A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway
72 miles of A1A along northeast Florida's Atlantic coast, through Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine to Flagler Beach.
Also known as State Road A1A, St. Johns and Flagler counties
Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source
- Length72 miles[2]
- Drive timeAbout 90 minutes of driving[2]Florida Scenic Highways: "90 minutes or a week", depending on side trips
- RoadsState Road A1A[2]
- Start and endThe northern St. Johns County line (near Ponte Vedra Beach) to Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach[2]
- Fees and passesNone for the byway[1]Forts and state parks charge entry.
- Best seasonNot verified
- SurfaceNot verified
- Vehicle notesNot verified
- Seasonal closuresNot verified
Before you go
Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.
About the drive
This byway follows State Road A1A from the northern edge of St. Johns County through Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine, past Butler Beach, Crescent Beach and Marineland, to Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach.
History is the draw. St. Augustine has sites from the Spanish colonial era through the civil rights protests of the 1960s, and the National Park Service runs two Spanish forts on the route: Castillo de San Marcos in town and Fort Matanzas to the south.
Between the towns are beaches, marshes, state parks and nature trails. The drive itself is about 90 minutes; side trips can fill a week.
Stops along the way
-
Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area
The south end, at Flagler Beach.
Official information · 29.43807, -81.1097 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
-
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
Formal gardens and a coquina rock beach.
Official information · 29.63553, -81.20395 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Marineland
Oceanfront town on the byway.
Official information · 29.66887, -81.2134 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Fort Matanzas
Small Spanish fort reached by a free ferry.
Official information · 29.71566, -81.23419 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
-
Castillo de San Marcos
Spanish stone fort in St. Augustine.
Official information · 29.8979, -81.31174 · about 0.4 mi from the route line
Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Food along the way
Farmers markets within about 25 miles
- Flagler Beach Farmers' MarketFlagler Beach, FL · about 0.1 mi from the route · listed as year-round
- Salt Air Farmers' MarketSaint Augustine, FL · about 0.1 mi from the route
- The Vilano Beach Sunday MarketSaint Augustine, FL · about 0.1 mi from the route
- St. Augustine Beach Wednesday Farmers MarketSt. Augustine, FL · about 0.1 mi from the route
- Ponte Vedra YMCA Farmers' MarketPonte Vedra Beach, FL · about 1.0 mi from the route
Markets keep their own seasons and hours, so check with the market before you go. Find more in the Farmers Market Finder.
Sources
- America's Byways: A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
- A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway (Florida Scenic Highways, a program of FDOT) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (NPS) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Fort Matanzas National Monument (NPS) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Washington Oaks Gardens State Park (Florida State Parks) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area (Florida State Parks) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).
