Laurens is located in Laurens County southeast of Greenville between Fountain Inn and Clinton. Laurens is the county seat of Laurens County and is located near the juncture of Interstate 26 and Interstate 385.

Part of the old Ninety-Six district, Laurens became a separate county in 1785 being named for the Revolutionary War era patriot Henry Laurens of Charleston. The town of Laurens (known as Laurensville well into the nineteenth century) became the county seat, and the first courthouse was erected in 1786. The current courthouse was built in 1840 and enlarged in 1857. By 1820, the town had become known for its trade of tailor-made clothes. By the end of the nineteenth century, textiles were becoming very important in Laurens County and the upstate. The Laurens Cotton Mill was established in 1895.

There is also a Laurens, Iowa.