Jacksonville to Vero Beach drive: Distance, time & best stops

The best road stops on the Jacksonville to Vero Beach drive are St Augustine, Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach. The distance from Jacksonville to Vero Beach by car is 213 miles, with a 3h13m driving time.

Planning a Jacksonville to Vero Beach road trip itinerary

The Jacksonville to Vero Beach drive takes you down the northern section of 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.

With beaches on the Atlantic side of the Indian River Lagoon, Vero Beach can be used as a sun and sand destination. But there’s more to it than that. The Vero Beach Museum of Art provides a culture fix and the McKee Botanical Garden showcases incredible floral diversity.

Fun Vero Beach activities include tiki cabana boat cruises and fat tire electric bike tours.

For Vero Beach accommodation picks, try the Prestige Hotel by the beach or the Hampton Inn downtown.

Jacksonville to Vero Beach distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Jacksonville to Vero Beach is 213 miles. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 13 minutes. The quickest route is down the I-95.

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

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

Best stops between Jacksonville and Vero Beach: 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 Vero Beach 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 Vero Beach 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.