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Places within 2 hours of Jacksonville

71 places are worth the drive within 2 hours of Jacksonville, counted by road time from ZIP 32202: 16 under 1 hour and 55 1 to 2 hours.

The mix leans toward beaches & lakes, history and wildlife, mostly to the southeast and north. Two hours each way is the sweet spot for a day trip: you can leave after breakfast and be home for dinner.

The headline places are Castillo de San Marcos, Cumberland Island National Seashore and Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and the closest real day trip is Little Talbot Island State Park (34 min).

Map: places within 2 hours of Jacksonville

Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours

Under 1 hour from Jacksonville 16 places

Castillo de San Marcos

Photo: Schwerdf, CC BY 4.0

Historic site · 45 min southeast

Castillo de San Marcos

The oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S., guarding St. Augustine's bay since the 1600s.

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Daily 9 am-5 pm last entry; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
  • Adult $15 for 7 days, 15 and under free
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go
Cumberland Island National Seashore

Photo: Tim Kiser, CC BY-SA 4.0

National park · 54 min north

Cumberland Island National Seashore

A wild barrier island with feral horses, mansion ruins and empty beaches, reached by ferry.

  • Full day
  • Year-round
  • Standard pass $15 plus ferry fare (checked Nov 2026)
Little Talbot Island State Park

Photo: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0

Beach · 34 min northeast

Little Talbot Island State Park

Five miles of quiet, natural beach and dunes, with paddling in the salt marsh.

  • Half day
  • Year-round, 8 am-sunset
  • $5 per vehicle, $4 single occupant, $2 walk-in or bike (checked Nov 2026)
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park

Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0

Zoo · 48 min southeast

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park

Every kind of crocodilian on Earth, plus a wading bird rookery and a zipline course.

  • Half day
  • Daily 9 am-5 pm
  • Ticket prices
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go
Crooked River State Park

Photo: anoldent from Asheville, NC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0

State park · 54 min north

Crooked River State Park

Marsh trails, river fishing and tabby sugar mill ruins near St. Marys.

  • 2-3 hrs
  • Year-round
  • Georgia State Parks ParkPass $10 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go

Small town · 42 min northeast

Fernandina Beach

A Victorian seaport on Amelia Island with a walkable downtown, shrimp boats and about 13 miles of beach.

  • Half day
  • Year-round
  • Free to walk around

More under 1 hour from Jacksonville, by type

History
Kingsley Plantation (39 min), Fort Mose Historic State Park (42 min), Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park (43 min), St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum (48 min), Fort Clinch State Park (51 min), Fort Matanzas (58 min)
Beaches & lakes
Big Talbot Island State Park (37 min), Anastasia State Park (48 min)
Wildlife
Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Reserve (41 min)
Small towns
St. Marys (42 min)

1 to 2 hours from Jacksonville 55 places

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Wildlife · 1 hr 9 min northwest

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Vast blackwater swamp with gators, cranes and boardwalks.

  • Full day
  • Year-round
  • Entrance fee required
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go
Jekyll Island

Photo: Jud McCranie, Public domain

Island · 1 hr 14 min north

Jekyll Island

A state-owned island with beaches, a historic club district, bike paths and a sea turtle hospital.

  • Full day
  • Year-round
  • Daily parking fee per vehicle
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go
Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail

Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0

Bike trail · 1 hr 21 min southwest

Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail

A 16-mile paved rail trail through forest and along Paynes Prairie.

  • 2-4 hrs
  • 8 am-sunset; Boulware Springs trailhead hours vary by season
  • Free
Fort Frederica National Monument

Photo: HAL333, CC BY-SA 4.0

National park · 1 hr 22 min north

Fort Frederica National Monument

Ruins of a 1730s British colonial town under live oaks on St. Simons.

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Year-round
  • Free
Micanopy

Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0

Small town · 1 hr 30 min southwest

Micanopy

A tiny, very old town with antique shops and moss-draped oaks near Paynes Prairie.

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Year-round; some shops closed early week
  • Free
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation

Photo: Bubba73 (Jud McCranie), CC BY-SA 3.0

Historic site · 1 hr 8 min north

Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation

A rice plantation site with a museum and marsh views near Brunswick.

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Check days open
  • Historic site admission
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go

More 1 to 2 hours from Jacksonville, by type

Beaches & lakes
Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park (1 hr 7 min), St. Simons Island (1 hr 14 min), Driftwood Beach (1 hr 16 min), Tomoka State Park (1 hr 19 min), Daytona Beach (1 hr 28 min), Ichetucknee Springs State Park (1 hr 29 min), Sapelo Island (1 hr 29 min), Salt Springs Recreation Area (1 hr 31 min) and 10 more
History
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park (1 hr 10 min), Fort King George (1 hr 16 min), St. Simons Lighthouse Museum (1 hr 16 min), Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park (1 hr 18 min), Florida Museum of Natural History (1 hr 25 min), Museum of Arts and Sciences (1 hr 29 min), Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park (1 hr 30 min), Dudley Farm Historic State Park (1 hr 37 min) and 3 more
Wildlife
Marineland Dolphin Adventure (1 hr 1 min), Georgia Sea Turtle Center (1 hr 11 min), Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park (1 hr 24 min), Okefenokee Swamp Park (1 hr 25 min), Marine Science Center (1 hr 46 min), Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens (1 hr 51 min)
Hikes
Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park (1 hr 23 min), Laura S. Walker State Park (1 hr 24 min), Suwannee River State Park (1 hr 26 min), O'Leno State Park (1 hr 30 min)
Mountains & views
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park (1 hr 4 min), Ravine Gardens State Park (1 hr 14 min), Kanapaha Botanical Gardens (1 hr 29 min)
Theme & water parks
Summer Waves Water Park (1 hr 11 min), Daytona Lagoon (1 hr 29 min), Wild Adventures (1 hr 51 min)
Small towns
Flagler Beach (1 hr 10 min), New Smyrna Beach (1 hr 41 min)
Family fun
Daytona International Speedway (1 hr 29 min)
Snow
Okefenokee State Park (1 hr 41 min)

Questions about places within 2 hours of Jacksonville

What are the best places within 2 hours of Jacksonville?

Our picks, by drive time, include Castillo de San Marcos (45 min), Cumberland Island National Seashore (54 min), Little Talbot Island State Park (34 min), St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (48 min) and Crooked River State Park (54 min). The full list on this page has 71 places, each with its drive time and direction from Jacksonville.

How many places are within 2 hours of Jacksonville?

71 places within 2 hours, 135 within 3 hours and 190 within 4 hours of Jacksonville, by road from ZIP 32202.

Are there free places within 2 hours of Jacksonville?

10 of the 71 places need no pass or fee, such as Hontoon Island State Park, Fernandina Beach and Flagler Beach. Fees and passes change, so check each place before you go.

What can I do with kids within 2 hours of Jacksonville?

71 places are marked good for kids, including Madison Blue Spring State Park, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park and Suwannee River State Park.

How are the drive times worked out?

They are by real roads on a typical day, from the middle of ZIP 32202 to each place (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Traffic, weather and closures can change them. Places under 25 minutes from the city center count as in town, not a day trip, so they are left out.

Can I see places within 2 hours of my own home?

Yes. Type your ZIP code into Day Trippin' and it shows everything by drive time. Your ZIP is used for that one search and is not saved.

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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.

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