Getting Around Northeast Florida: Roads, Tolls and River Crossings for New Residents

How Do You Actually Get Around Northeast Florida?

The first week after a move, everything is a little bit of an adventure. You type the grocery store into your phone and it sends you onto a highway you have never heard of. A bridge appears out of nowhere and suddenly the whole St. Johns River is spread out below you, wide and blue and full of boats. Then a toll camera flashes overhead and you wonder if you just got a bill.

Getting around Northeast Florida is easier than it looks once you understand a handful of roads, a few toll rules and the river that shapes everything. Here is the short course.

The Main Roads You Will Use Every Week

I-95 is the spine. It runs north and south through Jacksonville and down through St. Johns County toward St. Augustine, with exits for World Golf Village, Nocatee and the communities in between.

I-295 is the beltway that loops around Jacksonville. The east side carries you past the Southside and over the Dames Point Bridge to the north. The west side carries you over the Buckman Bridge toward Orange Park and Clay County.

J. Turner Butler Boulevard, which everyone calls JTB, connects I-95 to the Beaches. If you live in Ponte Vedra Beach, Jacksonville Beach or Neptune Beach and work or shop on the Southside, JTB will become very familiar.

A1A follows the coast. It runs through Ponte Vedra Beach and south to Vilano Beach and St. Augustine, and in places it is two very different roads: a busy commercial corridor in one stretch and a quiet drive past dunes in the next.

State Road 9B is a newer limited-access highway that links I-295 to I-95 in northern St. Johns County. Its final stretch, which connects to County Road 2209 and Race Track Road, opened in August 2018. For many people in Julington Creek, RiverTown and the St. Johns Parkway area, it is the fastest way north.

Tolls: What Is Tolled and How You Pay

Compared with many Northeast and Mid-Atlantic metros, the Jacksonville area has very few toll roads. You will only see tolls in two places today.

The I-295 express lanes. The East Beltway express lanes between State Road 9B and JTB opened in 2022, and the West Beltway has express lanes between I-95 and the Buckman Bridge. The regular lanes next to them stay free. Express lane tolls depend on the time of day, with charges during busier travel periods, so check FDOT's North Florida Express page for current rates.

The First Coast Expressway (State Road 23). This is the new toll road that will eventually connect I-10 in Duval County to I-95 in St. Johns County. The Clay County sections are open and tolled. The St. Johns County section, including a new bridge over the St. Johns River just south of the Shands Bridge, is still being built. FDOT's project pages estimate completion around 2030.

There are no toll booths on either road. You pay one of two ways:

• A transponder. SunPass is Florida's system, and FDOT also accepts E-PASS and other compatible transponders. The toll comes out of a prepaid account.
• Toll-By-Plate. Cameras read your license plate and mail a bill to the registered owner. FDOT notes that SunPass rates run about 25 percent lower than Toll-By-Plate.

If you are keeping a car registered up north for a while, check whether your home state's transponder works in Florida before you rely on it.

Living With the River

The St. Johns River runs north through the middle of the region, and it is wide. That is why bridges matter so much here. Where you live relative to the river shapes your daily drives more than almost anything else.

In downtown Jacksonville, a cluster of bridges, including the blue Main Street Bridge (officially the John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge), connects the Northbank and the Southbank. Farther south, the Buckman Bridge carries I-295 across, and the Shands Bridge on State Road 16 connects St. Johns County to Green Cove Springs.

Near the mouth of the river there is one more option. The St. Johns River Ferry, run by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, carries cars, bikes and people between Mayport Village and Fort George Island on A1A. The crossing takes about five minutes. JTA has proposed fare changes in 2026, so check its website for current fares and hours. Our post on the Mayport ferry covers it in more detail.

Flying In and Out

Jacksonville International Airport sits on the north side of the city, just off I-95. If you live in St. Johns County or the Beaches, getting there usually means I-95 or I-295, and the beltway can be the smoother choice depending on where you start and the time of day.

If you travel often or have family flying in, how far you live from the airport is worth weighing. We wrote more about that in how living near Jacksonville International changes the way you travel.

Tips for Your First Few Months

• Drive your routes before you buy. Try the trip to your doctor, your church or your favorite store at the time of day you would actually make it.
• Get a transponder early. It is cheaper than Toll-By-Plate and saves you from surprise bills on the express lanes.
• Learn the bridges. Knowing which bridge to use is the single biggest time saver in Jacksonville.
• Use A1A when you are not in a hurry. It is slower, but the drive between Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine is one of the prettiest in the region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there many toll roads around Jacksonville?

No. Today the only tolls in the Jacksonville area are the I-295 express lanes and the First Coast Expressway in Clay County. The regular lanes of I-295 and nearly all other roads are free.

Do I need a SunPass to live in Northeast Florida?

You do not need one, because Toll-By-Plate will bill you by mail. A SunPass or compatible transponder is cheaper, though, and FDOT says SunPass rates run about 25 percent below Toll-By-Plate.

When will the First Coast Expressway reach I-95 in St. Johns County?

The St. Johns County section, including a new St. Johns River bridge south of the Shands Bridge, is under construction. FDOT's project pages estimate completion around 2030.

How do you cross the St. Johns River near the ocean?

The St. Johns River Ferry runs between Mayport Village and Fort George Island on A1A. The trip takes about five minutes. Check the Jacksonville Transportation Authority website for current hours and fares.

What is JTB?

JTB is J. Turner Butler Boulevard, the main east-west road between I-95 on Jacksonville's Southside and the Beaches.

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What To Do Right Now

1. List the five places you will drive to most often after your move.
2. On your next visit, drive those routes from two or three neighborhoods you are considering, at the times you would really go.
3. Set up a SunPass or confirm your current transponder works in Florida.
4. Call or text Joey Larsen at 904-863-6679 to plan a scouting trip around the drives that matter to you.

Cover photo: St. Johns River in Downtown Jacksonville with John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge - panoramio by qwesy qwesy, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.