville, Effingham, Evergreen, Hannah, Kingsburg, Mars Bluff and Poston have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under the nearest incorporated town’s code.
Geography
Florence County sits in South Carolina’s Pee Dee region, a flat coastal-plain belt of farmland and pine forest in the northeastern part of the state. Of its 804.28 square miles, 800.51 are land and 3.77 are water, about 0.5 percent — the Lynches River runs along the county’s southwestern edge, feeding periodic flooding in low-lying communities such as Coward. The county was established in 1888 out of parts of Darlington, Marion, Williamsburg and Clarendon counties, and it still borders all four.
Marlboro County lies to the north, Dillon County to the northeast, Marion County to the east, Williamsburg County to the south, Clarendon County to the southwest, Sumter and Lee counties to the west, and Darlington County to the northwest. Marlboro County, Dillon County, Marion County, Williamsburg County, Clarendon County, Sumter County, Lee County and Darlington County all border Florence directly.
Demographics
Florence County had a population of 137,059 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the county near 138,504 residents. Florence and Lake City are by far the two largest communities, together holding roughly a third of the county’s population. Median household income runs about $58,305 (Data USA, 2024 estimate), below South Carolina’s statewide figure of $67,804 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to roughly 171 people per square mile of land, moderate for the Pee Dee region and concentrated around the Florence-Darlington urban core.
Economy & Local Life
Health care and social assistance employs the most workers in the county, about 10,591 people, followed by manufacturing at 7,844 and retail trade at 6,554. McLeod Health, headquartered in Florence, runs McLeod Regional Medical Center and is one of the county’s largest employers. Honda manufactures ATVs and side-by-side vehicles at a plant in Timmonsville, and GE HealthCare and Duke Energy also operate major facilities in the county. Florence is home to Francis Marion University and Florence-Darlington Technical College. Lake City hosts ArtFields, a contemporary-art festival held each spring that fills the downtown district with juried work from across the Southeast.
History
South Carolina’s General Assembly formed Florence County in 1888, carving it out of Darlington, Marion, Williamsburg and Clarendon counties. The county and its seat were named for Florence Harllee, daughter of railroad builder General William Harllee, who built his home at the rail junction that became the city of Florence. Timmonsville was founded in 1854 by John Morgan Timmons, a Baptist minister of French Huguenot ancestry, predating the county itself.
On 22 February 1898, a white mob in Lake City lynched Frazier Baker, the town’s Black postmaster, and his infant daughter Julia, and burned the family’s home after Baker’s federal appointment provoked local opposition. The killings drew national attention and a federal investigation, though no one was ever convicted. Lake City later became a major strawberry and bean market, earning the nickname “Bean Capital of the World” around the historic Bean Market building built in 1936.
Getting There
Interstate 95 crosses the county on its way up the Eastern Seaboard, and Interstate 20 terminates in the city of Florence after running in from Columbia. US Routes 52, 76 and 301 also serve the county.
- Columbia — about 80 miles southwest
- Charleston — about 120 miles south
- Myrtle Beach — about 70 miles east
- Darlington — about 10 miles northwest
Florence Regional Airport, two miles east of downtown Florence, offers American Eagle service to Charlotte. Amtrak’s Silver Meteor and Palmetto trains stop at the Florence station, which also serves as a crew-change point for the Auto Train.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Florence County located?
It sits in South Carolina’s Pee Dee region, bordered by Marlboro, Dillon, Marion, Williamsburg, Clarendon, Sumter, Lee and Darlington counties.
What is the population of Florence County?
137,059 at the 2020 census, with an estimate near 138,504 by 2025.
How big is Florence County?
804.28 square miles (2,083.1 km2), of which 800.51 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Florence County?
Florence, the county’s largest city, is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Florence County?
Nine incorporated places — the cities of Florence, Lake City and Johnsonville, and the towns of Timmonsville, Pamplico, Quinby, Coward, Scranton and Olanta — plus seven unincorporated communities: Danwood, Cartersville, Effingham, Evergreen, Hannah, Kingsburg, Mars Bluff and Poston.
What ZIP codes does Florence County use?
29501 through 29506 for Florence and Quinby; 29560 for Lake City; 29555 for Johnsonville; 29161 for Timmonsville; 29583 for Pamplico; 29530 for Coward; 29591 for Scranton; and 29114 for Olanta.
What is Florence County known for?
McLeod Health’s regional hospital system, the Honda ATV plant in Timmonsville, and Lake City’s ArtFields festival and Bean Market history.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in South Carolina.