Overview
North Central Florida includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Marion, Putnam, Sumter, Suwannee, and Union counties.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Oct–May. Summer highs reach about 92°F; winter lows dip to about 42°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jun and Sep. (climate data from nearby North Florida)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- GNV Gainesville Regional Airport, Gainesville — 27 mi away. Directions
- VLD Valdosta Regional Airport, Valdosta — 76 mi away. Directions
- JAX Jacksonville International Airport, Jacksonville — 77 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Gainesville — Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park, Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Harn Museum of Art.
- Day 2: Palatka — Palatka Historic Union Depot, Bronson-Mulholland House, Historic Lemon Street.
- Day 3: The Villages — Spanish Springs Town Square, Lake Sumter Landing Market Square, Brownwood Paddock Square.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Places in North Central Florida
Gainesville
City / town · 61 listings
Palatka
City / town · 31 listings
The Villages
City / town · 24 listings
Ocala
City / town · 17 listings
Lake City
City / town · 11 listings
Starke
City / town · 11 listings
Live Oak
City / town · 10 listings
Osceola National Forest
Park · 1 listings
Bushnell
City / town · 1 listings
Ocala National Forest
Park
Wildwood
City / town
Cities
- Bushnell
- Gainesville
- Keystone Heights
- Lake City
- Live Oak
- Ocala
- Palatka
- Starke
- The Villages
- Wildwood
Fanning Springs, on the boundary of the Big Bend Coast, is listed within that region.
Other destinations
- Ocala National Forest
- Juniper Springs
- Osceola National Forest
- Town of Interlachen
Get in
Regional airports
- Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV), N.E. 39th Ave., Gainesville, +1 352 373-0249.
- Palatka Municipal Airport, Palatka.
Do
There's a fun, well-marked walking trail on the roadbed of an old railroad that parallels US-98 near Trenton.
Go next
Nearby
Fanning Springs
City / town · 2 listings · 20 mi away
Keystone Heights
City / town · 2 listings · 40 mi away
Cedar Key
City / town · 15 listings · 50 mi away
Perry
City / town · 3 listings · 57 mi away
Green Cove Springs
City / town · 8 listings · 62 mi away
Crystal River
City / town · 15 listings · 62 mi away
Orange Park
City / town · 12 listings · 65 mi away
Lake Park
City / town · 3 listings · 68 mi away
My experience
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