The distance from St Augustine to Daytona Beach by car is 59 miles, with a 59 minute driving time. The best road trip stops on the St Augustine to Daytona Beach drive are the Fort Matanzas National Monument, Palm Coast and Bulow Creek State Park.
Finding the best things to do between St Augustine and Daytona Beach
The St Augustine to Daytona Beach drive connects two of the most attractive cities on Florida’s east coast.
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.
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, Fort Matanzas 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.
Daytona Beach is famed for the NASCAR racing at the Daytona Speedway, but it’s also one of Florida’s most appealing beach destinations.
There are fascinating stories at the Halifax Historical Museum and shameless fun at the Daytona Lagoon Waterpark, plus wildlife at the Marine Science Center and lofty views at the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse.
Enjoyable Daytona Beach experiences include small group sailing cruises, paddleboarding or kayaking with dolphins and manatees, wine bar tours and a Polynesian fire and dinner show.
You can also try zipline adventures and beach Segway rides.
5 great Daytona Beach experiences to book
- 🐬 See dolphins and manatees on a kayaking tour.
- 🌲 Challenge yourself on a zipline adventure at Tuscawilla Park.
- ⛵ Spot sea creatures under sail on a catamaran cruise.
- 🔥 See extraordinary fire and knife dances at the Polynesian Fire and Dinner Show.
- 🌿 Learn about Blue Spring State Park’s nature and ecosystem on a St John’s River cruise.
St Augustine to Daytona Beach distance and driving time
By car, the distance from St Augustine to Daytona Beach is 59 miles. You can expect a driving time of around 59 minutes. The quickest route is down US-1 and the I-95. The best stops to add to a St Augustine to Daytona Beach road trip itinerary are the Fort Matanzas National Monument, Palm Coast and Bulow Creek State Park.
St Augustine to Daytona Beach 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.
Best stops between St Augustine and Daytona Beach: Palm Coast
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.
St Augustine to Daytona Beach drive: Bulow Creek State Park
The star of Bulow Creek State Park is the Fairchild Oak, which has stood for more than 400 years and is one of the biggest trees in the South.
The park covers one of the biggest remaining chunks of southern oak forest in Florida, and there are several hiking trails. The favourite is the seven-mile Bulow Woods Trail, which heads to the ruins of the Bulow Plantation, possibly spotting raccoons and white-tailed deer on the way.
More Florida travel
Other Florida travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Plan your visit to the Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange.
- What you need to know before visiting the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens in Ormond Beach.
- The highlights of Anastasia State Park in St Augustine.
- Complete guide to the St Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum.
- Visitor guides to the Lightner Museum, Old Jail, St Augustine History Museum, St Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum and Oldest Store Museum Experience in St Augustine.
