Port Orange, FL

Port Orange is a residential city on the mainland side of the Halifax River, directly south of Daytona Beach. It makes a quieter base for Daytona race weekends and beach days, and it has some genuinely interesting history and creek paddling of its own.

Where is Port Orange?

Port Orange is in Volusia County in the Daytona and the Space Coast region. I-95 serves the city at Exit 256 (Taylor Road and Dunlawton Avenue), and US 1 (Ridgewood Avenue) is the main local north-south road. Daytona Beach International (DAB) is about 15 minutes north. To reach the ocean, take the Port Orange Causeway across the Halifax River to Daytona Beach Shores, about 10 minutes from US 1, where public beach access points line A1A. Daytona International Speedway is roughly 20 minutes away, so hotels and roads fill up during Speedweeks in February and other big race weekends.

Things to do in Port Orange

Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens is the signature stop: free botanical gardens, run by volunteers, built around the ruins of a 19th-century plantation sugar mill, with shady trails, butterflies and concrete dinosaur statues left from an early roadside theme park. Spruce Creek Park, near where US 1 enters the city from the south, is a launch point for kayaking and fishing on Spruce Creek, one of the prettiest paddling waters in the Daytona area. The Kenneth W. Parker Amphitheater hosts concerts and community events through the year. Fall through spring is the best time for outdoor exploring; summer brings heat and afternoon storms.