Orlando to Jacksonville

[Rich M]

I found out one of my favorite bands is playing in Jacksonville while I am at the world and decided to go since they are not coming to my hometown. I have a rental car and was wondering how the drive is to Jacksonville. Toll Roads? Is there anything worth seeing on the way that would make it worth leaving early to check out? Any dining spots worth trying?

 

[JimMIA]

The route is just I-4 to I-95, but if you're traveling in either morning or afternoon rush hour I would use Google Maps for guidance. Other than rush hour, it's an easy 2 1/2 hour drive in normal conditions. No tolls unless you get re-routed on 417 due to Orlando downtown traffic.

Your route will be inland from the cities along the way, so not a lot to see unless you are a NASCAR fan. If you are, the Daytona Speedway (and museum) are just off I-95 just north of where I-4 feeds into I-95.

 

[MrKnight]

The most direct route (and toll free) would be taking I-4 East towards Daytona Beach and then merging onto I-95 North which will take you directly to Jacksonville.. Possible scenic stops along the way could be following:

Longwood - Wekiwa Springs State Park
Sanford - Historic Downtown Sanford and Central Florida Zoo
Daytona Beach - Boardwalk and Beaches
St. Augustine - Historic Downtown (Oldest Schoolhouse, etc.) and Fort San Marcos

 

[Rich M]

The route is just I-4 to I-95, but if you're traveling in either morning or afternoon rush hour I would use Google Maps for guidance. Other than rush hour, it's an easy 2 1/2 hour drive in normal conditions. No tolls unless you get re-routed on 417 due to Orlando downtown traffic.

Your route will be inland from the cities along the way, so not a lot to see unless you are a NASCAR fan. If you are, the Daytona Speedway (and museum) are just off I-95 just north of where I-4 feeds into I-95.

Any thoughts on when the rush hour begins and what time I should leave in order to make sure I am in Jacksonville in time for the concert? it starts at 7 I believe

 

[JimMIA]

Any thoughts on when the rush hour begins and what time I should leave in order to make sure I am in Jacksonville in time for the concert? it starts at 7 I believe

On that one, I will yield to any of the many local Orlando folks on this board. Their info will be much more accurate than my guesses from Miami.

 

[OKW Lover]

Any thoughts on when the rush hour begins and what time I should leave in order to make sure I am in Jacksonville in time for the concert? it starts at 7 I believe

Given a 2.5 hour drive time, I'd add at least an hour so figure leaving WDW no later than 3:30. Earlier would be better.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm not local, but I have several colleagues who are, and most of them claim that rush hour on I-4 runs from 3pm to 7pm; but on the toll roads not for so long. If you're starting out at Disney you could take Toll 417 all the way around past the airport and avoid I-4 through Orlando altogether -- it rejoins I-4 north of the metro area at Sanford.

 

[HeiHei2018]

It’s been a number of years since I made that drive, but I know Orlando traffic was building before 3 when we we’re coming back from MK in 2019. If you enter your route, day of the week, and desired arrival time in google maps, it will give you ranges of times for various routes. also, Jacksonville is a big city size-wise, so location within the city will impact drive time. Getting from 295 to the beaches can be slow at rush hour.

 

[Ross Kratter]

I would leave by 2 just so you can get to the concert early and account for parking, going through security, etc.

 

[MrKnight]

I'm not local, but I have several colleagues who are, and most of them claim that rush hour on I-4 runs from 3pm to 7pm; but on the toll roads not for so long. If you're starting out at Disney you could take Toll 417 all the way around past the airport and avoid I-4 through Orlando altogether -- it rejoins I-4 north of the metro area at Sanford.

I would not recommend this, any time "saved" will be offset by the extra travel time/miles traveled as 417 veers far east of Orlando before re-joining I-4 in Sanford. I-4 is by far the most direct and efficient route for the OP's travel plans.. Also, if the OP is not familiar with the area, traveling on I-4 through the heart of Orlando can be scenic, especially traveling through Downtown Orlando..

 

[Narcoossee11]

I LIVE IN ORL.... Give your self 4-5 hours before concert . Plenty of time to get to JAX, then time to drink/eat before concert. Worst case, you have to eat up that time with travel /traffic issues.

 

[NotUrsula]

I would not recommend this, any time "saved" will be offset by the extra travel time/miles traveled as 417 veers far east of Orlando before re-joining I-4 in Sanford. I-4 is by far the most direct and efficient route for the OP's travel plans.. Also, if the OP is not familiar with the area, traveling on I-4 through the heart of Orlando can be scenic, especially traveling through Downtown Orlando..

Direct? Yes. Efficient? Not necessarily. I-4 can easily become a long-term parking lot if there is an accident or construction; you can literally sit for hours not moving more than about 1/4 of a mile. The highway was not built for the volume of traffic that uses it, which is why there is now a major construction project to try to widen it. Those kinds of delays are much rarer on the toll roads, and some people prefer that kind of certainty, even if it's the long way round. I'm one of them when I'm on vacation, because my trips are pretty short, and I *hate* sitting in traffic. I'm always fine with taking a longer route if it takes me around construction delays.

That said, yes, taking I-4 is probably the simplest option and should be fine on the trip up, as long as there is no wreck present on the route. 417 is more likely to be useful on the trip back, as the overnight construction can create maddening delays. The last time I drove I-4WB from Jacksonville to Orlando in the wee hours, the stretch between Altamonte Springs and USIOA took me nearly 3 hours. I had planned to arrive in Tampa at 11 pm, but I didn't clear the Orlando metro until after midnight.