The distance from Jacksonville to Palm Coast by car is 62 miles, with a driving time of around an hour. The best road trip stops on the Jacksonville to Palm Coast drive are the Julington-Durbin Creek Nature Preserve, St Augustine and the Fort Matanzas National Monument.
Finding the best things to do between Jacksonville and Palm Coast
The drive from Jacksonville to Palm Coast takes you part of the way down the Florida 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 Jacksonville cultural attractions, head to the Cummer Museum or Kingsley Plantation, which tells a complex story of slavery. There’s also unexpected French colonial history at the Fort Caroline National Memorial.
Highly-rated Jacksonville accommodation options include the charming Riverdale Inn B&B and the conveniently downtown Hyatt Regency.
Palm Coast is a fast-growing Florida city, with the beaches the obvious highlight. Jungle Hut Road Park combines sea, sand and nature. You’ll spot hummingbirds here in winter, gannets in summer and pelicans year-round. It’s a short walk over the dunes to the pet-friendly beach.
There’s also a beach in Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, but it is better visited for its rather remarkable coastal rock formations.
Jacksonville to Palm Coast distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Jacksonville to Palm Coast FL is 62 miles. You can expect a driving time of around an hour. The quickest route is down the I-95.
The best stops on a Jacksonville to Palm Coast road trip itinerary are the Julington-Durbin Creek Nature Preserve, St Augustine and the Fort Matanzas National Monument.
Jacksonville to Palm Coast drive: Julington-Durbin Creek Nature Preserve
The confluence of Julington and Durbin Creeks forms an unusual mini-peninsula, much of which has been turned into a nature preserve.
There are hiking, biking and horse riding trails, covering 6.1 miles of sandhills, marsh and floodplain. But the Julington-Durbin Creek Nature Preserve is most likely to be of interest to boaters and kayakers.
5 great experiences in St Augustine to book now
- 🏛️ Learn the past of the oldest city in the US on a history walking tour.
- 🚤 Take an airboat adventure – spotting alligators and manatees on the way.
- ⛵ See St Augustine from the water on a sunset cruise.
- 🍷 On a food and wine tour, taste St Augustine’s top flavours
- 👻 Hear spooky historic tales on a St Augustine ghost tour.
Best stops between Jacksonville and Palm Coast FL: St Augustine
Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, St Augustine is the oldest continually inhabited city in the United States.
In the compact, historic centre, there are several museums and heritage attractions, some of which are rather chintzy. Try the Lightner Museum, Old Jail, St Augustine History Museum, St Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum and Oldest Store Museum Experience
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. If you’ve time after that, the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park and the St Augustine Alligator Farm are solid bets.
Other St Augustine experiences include hop-on, hop-off trolley passes, sunset cruises and dolphin, manatee and sea turtle-viewing tours.
Why book the St. Augustine Attractions Pass?
- 🚌 Old Town Trolley Tour: Navigate the nation’s oldest city with ease on an iconic orange-and-green trolley, featuring 22 convenient stops and entertaining live narration from expert conductors.
- 👮 The Old Jail: Step back to 1891 inside this Romanesque Revival-style prison, where costumed “inmates” lead immersive tours through the sheriff’s quarters and original maximum-security cells.
- 📜 Oldest Store Museum: Experience a living history recreation of a 1908 general store, filled with over 100,000 authentic vintage items—from antique elixirs to a goat-powered washing machine.
- 🏛️ St. Augustine History Museum: Explore 400 years of Florida’s past through exhibits on Spanish sunken treasure, indigenous Timucuan villages, and the opulent era of industrialist Henry Flagler.
- 💸 Incredible Value & Perks: Save significantly by combining three premier museums with a full day of transport, plus a bonus beach shuttle to the Alligator Farm and the scenic St. Augustine Beach.
Jacksonville to Palm Coast road trip attractions: Fort Matanzas National Monument
The primary attraction of the Fort Matanzas National Monument is the fortified watchtower. It was built by the Spanish in 1742 to defend St Augustine from the south.
However, the national monument also conserves the coastal environment of dunes, marsh and forest. Note that you’ll need to catch a ferry to reach the fort.
More Florida travel
Other Florida travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- The best stops on the Savannah to Jacksonville drive.
- The highlights of Anastasia State Park in St Augustine.
- Complete guide to the St Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum.
- The best stops on a road trip from Jacksonville to Miami.
- Visitor guides to the Ybor City Museum, Tampa Bay History Center and Tampa Museum of Art in Tampa.
