The City of Florence is located in the heart of eight counties between the Piedmont and Coastal regions of South Carolina.  Florence is the largest city in Florence County and serves as the county seat.  Florence County is the eleventh largest populated county in the state with a significant portion of this population living within or proximate to the corporate City limits.  

The City is the economic center for the burgeoning Pee Dee region and serves the northeastern region of the state as a major thoroughfare and service community for over 70,000 people daily.  Florence's location makes it especially desirable for development and expansion.  As a major transportation connector, with Interstate 95 and Interstate 20 intersecting at the City limits, Florence is among the top commercial, industrial, medical, and service centers in the State.  In addition to the two major interstate highways, Florence is accessible to a recently expanded airport, twenty trucking terminals, and both Amtrak and CSX railway services.  

The overall economic condition and outlook for the Florence area and Pee Dee region is not only thriving but strongly indicates that it will continue to flourish and grow in the future.  The construction of numerous new manufacturing, commercial, retail, and healthcare facilities, as well as renovation and expansion of existing facilities are testaments to the continued proliferation of business activity and commerce in the area. The City of Florence is home to two major medical facilities, Carolinas Hospital System and McLeod Regional Medical Center.  Both facilities provide the means for diverse and abundant healthcare services in the Pee Dee region.  

Florence has a variety of shopping malls, shopping clubs, and retail stores located within the City limits.  Magnolia Mall, Florence Mall, and a variety of miscellaneous shops throughout the City bring shoppers from all over Florence County as well as surrounding counties.  The trend of growing retail sales has attracted national chains including Books-A-Million, Circuit City, Lowe's, Office Depot, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, and many more.   

To complement the myriad recreational, cultural, and tourism related activities provided in Florence, the Florence City-County Civic Center provides local residents and tourists a location to gather for events such as concerts, circuses, rodeos, and assorted shows.  The Civic Center is also home to the Pee Dee Pride Hockey Team, a professional ice hockey team.  

The economic outlook and prospect for growth and development in the area appears very promising for the future.  Florence has been recognized nationally as a prime destination for business and industry because of its accessibility and availability of land suitable for industrial and commercial development.  Based on the current trend, the economic condition for the City and County of Florence should reflect continued expansion and success well into the future.