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TravelTips24 : North America : United States of America : Florida : North Florida

North Florida

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

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

Culture and History

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.

Travel to North Florida & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to North Florida

Buses to North Florida

By train

Tours & Getting around North Florida

  • 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.

North Florida attractions and sightseeing

  • 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.

North Florida city tours

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.

North Florida Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

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.

North Florida nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

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

This page was last edited at 01:58, on 7 September 2008 by Jesse Miers. Based on work by David, George Miziuk, Peter Fitzgerald, Lillian, Tom Holland, Stacy Hall, Ryan Holliday, Todd VerBeek and Michele Ann Jenkins and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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