'''North Florida''' includes the northern portions of the state of Florida, except for the Florida Panhandle.

Regions

  • Nature Coast - The rural coastal communities of Dixie County, Levy County, and Taylor County.
  • Northeast Florida - Synonymous with the "First Coast" region, it is the portion of the state north of the Daytona Beach area along the Atlantic coast, including the entire Jacksonville area. It includes Flagler, St, John's, Duval, Nassau, Clay and Putnam counties.
  • North Central Florida - Generally viewed as the portion of the state east of the Aucilla River all the way east to Baker County and as far south as Ocala, excepting the coastal counties. It includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Marion, Suwannee, and Union counties.
  • Cities

    <!--- Try to keep list to top nine cities, list the rest under the counties --->

  • Fernandina Beach
  • Gainesville
  • Jacksonville
  • Lake City
  • Live Oak
  • Ocala
  • Orange Park
  • Palatka
  • Palm Coast
  • Perry
  • St. Augustine
  • Starke
  • Other destinations

  • Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Baker County.
  • Historic District in Micanopy, Alachua County.
  • Amelia Island in Nassau County.
  • Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, Hamilton County.
  • The Historic Suwannee River
  • Forest Capital Museum State Park in Perry.
  • Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park in Gainesville.
  • Ravine Gardens State Park in Putnam County.
  • Payne's Prairie Preserve State Park in Alachua County.
  • Silver Springs just east of Ocala.
  • Cedar Key
  • Understand

    North Florida is "Old Florida" in that it exhibits what the culture of the entire state used to be like only a few decades ago. It is more a kin to the Deep South in culture. It is mostly rural and is not as metropolitan as parts of Central or South Florida. The landscape and enviroment of the region does not typify the sub-tropical enviroment that most think of Florida. The region is more known for its magnolias and live oaks then palm trees and beaches.

    Talk

    English is spoken almost without exception in North Florida. Most native north Floridians speak with a Southern dialect.

    Get in

    By plane

  • Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), Jacksonville.
  • Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV), Gainesville.
  • By bus

  • '''Greyhound Bus Lines''', [http://www.greyhound.com] has service to Gainesville, Jacksonville, Lake City, Ocala, and St. Augustine.
  • By train

  • '''Amtrak''', 1-800-872-7245, [http://www.amtrak.com]. Service by the Silver Service/Palmetto lines to Jacksonville and Palatka.
  • Get around

  • I-95 runs along the Atlantic coast throughout the entire North Florida region.
  • I-75 runs north-south through the middle of North Florida, and connects to the Florida Turnpike south of Ocala for a straight shot into Orlando.
  • I-10 runs westward from Jacksonville across the state to Alabama.
  • See

  • St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States.
  • The Historic Suwannee River
  • The University of Florida in Gainesville
  • '''Florida Lighthouses''' are numerous and beautiful, take some time to visit these iconic images of the coast.
  • Do

    Due to it being relatively undeveloped compared to the rest of the state, North Florida is paradise for anyone who likes to enjoy nature. Hunting and fishing are the favorite activities for both residents and many visitors to the region. North Florida is also home to one major professional sports team, the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

  • Ichetucknee Springs State Park. 2087 S.W. US Hwy 27. xit from I-75 at exit 399. Take US 441 north to High Springs. Take US 27 north to Ft. White the south entrance to the park is 4 miles on the right. 86-497-4690. ttp://www.floridastateparks.org/ichetuckneesprings/default.cfm. am-sundown, 365 days a year. 5/person, $5/vehicle in off-season. The park is known for tubing (tubes can be rented nearby for $5-15), kayaking and canoeing down the Ichnetucknee River. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the park has vehicles which take you from the park to the river and from the exit (from the river) to the parking lot.

    Eat

    North Florida is a very diversified region for food. One could enjoy fresh seafood in St. Augustine or in Cedar Key. The region is also known for its Barbecue. Sonny's Real Pit BBQ, the largest barbecue chain in America, was started in Gainesville. The region is also known for specializing in "Cracker Cuisine" which is the traditional food eaten by the early pioneers of Florida. Two well known cracker restaurants is the Yearling in Gainesville and Stumpknockers in Ocala.

    Drink

    North Florida is home to two of Florida's four dry counties where the sale of alcohol is prohibited (Lafayette and Suwannee). However, alcohol of any variety can be found in abundance in the cosmopolitan city of Jacksonville and the college town of Gainesville.

    Stay safe

    Be warned that Jacksonville has the highest murder rate in the state, however, only certain neighborhoods are deemed "unsafe" while most other areas of the city are tourist friendly.

    Get out

  • Florida Panhandle
  • Central Florida