North Florida, FL

North Florida runs across the top of the state, from the Atlantic beaches around Jacksonville and St. Augustine west through Gainesville and Tallahassee to the quiet Gulf towns of the Forgotten Coast. People come for deep colonial history, marsh-lined barrier islands, freshwater springs, canopy roads and some of the least crowded beaches in Florida.

Where is North Florida?

The region stretches from the Georgia line south to St. Augustine and Gainesville, and west along I-10 past the state capital to Apalachicola Bay. The Atlantic side is often called the First Coast, with Duval, St. Johns and Nassau counties on the ocean and Alachua County about 70 miles inland. Tallahassee sits roughly 165 miles west of Jacksonville, and the Forgotten Coast lies south and west of it on the Gulf. I-95 runs along the Atlantic coast, I-10 crosses the region, I-75 passes through Gainesville, and US 98 follows the Gulf shore. Jacksonville International (JAX), Gainesville Regional (GNV) and Tallahassee International (TLH) are the main airports.

Towns in North Florida

Jacksonville is the region’s largest city and the largest by area in the contiguous United States, with a riverfront downtown, historic neighborhoods like Riverside and a string of beach towns along the ocean. About 40 minutes south, St. Augustine was founded by the Spanish in 1565 and is known for the Castillo de San Marcos, the brick lanes of the historic district and Anastasia Island’s beaches.

North of Jacksonville, Amelia Island is a barrier island with the Victorian seaport of Fernandina Beach, Fort Clinch State Park and quiet, wide beaches. Inland, Gainesville is home to the University of Florida and makes a good base for Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and the springs of North Central Florida.

To the west, Tallahassee is the state capital and a college town, home to Florida State University and Florida A&M University, with oak-shaded canopy roads and museums. On the Gulf, Apalachicola is a historic fishing port on Apalachicola Bay, Port St. Joe sits on St. Joseph Bay near Cape San Blas, and Mexico Beach is a small, low-rise beach town.

Things to do in North Florida

History runs deep here. Beyond St. Augustine’s forts and museums, the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in Jacksonville protects salt marsh, Fort Caroline National Memorial and Kingsley Plantation. On the Atlantic coast, state parks such as Little Talbot Island, Fort Clinch and Anastasia offer undeveloped beaches, and the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve near Ponte Vedra Beach has trails along both ocean and river. Golf is a regional calling card too, with THE PLAYERS Championship held each spring at TPC Sawgrass. On the Gulf side, the draw is slower: seafood in Apalachicola, paddling and scalloping on St. Joseph Bay, and long, quiet beaches.

When to visit North Florida

Spring and fall are ideal, with warm days and comfortable evenings. Winters are cooler than in South Florida, with occasional frosty mornings, so it is better for sightseeing than swimming. Summer brings beach crowds, heat and afternoon storms. In St. Augustine, the Nights of Lights display draws big crowds from late November into January, and fall football weekends fill Gainesville and Tallahassee.