This Is Florida · Travel
Find a route that fits your time, interests, and part of the state. From the Overseas Highway and Gulf Coast beaches to quiet forest roads and historic byways, this guide helps you build a trip with room for the stops that make Florida feel like Florida.
Florida road-trip tip: Choose one region and a few meaningful stops instead of trying to cross the whole state in a day. Florida’s distances, bridges, beach traffic, park hours, and seasonal weather can make a short map distance take much longer than expected.
Florida’s Scenic Highways Program recognizes 27 designated scenic highways and byways. These routes are selected for natural, historic, cultural, archaeological, or recreational resources. The official interactive map provides route locations, lengths, and links to directions. Use it to confirm the exact corridor before you go. A scenic designation does not mean the road is closed to normal traffic or that every stop along it has the same facilities. The route cards include broad planning windows where useful. They are not live navigation estimates.
Drive-time note: Times in a navigation app are estimates for the selected route at the moment you check. The route lengths below describe designated scenic-highway segments where stated. They are not drive times and may not include the trip from your hotel or starting city. Add time for traffic, bridges, parking, meals, park entry, and walking. Check live directions and official closures before leaving.
Pick a loop or short corridor, then choose two or three stops. The Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail is a 34-mile designated route that can work well as a slower coastal-and-nature day, depending on where you begin and how long you stay.
Follow a coastal road and leave time for parking, beach access, meals, and changing conditions. A route such as Scenic Highway 30A is listed at 24 miles, but the towns and beach stops make it a day trip rather than a race from end to end.
Choose a longer corridor, stay overnight, and avoid repeating a long drive after dark. The 233-mile Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway is better treated as a multi-stop journey than a quick outing.
Use the scenic-highway map to find routes through forest, river, rural, and historic areas. Check fuel, food, cell coverage, park hours, and road conditions before leaving busier towns.
These are starting points, not a promise that every attraction is open or accessible on a particular day. Use the official byway map for the road alignment, then check each destination’s current hours, admission, parking, accessibility, and closures.
Designated segment: 110 miles on the Florida Scenic Highways map. U.S. 1 links the Keys across bridges and islands. The full Miami-to-Key-West journey is longer than the designated scenic segment.
Build your day: Choose a few Keys stops rather than trying to stop everywhere. Key Largo and the Upper Keys make a shorter outing from Miami. Continuing toward Marathon or Key West is more comfortable with an overnight stay.
Time to allow: VISIT FLORIDA estimates Miami to Key West at about 3.5–4 hours without extended stops. Make this an overnight or multi-day trip if you want to enjoy stops along the way.
Plan for: Bridge traffic, limited places to turn around, parking, sun and heat, and changing weather over open water. Never stop on a bridge except in an emergency or at a designated safe area.
Official byway map and directions · VISIT FLORIDA: Miami day trips and Keys distances
Designated segment: 72 miles. Use the official map to identify the section that best matches your starting point and overnight plans.
Build your day: Pair a historic district or waterfront stop with one or two beaches. St. Augustine, coastal communities, and state or national park destinations offer different kinds of stops. Confirm the route alignment and opening information before setting the itinerary.
Time to allow: Think of the 72-mile designated segment as a half-day drive before sightseeing. Local roads and town traffic can slow progress. Add a full day for multiple stops.
Plan for: Slow traffic near beach towns, drawbridges or causeways where applicable, limited beach parking at popular times, and walking surfaces that vary by site.
Official byway map · Florida beach directory · Florida park directory
Designated route: 34 miles. It is a loop, so your total day depends on where you join it and how many side trips you take.
Build your day: Combine the loop with a stop in Ormond Beach, a nature visit, or a nearby beach. Keep the drive itself at an unhurried pace and make stops only where parking is allowed.
Time to allow: Reserve about half a day for the 34-mile loop with a couple of stops. The pure driving time varies with the exact entry point and traffic.
Plan for: Narrow or shaded road sections, cyclists and pedestrians, wildlife, and limited services along some stretches. Confirm park entry hours and any vehicle restrictions directly with the destination.
Designated route: 233 miles, making it one of the longer corridor trips in the program. Plan it as a multi-day journey if you want time for beaches, wildlife viewing, local communities, and museums.
Build your trip: Choose a north, central, or south segment. The corridor gives you a natural way to connect the Space Coast and Treasure Coast. Use This Is Florida’s beach and park directories to identify stops near your route.
Time to allow: The 233-mile byway is a multi-day trip if you want to make several stops. A continuous drive still takes much of a day once ordinary traffic and breaks are included.
Plan for: Seasonal wildlife and nesting protections, busy beach access points, bridge traffic, and changing hours. Follow posted wildlife-distance rules and do not enter closed nesting areas.
Designated route: 24 miles. The short distance connects coastal communities, but beach visits, meals, and parking can fill the day.
Build your day: Pick a community or state-park stop, then leave time for a walk or meal. Use the official byway map for endpoints and directions. Check beach access rules and parking before arriving.
Time to allow: Budget at least a half day for the 24-mile corridor with a beach or town stop. Busy-season traffic can make the short distance take much longer.
Plan for: Heavy seasonal traffic, limited parking, pedestrians and cyclists, and beach access that may be privately managed or restricted. Do not assume every scenic pull-off is a public beach entrance.
Official byway map · Florida beach directory · Florida park directory
Designated route: 123 miles. This is a longer rural drive. Plan fuel, food, and stops before leaving developed areas.
Build your day: Explore one section at a time and use the official map to locate the corridor and its communities. Nearby public lands can make good stops when open, but confirm access and facilities through the managing agency.
Time to allow: Treat the 123-mile route as a full day with stops. The drive-only time depends on which mapped gateways you use and the day’s road conditions.
Plan for: Wildlife on the road, limited lighting after dark, variable cell service, and fewer services between towns. Keep a safe distance from wildlife and do not feed animals.
Designated route: 156 miles. The corridor is a flexible multi-stop drive through central Florida. Consult the official map for its current route alignment and gateways.
Build your day: Select a shorter segment and anchor it with a downtown, waterfront, trail, museum, or park visit. This approach leaves room for meals and unplanned local discoveries.
Time to allow: The corridor is 156 miles. Plan a full day for a continuous drive with breaks, or split it across an overnight stay to explore.
Plan for: Route sections that pass through ordinary working communities as well as scenic areas. Respect private property and use signed public access points.
Designated scenic segment: 70 miles for the Tamiami Trail – Windows to the Gulf Coast Waters Scenic Highway. U.S. 41 continues much farther across South Florida, so check the map to distinguish the scenic designation from a full Miami-to-Tampa route.
Build your day: Choose a Gulf Coast community, preserve, or visitor center as your anchor. If your plan includes Everglades National Park, identify which entrance serves each stop before you drive.
Time to allow: The 70-mile designated scenic segment is a half-day outing with a stop. A longer U.S. 41 trip across South Florida can take much of a day. Check live directions for your actual endpoints.
Plan for: Long distances between some services, heat, mosquitoes, wildlife crossings, and park access rules. Everglades National Park has three entrances in different cities that are not connected through the park. Allow extra travel time between them.
Official byway map · Everglades National Park directions and travel tips · Florida park directory
Designated route: 220 miles on the Florida Scenic Highways map. That figure is the designated corridor length, not a drive time.
Best for: A slower drive through the Panhandle’s Big Bend region, where coastal marshes, forests, small towns, and public lands make the journey itself part of the visit.
Build your trip: Use the official byway map and printable guide to choose a manageable section. Allow time for scenic pull-offs and planned public stops. Do not enter private roads or protected areas without permission.
Time to allow: The full 220-mile corridor is a multi-day trip if you want stops. A shorter mapped section with a few public pull-offs is a more realistic day. Check live directions for the endpoints you choose.
Plan for: Fewer services in some stretches, seasonal weather, outdoor insects, and limited options after closing hours. Fill up and check the day’s conditions before leaving larger towns.
The designated loop is 34 miles. The day is longer once stops are added.
The corridor is 233 miles. Treat it as a multi-stop route.
VISIT FLORIDA describes Miami to Key West as about 160 miles and roughly 3.5–4 hours without extended stops. Actual travel time varies.
Accessibility varies by stop, even along the same route. Check each destination’s official page or call before traveling, especially if a specific feature is essential.
When submitting a member tip, include the date you visited and the exact access feature you checked. A note such as “paved route from parking to the overlook on my visit” is more useful than a broad label like “accessible.”
| Planning factor | What to check |
|---|---|
| Winter travel and holidays | Popular coastal areas, parks, and Keys lodging may be busy. Book overnight stays and timed activities early. Check parking and entry notices. |
| Spring break and festivals | Expect heavier traffic near beaches and event areas. Check local event calendars and road notices and avoid assuming a beach lot will have space. |
| Summer heat and storms | Plan outdoor stops earlier in the day, carry water, check the forecast, and be ready to leave exposed areas when thunder develops. |
| Hurricane season | Florida’s Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. Before and during a storm threat, check official advisories, evacuation directions, road closures, and destination closures. Do not drive into flooded roadways. |
| Wildlife and nesting seasons | Follow posted seasonal closures and wildlife-protection rules. Never approach, feed, or disturb wildlife for a photo. |
Conditions change quickly. Check the National Weather Service forecast, Florida 511 for traffic incidents and road conditions, local emergency management, and the destination’s own alerts on the day of travel.
Florida 511: Use the state’s official traffic service to check incidents, construction, cameras, and travel conditions. A route shown as open can still change. Follow signs and law-enforcement directions.
Send This Is Florida a recent road-trip tip: the date, route or stop, parking experience, accessibility detail, closure or detour, and whether you verified it with the operator. Photos should be your own and should not show private information or people who have not agreed to be featured.
Use the This Is Florida contact page to send news and information. Submitted details may be checked before publication.
There is no single best choice for every traveler. The Florida Scenic Highways Program recognizes 27 designated routes, including the Florida Keys Scenic Highway, A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, Scenic Highway 30A, Big Bend Scenic Byway, and Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail. Choose based on your region, available time, and interests.
VISIT FLORIDA gives an approximate distance of 160 miles and an estimated 3.5 to 4 hours by U.S. 1 without extended stops. Traffic, bridge delays, weather, and stops can make the trip longer. Check live directions before you leave.
Not as a continuous park road. The National Park Service says the park has three entrances in different cities and they are not interconnected. Check the official directions and plan the drive between your intended stops separately.
Use the Florida Scenic Highways Program's interactive map. It lists designated routes, lengths, regional locations, and map links. FDOT also provides the official transportation map for statewide roads.
Some are, but features differ by destination. Contact the official operator to confirm the exact parking, route surface, restroom, beach access, and equipment you need before traveling.
Check live traffic and road notices, weather, destination hours and closures, parking, reservations, and accessibility details. During storm threats, follow official emergency instructions and avoid flooded roads.
Route lengths and program information were checked against the Florida Scenic Highways map and FDOT materials on November 8, 2026. The Big Bend Scenic Byway length on that map is 220 miles. Travel times, access, opening hours, and services can change. Confirm them with the official source before departure.
This Is Florida assembled this guide from those public sources. The page is not a road closure notice, a park permit, or live navigation.