Ocala to Jacksonville drive: Time, distance & best road trip stops
The distance from Ocala to Jacksonville by car is 102 miles, with a 1h48m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Ocala to Jacksonville drive are Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Park, the Camp Blanding Museum and the Camp Milton Historic Preserve.
Planning an Ocala to Jacksonville road trip itinerary
The Ocala to Jacksonville drive connects two of the biggest cities in north Florida.
Ocala is home to the Golden Gypsy Horse Farm, where visitors can meet the rare and beautiful Gypsy Vanner horses. The Appleton Museum of Art, meanwhile, mixes contemporary art with pre-Columbian artifacts and the Discovery Center does the interactive science thing.
The most important site in Ocala, however, is the Fort King National Historic Landmark. This was a major military post in the Second Seminole War, and the first inland fort in Florida.
Book ahead for Ocala hotel deals.
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.
Ocala to Jacksonville distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Ocala to Jacksonville is 102 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 48 minutes. The quickest route is along the US-301 and the I-10.
The best stops to add to an Ocala to Jacksonville road trip itinerary are Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Park, the Camp Blanding Museum and the Camp Milton Historic Preserve.
Best stops between Ocala and Jacksonville: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Park
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Park is based around the cracker-style homestead once inhabited by author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Her Pulitzer-prize winning novel, The Yearling, was written here.
Today, the tours of the homestead give a taste of 1930s Floridian life. There’s also a nature trail within the park.
Ocala to Jacksonville drive: Camp Blanding Museum
Camp Blanding near Starke was a massive infantry base during WWII, which was converted to a German prisoner of war camp in 1942. During WWII, there were so many people here, that it temporarily became Florida’s fourth largest city.
The Camp Blanding Museum tells the fascinating history of the site.
Things to do between Ocala and Jacksonville: Camp Milton Historic Preserve
The Camp Milton Historic Preserve in West Jacksonville was a massive Confederate Army campground during the Civil War. The educational center within the preserve tells the old war stories and displays artifacts relating to the era.
Also on site are a wooden boardwalk and 1800s farmstead. The Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail passes through, should you fancy a walk.
More Ocala road trips
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More Jacksonville road trips
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