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Interstate 95 north - Florence to North Carolina line
Due west of Florence, South Carolina, Interstate 95 heads northeast, away from its interchange with Interstate 20 west/Interstate 20 Business east (exit 160). Traffic coming from westbound I-20 Business merges in at right, and from eastbound mainline I-20, whose national eastbound terminus is here, just further ahead at left. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The onramp from I-20 east becomes a third through lane for I-95 north. More development surrounds I-95 in the Florence area than in most other areas of South Carolina it passes through. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The highway prepares to cross over Hoffmeyer Road. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
There is then an I-95 reassurance shield. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The speed limit through the Florence hub is 60 miles per hour with a minimum of 45. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
An interchange with U.S. Route 52 is in two miles, and Fayetteville, North Carolina is 87 miles away. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
From this direction, Myrtle Beach-bound traffic is advised to take exit 170, eight miles away. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Lodging for the US 52 exit (164) is listed by the blue sign at right. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Also off this exit are the Pee Dee State Farmers Market and visitor center. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 164, from which US 52 goes south to Florence and north to Darlington, is a mile away. A billboard for the local Buc-ee's also stands tall here. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
There is also no shortage of gas stations at this exit. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 164 northbound also leads to the Florence-Darlington Technical College and NASCAR's Darlington International Raceway. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
This overhead sign points the way to exit 164. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Due to the presence of a railroad track running immediately west of US 52, exit 164 is a folded cloverleaf interchange. I-95 crosses over both before the northbound offramp leaves the highway. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Now with a concrete barrier median, I-95 continues northward after receiving traffic from US 52. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
A slight curve to the right follows as more billboards line the highway. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
While the minimum speed is still 45 miles per hour, the maximum speed has gone up to 70. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
TV Road (exit 169) is four miles away, and Fayetteville 85 miles. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Approaching McIver Road's crossing of the highway, I-95 curves gradually leftward. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Crossing the High Hill Creek, I-95 makes a brief foray into Darlington County. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
McIver Road then crosses over the highway. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 169, TV Road marked as leading to Quinby and Florence, is in one mile. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Some services at exit 169 are listed here. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
I-95 returns to Florence County prior to the exit. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 169 is imminent. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
A close-up of the exit 169 gore sign. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Next up is exit 170, South Carolina Highway 327 toward Marion and Myrtle Beach (via U.S. Route 76 and U.S. Route 501), in three-quarters of a mile. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The Francis Marion University and Florence Airport can be reached from this exit; again, both involving taking US 76 short distances. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Food options for exit 170 are listed at right. Most crucially, this is the exit of the Florence Buc-ee's. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The northbound left lane ends one mile from this overhead sign. At the same point, there is a truck restriction that ends. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
A separate overhead sign points the way to exit 170. In the distance sits a northbound I-95 marker. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
I-95 now pulls away from exit 170 and reduces to two lanes in each direction; additionally, the highway's surface changes from concrete to asphalt. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The Interstate nears the former site of a rest area that closed in 2010. The next services are thus at exit 181, 12 miles away. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The highway proceeds slightly downhill among a scattering of trees. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Guardrails line each side of the northbound carriageway as it encounters mile marker 173. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
I-95 now crosses a tributary of the Great Pee Dee River. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Afterward, there is a familiar notice for slower traffic to keep right. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The Interstate now reaches the Great Pee Dee itself and crosses it into Dillon County, also going through the southern tip of Marlboro County while at it. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The Pee Dee bridge is lengthy as it also passes over swampland located alongside the river. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
I-95 finally emerges into Dillon County, and its carriageways remain far apart, allowing for a fairly wide and brushy median. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Eventually, trees once again fill the median in the distance. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The highway next crosses a tributary of the Poccosin Swamp. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
After that, Elberry Road passes over the Interstate. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
A BGS finally appears for exit 181, South Carolina Highway 38 toward Marion and Bennettsville, in one mile. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 181A (SC 38 east) also leads to the town of Latta. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Also accessible from this exit is the Latta Historic District. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 181A, SC 38 east to Marion via U.S. Route 501, is just ahead. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 181B, for SC 38 west, follows soon afterward. Via Bennettsville, SC 38 goes northwestward to the area of Rockingham, North Carolina as NC 38. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Traffic coming from SC 38 joins I-95 north at right. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The current speed limit is 70 miles per hour with a minimum speed of 45. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Dillon and Fayetteville now lie 10 and 67 miles away. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The highway now nears a construction zone, one of numerous along I-95 in the Carolinas at the time. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Further ahead, as the Interstate nears the Skillet Road overpass, there is another message that the right lane is the slow lane. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The highway next crosses over Reedy Creek. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 190, one of two serving the town of Dillon, intersects South Carolina Highway 34 and is in one mile. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Dillon's historic district can be reached from the next two exits. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 190 sits just ahead. The exit also leads to the Dillon County courthouse. SC 34 is one of South Carolina's longer state highways, running 186 miles east-west between Greenwood and Dillon. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The exit 190 gore sign and overpass up-close. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The next interchange (SC 9/57) is two miles away; Fayetteville is in 59 miles. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Lodging at the next exit (193) is listed at right. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 193 intersects South Carolina highways 9 and 57 (the former's shield faded on this sign), serves Dillon and Little Rock, and is three-quarters of a mile away. This is I-95's final full northbound exit in South Carolina (North Carolina exit 1 is partially in South Carolina). Also at this exit is the Dillon Hospital. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
As noted previously, this is the other access point to the Dillon historic district. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Exit 193 is now impending. While SC 57 runs 26 miles all within Dillon County, SC 9 is South Carolina's longest state route, running 259 miles from Spartanburg County all the way to North Myrtle Beach. Photo taken 10-05-2023.