Ocala to Tallahassee drive: Distance, time & best stops
The distance from Ocala FL to Tallahassee FL by car is 185 miles, with a 2h50m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Ocala to Tallahassee drive are Gainesville FL, White Springs FL and O’Leno State Park.
Planning an Ocala to Tallahassee road trip itinerary
The Ocala to Tallahassee drive connects two of the larger cities in northern 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.
Top Tallahassee experiences include the Museum of Florida History, which tells the tale of the Sunshine State. That covers everything from prehistoric mastodons to the Spanish conquest and Disney.
The Tallahassee Museum, meanwhile, flits all over the place, from sculpture to birds of prey. For natural beauty, head to the Alfred B Maclay Gardens State Park.
Ocala to Tallahassee distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Ocala to Tallahassee is 185 miles. You can expect a driving time of around two hours and 50 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-75 and I-10.
The best stops to add to an Ocala to Tallahassee road trip itinerary are Gainesville FL, White Springs FL and O’Leno State Park.
Best stops between Ocala and Tallahassee: Gainesville FL
Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, and will be best known to college football fans as the home of the Florida Gators.
For everyone else, there’s the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Harn Museum of Art and the Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park. The latter is based around a limestone sinkhole.
Ocala to Tallahassee road trip attractions: White Springs FL
The Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs is named in honour of the composer who wrote Old Folks At Home. The park features a museum that goes into Foster’s work, plus a 97-bell carillon that plays his songs throughout the day.
Several hiking trails also have their trailheads in and around White Springs. Stephen Foster’s Hammock Loop Trail is perhaps the best, taking in several scenic riverside spots, such as Catfish Hole and the Overlook. The 8-mile trail is also suitable for mountain biking.
Ocala to Tallahassee drive: O’Leno State Park
Sited along the banks of the Santa Fe River, O’Leno State Park is home to sandhills, hardwood hammocks and swamps. But chances are the sinkholes will be of most interest.
The river disappears into a sinkhole, then reemerges more than three miles away in the River Rise Preserve State Park. The one-and-a-half mile River Trail best shows off the park, and includes a photogenic wooden suspension bridge.
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