Both the name of the city and county comes from James W. Dillon, an early settler and key figure in bringing a railroad through the area.

For many decades, residents of Dillon County were farmers growing cotton and tobacco.

[7] Dillon was once known as "The "Wedding Capital of the East" because South Carolina allowed people as young as 14 to get married and did not have other requirements.

South Carolina Highway 34 follows Main Street northwest out of town, leading west 33 miles (53 km) to Darlington.

[6] The Little Pee Dee River flows southwards 2 miles (3 km) east of the center of town.

The city of Dillon offers a public wellness center, located at 1647 Commerce Drive.

It is a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) building that offers exercise equipment, a sauna, gymnasium, walking track, and meeting rooms.

In August 2023, Dillon got a 40 stall Version 3 Tesla Supercharger station, the largest in the southeastern United States.

[17] Amtrak, the national rail passenger carrier, provides daily service from Dillon with the Palmetto, which runs between Savannah, Georgia, and New York City on the South End Subdivision.

Trains stop at the Dillon station, originally opened for passenger use by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1904.

The paper was established in 1894 and is the oldest "continuously operated" business in Dillon County.