Jacksonville to Palm Coast FL drive: Distance, time & best stops
The distance from Jacksonville to Palm Coast by car is 62 miles, with a driving time of around an hour. The best road trip stops on the Jacksonville to Palm Coast drive are the Julington-Durbin Creek Nature Preserve, St Augustine and the Fort Matanzas National Monument.
Finding the best things to do between Jacksonville and Palm Coast
The drive from Jacksonville to Palm Coast takes you part of the way down the Florida coast.
Jacksonville is the biggest city in northern Florida, with a long string of beaches along the 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.
Palm Coast is a fast-growing Florida city, with the beaches the obvious highlight. Jungle Hut Road Park combines sea, sand and nature. You’ll spot hummingbirds here in winter, gannets in summer and pelicans year-round. It’s a short walk over the dunes to the pet-friendly beach.
There’s also a beach in Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, but it is better visited for its rather remarkable coastal rock formations.
Jacksonville to Palm Coast distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Jacksonville to Palm Coast FL is 62 miles. You can expect a driving time of around an hour. The quickest route is down the I-95.
The best stops on a Jacksonville to Palm Coast road trip itinerary are the Julington-Durbin Creek Nature Preserve, St Augustine and the Fort Matanzas National Monument.
Jacksonville to Palm Coast drive: Julington-Durbin Creek Nature Preserve
The confluence of Julington and Durbin Creeks forms an unusual mini-peninsula, much of which has been turned into a nature preserve.
There are hiking, biking and horse riding trails, covering 6.1 miles of sandhills, marsh and floodplain. But the Julington-Durbin Creek Nature Preserve is most likely to be of interest to boaters and kayakers.
Best stops between Jacksonville and Palm Coast FL: St Augustine
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.
Jacksonville to Palm Coast road trip attractions: Fort Matanzas National Monument
The primary attraction of the Fort Matanzas National Monument is the fortified watchtower. It was built by the Spanish in 1742 to defend St Augustine from the south.
However, the national monument also conserves the coastal environment of dunes, marsh and forest. Note that you’ll need to catch a ferry to reach the fort.
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