Located between the resort area of Myrtle Beach and Interstate 95, Marion County encompasses 489 square miles of northeastern South Carolina´s coastal plain region. The county seat of Marion is only 15 minutes east of Florence, and within an hour and a half of the capital city of Columbia via Interstate 20. Myrtle Beach and the coast are only 45 minutes southeast on U.S. 501, while historic Charleston is located two hours to the south. Access is a great feature of locating a business here, with major interstates, railways, and airports all within easy reach.

A large number of industries currently operating in Marion County benefit from their immediate access to an excellent transportation network of highways and interstates. The transportation network also gives ready access to railroads, airports and deep-water port facilities.

Ports

The deepwater Port of Charleston, located two hours south, significantly enhances Marion County´s transportation advantages. As the number one container port on the south Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Port of Charleston handles seven million tons of container cargo and over half a million in bulk and breakbulk tonnage annually. ORION, the S.C. State Port Authority´s computerized document processing system, allows cargo to be cleared before ships enter the port, making it one of the fastest clearance systems in the nation.

• The Port of Charleston, SC is located within 2 hours of Marion County.
• The Port of Wilmington, N.C. is located within 2 hours of Marion County.
• The Port of Savannah, GA is located within 4 hours of Marion County.

Air Transportation

Columbia Metropolitan Airport and Charleston International Airport are each within a two hour drive, the Florence Regional Airport and the Myrtle Beach International Airport give quick access to a wide range of flights, and general aviation service is provided by the Marion County Municipal Airport.

• Florence Regional Airport - 20 minutes
• Myrtle Beach International Airport - 45 minutes
• Charleston International Airport - 2 hours
• Charlotte (N.C.) International Airport - 2 1/2 hours

Rail

Mainline service is provided by CSX Transportation, and Carolina Southern. CSX maintains an intermodal yard near I-26 between Orangeburg and Charleston. Amtrak provides passenger rail service in nearby Florence, with daily service to New York and new Orleans, and points in between.

Trucking/Motor Freight

Marion County is served by more than 40 freight carriers, including major freight companies capable of handling shipments throughout the U.S. and North America.

Located midway between Miami and New York, SC has five interstate highways and nine commercial airports.

• The Intersection of Interstates 95 and 20 is within 20 minutes driving time via US Highway 76.
• Interstate 73 is scheduled for completion in S.C. within seven years. The highway will connect Myrtle Beach, S.C. with Detroit, Michigan, providing easy access to Marion County.

Distances to Major Southeast Cities

• Charlotte, NC 109 miles
• Greenville, SC 177 miles
• Charleston, SC 101 miles
• Atlanta, GA 288 miles
• Savannah, GA 175 miles