Jacksonville to Boca Raton drive: Best stops, distance & time

The best road trip stops on the Jacksonville to Boca Raton drive are St Augustine, Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach. The distance from Jacksonville to Boca Raton is 307 miles, with a 4h15m driving time.

Planning a Jacksonville to Boca Raton road trip itinerary

The Jacksonville to Boca Raton drive takes you down Florida’s Atlantic coast.

Top Jacksonville experiences include Amelia Island kayak tours, guided art and architecture tours by electric bike and electric skateboard rides along Fernandina Beach.

For cultural attractions, head to the Cummer Museum, where the strength tends to be the rotating temporary exhibitions.

Highly-rated Jacksonville accommodation options include the charming Riverdale Inn B&B and the conveniently downtown Hyatt Regency.

Two coastal parks are the highlights of Boca Raton. Red Reef Park comes with a snorkelling area over a series of artificial reefs, plus the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. The latter comes with a boardwalk and sea turtles. Spanish River Park, meanwhile, has plenty of picnic tables and a dog-friendly beach.

The Boca Raton Museum of Art is the top cultural attraction, known for its thoughtful special exhibitions.

Boca Raton is also a popular spot for fishing charters.

Top Boca Raton accommodation choices include the Marriott at Boca Center and the Hyatt Place.

Jacksonville to Boca Raton distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Jacksonville to Boca Raton is 307 miles. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 15 minutes. The quickest route is down the I-95.

The best stops to add to a Jacksonville to Boca Raton road trip itinerary are St Augustine, Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach.

For more suggestions, see the guides to the individual legs of the journey:

Best stops between Jacksonville and Boca Raton: St Augustine, Florida

St Augustine is the oldest continually inhabited city in the United States, and it has largely escaped heavy modernised development. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León.

In the compact, historic centre, there are several chintzy heritage attractions which are fun but not exactly brimming with centuries of authenticity.

The Spanish-built Castillo de San Marcos on the waterfront does pack that historic power, though. It should be sight number one before mooching around town.

Other St Augustine experiences include hop-on, hop-off trolley passes, sunset cruises and dolphin, manatee and sea turtle-viewing tours.

Excellent St Augustine hotel choices include the Guy Harvey Hotel if you want to be by the beach, and the Casa Monica Resort in the Historic District.

Jacksonville to Boca Raton drive: Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach is one of the most attractive cities on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. To many, it is most obviously associated with NASCAR racing at the Daytona Speedway, but there’s way more to it than fast cars.

Enjoyable Daytona Beach experiences include small group sailing cruises, paddleboarding or kayaking with dolphins and manatees, wine bar tours and a Polynesian fire and dinner show.

You can also try a dive bar crawl, zipline adventures and beach Segway rides.

Good Daytona Beach accommodation options with pools by the beach include the Days Inn Daytona Oceanfront and Bahama House.

Jacksonville to Boca Raton road trip attractions: Cocoa Beach

Cocoa Beach is an attractive beach town on Florida’s Space Coast. It’s a great base for visiting the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, or for enjoying the long barrier island beaches.

It is also one of the best places in the US to go kayaking. For a kayak tour, choose between seeing dolphins and manatees in the mangroves and paddling through bioluminescent waters at night. There are also sunset tours.

Other great Cocoa Beach experiences include dolphin tours on the Banana River, happy hour bar crawls, multi-stop food tours and tiki boat cruises.

For Cocoa Beach accommodation options, plump for the beachfront Hilton Garden Inn or the well-located Hampton Inn.