OLD FLORIDA TOWNS ON STATE ROAD 20

State Road 20 crosses the state from Niceville to Flagler Beach on the Atlantic Ocean.  The route is 360 miles long.  You can make this trip in one day or really relax and take two.

Niceville is in the Florida Panhandle near Destin.  Flagler Beach is on the Atlantic Ocean south of St. Augustine.

State Road 20 takes you through some of the most rural areas still remaining in Florida.  The only larger cities you will pass through are Tallahassee and Gainesville.

THE WESTERN SEGMENT OF STATE ROAD 20

The western segment from Niceville to Perry is 186 miles long. 

Towns you will go through include Niceville, Freeport, Ebro, Clarksville, Blountstown, Hosford, Tallahassee, Capps, and Perry.

State Road 20 from Niceville to Perry

NICEVILLE

NICEVILLE is in the Florida Panhandle near Eglin Air Force Base and Destin.  The population is about 15,000.  The town is on a peninsula between two bayous that open into Choctawhatchee Bay.  

Niceville Waterfront

FREEPORT

FREEPORT has a population of about 2,500 and is on the water where two creeks meet at a bayou that opens into Choctawhatchee Bay.

Freeport Water View

BRUCE

BRUCE is a small crossroads community where State Road 81 branches off to the north.

EBRO

EBRO is a town of less than 300 that is the closest settlement to the new Northwest Beaches International Airport.

Ebro Highway Intersection

CLARKSVILLE

CLARKSVILLE is an unincorported community located where Florida State Road 20 crosses Florida State Road 73.

Clarksville City Limits

BLOUNTSTOWN

BLOUNTSTOWN is a town of about 3,000.  Hurricane Michael in 2018 severely damaged the town and the local farming and timber operations.

Blountstown City Hall

BRISTOL

BRISTOL is a small town that was once a minor tourist attraction started by a preacher who suggested that the Garden of Eden was in Bristol.  Click on photo for more.

Sign for Garden of Eden Attraction

HOSFORD

HOSFORD is an unincorporated community of about 700 that is located where State Road 20 crosses State Road 65.

Hosford Wesleyan Methodist Church photo by Ebyabe

TALLAHASSEE

TALLAHASSEE is the state capital and has a population of about 200,000 and is the home of Florida State University and Florida A&M University. Click on photo for more.

CAPPS

CAPPS is an unincorporated place located where State Road 20 crosses US Highway 27.  It was once the home of a very large tung tree plantation.

Asa May Rosewood Plantation in Capps

PERRY

PERRY is the county seat of Taylor County and its population is about 8,000.  Is is a center of the timber industry in this part of Florida and is home to Forest Capital State Museum, a state park that recounts the history of the area. 

Perry Florida House

THE EASTERN SEGMENT OF STATE ROAD 20

The eastern segment from Perry to Flagler Beach is 172 miles long.  

You will go through Perry, Mayo, Branford, Fort White, High Springs, Alachua, Gainesville, Hawthorne, Interlachen, Palatka, San Mateo, Bunnell, and Flagler Beach.

State Road 20 from Perry to Flagler Beach

MAYO

MAYO is a town of about 1,500 that is the only town in Lafayette County and is the county seat.  A famous former resident is Kerwin Bell, a University of Florida football hero who later became a coach. Click on photo for more.

Lafayette County Courthouse, Mayo

BRANFORD

BRANFORD has a population of about 800 and is located on a bend of the historic Suwannee River.  Branford Springs is in the town and is popular with divers.  Click on photo for more.

FORT WHITE

FORT WHITE has about 600 people and is the closest town to Ichetucknee Springs State Park, one of Florida's favorite recreational areas.

Tubing on the Ichetucknee

HIGH SPRINGS

HIGH SPRINGS has a population of about 6,000 and has a nice shopping district with good restaurants.  It is in the center of spring country where people get outfitted for diving and kayaking. Click on photo for more.

Downtown High Springs

ALACHUA

ALACHUA is a city of about 10,000 near Gainesville.  It is the home of Marlow-Hunter, a sailboat manufacturer.  It succeeded Hunter Marine, from whom I bought one of the first Hunter 25 sailboats in 1974. Click on photo for more.

Hunter 25 AWOL, Indian River, Florida

GAINESVILLE

GAINESVILLE is the home of the University of Florida and is a major city with a population of about 140,000.  Click on photo to read more.

Hippodrome Theater, Gainesville

HAWTHORNE

HAWTHORNE is a small town noted for agriculture, railroads, and a generally rural lifestyle.  It has a population of about 1,500.

Mural Depicting Hawthorne History, Wikimedia Commons - PopularOutcast

INTERLACHEN

INTERLACHEN is a town of about 1,500 that was formerly known as "Blue Pond."  It was one of the first towns that State Road 20 went through when it was being constructed.  Click on photo to learn more.

PALATKA

PALATKA has a population of about 12,000.  It is located on a strategic bend of the St. Johns River.  It is the last deep water port on the river for vessels traveling upstream (south).  Click on photo for more.

Bronson-Mulholland House, Palatka

EAST PALATKA

EAST PALATKA is an unincorporated community across the river from Palatka and has a population of about 1,800.

Dock at Corky Bell's, East Palatka

SAN MATEO

SAN MATEO is an unincorporated community on the east bank of the St. Johns River south of Palatka and East Palatka.  It is located at the intersection of U.S.-17, State Road 20, and State Road 100.

San Mateo Gibson Dry Docks

BUNNELL

BUNNELL is the county seat of Flagler County.  It has a population of about 3,000 and is becoming surrounded by the large planned community of Palm Shores.

Bunnell City Hall

FLAGLER BEACH

FLAGLER BEACH is on the Atlantic Ocean where State Road 20 intersects State Road A1A.  It is a city of about 5,000 with many condominiums and restaurants.  It also has miles of unobstructed beautiful beaches.  Click on photo for more.