History of Florence, South Carolina
Florence is the county seat of and largest city in Florence County, South Carolina|Florence County{{GR|6}} South Carolina, United States. This 1997 All-America City finalist, with its historic homes and medical center towers, came together to form a cultural center for the northeastern portion of South Carolina. The city population was 30,248 as of the United States Census, 2000|2000 census (67,314 total pop. of Florence Urbanized Area). The Florence metropolitan statistical area, which consists of Florence and Darlington County, South Carolina|Darlington counties, was estimated at 198,443 inhabitants in 2005 by the U.S. Census Bureau, though nearly half of this population is classified as rural. Florence is the primary city of the "Pee Dee" region of South Carolina, an area that includes the eight counties of northeastern South Carolina along with sections in southeastern North Carolina.
Florence is at the intersection of I-95 and I-20, approximately halfway between New York and Miami. The city is located 80 miles east from the state capital Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia and 70 miles west from Myrtle Beach.
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