State Road 20 (SR 20) is a east-to-west route across northern

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and the

Florida Panhandle The Florida Panhandle (also West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida; it is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long and wide, lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia (U. ...

in the United States.

Route description

Okaloosa County (Niceville and Bluewater Bay)

SR 20 starts at SR 85 in

Niceville Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located near Eglin Air Force Base on Boggy Bayou that opens into Choctawhatchee Bay. The population was 11,684 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census population for Niceville was 12, ...

as John Sims Parkway, which travels to

Eglin AFB Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The 9 ...

East Gate through Valparaiso as westbound SR 85 and southbound SR 397. SR 20 heads slightly southeast while SR 85 goes north towards Crestview. The road shortly after intersects the southern terminus of SR 285 as it passes by

Niceville High School Niceville Senior High School (NHS) is a public high school in the city of Niceville, Florida. It is ranked as the top high school within its high-performing Okaloosa County School District. In 1996 NHS was selected as one of 226 secondary schools ...

, reducing to four lanes from six lanes. SR 20 continues straight through Niceville before turning more southeast, crossing the C.G. Meigs Bridge over Rocky Bayou, exiting the Niceville city limits and entering Bluewater Bay. 3 miles later, the road intersects SR 293, providing access to Destin via the

Mid-Bay Bridge The Mid-Bay Bridge is a 141-span, , two-lane toll bridge in Okaloosa County in the Florida Panhandle. It connects U.S. Highway 98 in Destin to State Road 20 in Niceville. The bridge generally runs north-south; the approaches to the bridge car ...

before reducing to two lanes and entering Walton County.

Walton County

Briefly after crossing the county line, SR 20 continues southeast before turning east into Choctaw Beach, skirting along the

Choctawhatchee Bay Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of . It is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, connected to it through East Pass (also known ...

, as a two lane road. Upon leaving Choctaw Beach, the speed limit increases from to into

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, intersecting Eglin Site C-6 before intersecting County Road 83A, a loop road, twice in Freeport. Shortly after the second intersection with CR 83A, the road intersects US 331 Business, which happens to be US 331's old alignment through Freeport. SR 20 shortly after intersects

US 331 U.S. Route 331 (US 331) is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently runs for from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida east of Fort Walton Beach at US 98 to Montgomery, Alabama at US 80 and US 82. Unlike US 131, US 231, and US ...

, exiting the town shortly after. Throughout the rest of Walton County, SR 20 does not intersect many roads other than SR 81 in Bruce, continuing eastbound.

Washington County

SR 20 is very short through Washington County, only intersecting SR 79 in Ebro leading to Panama City Beach/ Bonifay. The road runs for 5 miles before straddling the Washington/Bay county line for another 6 miles before veering southeast into Bay County.

Bay County

Only about a mile after completely going into Bay County, SR 20 intersects SR 77, passing by several lakes for a few miles before turning northeast. The road intersects Blue Springs Road, then turning directly east and running close to the Washington County line, but still entirely in Bay County. After the county line ends, the road heads straight east, intersecting

US 231 U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north-south U.S highway that is a parallel route of US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, at US 41 to south of US 98 in downtown Panama City, Florida. One of its most notable landmarks is ...

between Fountain and Youngstown, and then enters Calhoun County.

Calhoun County

State Road 20 continues heading straight east before veering southeast, then curving northeast, to finally resume the straight eastward pattern. The road becomes the southern terminus of SR 287 before entering a very short concurrency with SR 73 in Clarksville. Outside of it, the route intersects CR 275 between Clarksville and

Blountstown Blountstown is a city in Calhoun County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,514 at the 2010 census, which represented an increase from 2,444 in 2000. It is the county seat of Calhoun County. Name Blountstown is named for John Bloun ...

. Through Blountstown, SR 20 is known as Central Avenue, still being a two lane road. The road slightly expands to include turn medians, intersecting SR 71, which allows access to SR 69. Shortly after, the road passes by the county sheriff's office and the courthouse. After Blountstown, the road becomes four lane, crossing the

Apalachicola River The Apalachicola River is a river, approximately 160 mi (180 km) long in the state of Florida. The river's large watershed, known as the ACF River Basin, drains an area of approximately into the Gulf of Mexico. The distance to its fa ...

on the Trammell Bridge into Liberty County.

Liberty County

After crossing the Apalachicola River, the road immediately heads into

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, remaining a four lane road through the town, intersecting SR 12 in the process. SR 20 then goes slightly southeast, intersecting Dempsey Barron Rd toward Hosford. The route intersects SR 65 in Hosford, after which the road intersects barely any more important roads in the county until it reaches, and running concurrent to, SR 267 right before crossing the Ochlockonee River into Leon County.

Leon County (including Tallahassee)

SR 20/SR 267 intersect CR 375 shortly after crossing county lines right before SR 267 splits from SR 20 as Bloxham Cutoff, going to

US 98 U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola and Apalachicola, Florida, and has sinc ...

heading to Perry, bypassing Tallahassee. SR 20, meanwhile, goes northeast, intersecting many rural roads through Fort Braden. The route goes straight east once more through Apalachicola National Forest before intersecting some more small, local roads while encountering a few stop light intersections. Finally, SR 20 enters Tallahassee and meets SR 263/Capital Circle SW and directly after meets SR 366, which heads east as Pensacola Street leading to Stadium Drive, while SR 20 heads north as Blountstown Street. About 1.3 miles later, SR 20 meets

US 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. With the exception of a short-lived ...

/Tennessee Street and turns right into a hidden concurrency. The two roads head southeast along Tennessee St before drifting northeast and then east. After intersecting Stadium Drive, the roads head southeast again, passing along the north side of

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

. Heading directly east into downtown, the routes meet

US 27 U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I-69) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. F ...

/ SR 61/Monroe Street, where SR 20 turns right onto these routes into another hidden concurrency, while US 90 continues as Tennessee Street heading east. Routes 20/27/61 run south along Monroe Street until heading east with US 27 along Apalachee Parkway in front of the Florida Capitol building, while SR 61 continues south along Monroe Street. Routes 20/27 head east along Apalachee Parkway out of Tallahassee, intersecting

US 319 U.S. Route 319 (US 319) is a spur of US 19. It runs for from the foot of the John Gorrie Memorial Bridge across from downtown Apalachicola, Florida to US 1/ SR 4 in Wadley, Georgia, through the Panhandle of Florida and the southern portion of Ge ...

/Capital Circle SE along the way. The two routes remain four laned throughout the rest of Leon County.

Jefferson County and Madison County

Remaining four laned all the way to Perry, US 27/SR 20 head east, intersecting SR 59. Around halfway between Capps and SR 59 is CR 259 in Waukeenah. In Capps,

US 19 U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie. The highway's southern ...

, heading south from

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

, join the 20/27 concurrency before the roads go right slightly before going even more southeast heading briefly into Madison County. In Madison County, the roads intersect CR 150 before entering Taylor County.

Taylor County

US 19/SR 20/US 27 head into Taylor County as Byron Butler Parkway, retaining four lanes and southeasterly direction. The routes go almost go perfectly straight for 16.5 miles until they reach Perry, where the routes go briefly south, where an intersection with

/Hampton Springs Avenue has US 19 leaving the concurrency with US 27/SR 20 to go along US 98 southbound heading towards St Petersburg, with 20/27 going east along Hampton Springs. A few blocks later, the routes intersect

US 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at US 19/ US 98/ US 27 Alternate to Lynchburg, Virginia, at US 29 Business (Lynchburg Expressway). It travels through the states ...

/Jefferson St before leaving Perry and soon afterwards Taylor County, continuing east.

Lafayette County

As a two lane road, US 27/SR 20 head east, intersecting CR 348 and soon after CR 534. Afterwards, the roads head southeast again toward

Mayo Mayo often refers to: * Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo" * Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States Mayo may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land Australia * Division of Mayo, an Aust ...

, where the roads go east, as well as intersecting SR 51, then after Mayo, head southeast once more. Curving slightly northeast, the routes intersect SR 349 and quickly enter Branford in Suwannee County.

Suwannee County/Columbia County

Immediately after crossing the county line, the roads enter the town of Branford, intersecting

US 129 U.S. Route 129 (US 129) is an auxiliary route of US 29, which it intersects in Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for from an intersection with US 19/ US 27 ALT/ US 98 in Chiefland, Florida, to an interchange ...

/ SR 249. After Branford, the roads head east to intersect SR 49. Routes 20/27 soon head southeast upon entering Columbia County, intersecting SR 47 in Fort White before CR 18 terminates at the routes, which briefly go south to then resuming their southeasterly direction towards High Springs.

Alachua County

Upon entering Alachua County, routes 20/27 enter

High Springs High Springs is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in Alachua County and seventh-largest in North Central Florida. The population was 6,215 at the 2020 census. History The present-day area of High S ...

. In the city, the two routes meet with

US 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...

where US 27 finally parts ways with SR 20 by turning south onto US 41, ending their 120 mile long concurrency. SR 20 is independent (and is a signed route) for a few blocks in High Springs before becoming concurrent with

US 441 U.S. Route 441 (US 441) is a auxiliary route of U.S. Route 41. It extends from US 41 in Miami, Florida to US 25W in Rocky Top, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 travels through the states of Florida, Georgia, North ...

, where it goes into yet another hidden concurrency. The routes head slightly southeast as a four lane road, intersecting

I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...

at exit 399 and entering Alachua, intersecting SR 235. The roads curve to the south as they enter Gainesville, where US 441 goes south onto 13th st while SR 20 heads southeast on 6th street to then go south to parallel US 441. SR 20 then goes east on 8th Avenue and then south onto Main Street before turning east again on SR 24/ 26. Finally, SR 20/24/26 goes east, then SR 20 goes southeast on Hawthorne Road to

Hawthorne Hawthorne often refers to the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne may also refer to: Places Australia *Hawthorne, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane Canada * Hawthorne Village, Ontario, a suburb of Milton, Ontario United States * Hawt ...

, where it intersects

US 301 U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...

, to enter Putnam County.

Putnam County

As SR 20 goes slightly northeast, it intersects SR 21. Going east, the route goes to Interlachen where it intersects CR 315, where the road increases to four lanes to Palatka. The road is kept four lanes through Palatka, where it is known as Crill Avenue, and intersecting SR 19, then heads east to Palm Avenue where it is reduced to two lanes. SR 20 continues to head east along Crill Avenue, then turns north on 9th avenue to

US 17 U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Highway that spans in the southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length, with ...

(under one last hidden concurrency), where they cross the St Johns River on the Palatka Memorial Bridge and curve south in East Palatka toward San Mateo, where SR 20 leaves the concurrency with SR 100 from US 17 to head southeast out of Putnam County.

Flagler County

SR 20/100 continue their southeasterly direction for a bit to head straight east to intersect CR 305 and CR 205, then they go east to go into Bunnell, where SR 20 ends at

US 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...

just after going over an overpass. SR 100, however, goes concurrent with US 1 to Bunnell and continues to SR A1A.

Route naming

The portion of SR 20 running through all of Calhoun County was designated as "Fuller Warren Parkway" by the Florida State Legislature in 1999. The portion of SR 20 that runs in a hidden concurrency with US 27 in Leon County was designated as "Apalachee Parkway" by the Florida State Legislature in 1961. The portion of SR 20 that runs in a hidden concurrency with US 27 in Leon, Jefferson, Madison, and Taylor counties was designated as "Blue Star Memorial Highway" by the Florida State Legislature in 1957. The same portion of SR 20 in Taylor, Jefferson, and Leon counties was also designated as "Paradise Drive" by the Florida State Legislature in 1951. The portion of hidden SR 20 from Perry to High Springs in Columbia County, as well as all of SR 20 that runs as a hidden concurrency with US 27 in Lafayette and Suwannee counties, was designated as "Fred P Parker Memorial Highway" by the Florida State Legislature in 1941. The portion of SR 20 in Alachua County that runs in a hidden concurrency with US 441 was designated as "Martin Luther King Jr. Highway" by the Florida State Legislature in 1988. The portion of SR 20 in Alachua County that runs in a hidden concurrency with US 27 was designated as "United Spanish War Veterans Memorial Highway" by the Florida State Legislature in 1947. The entire portion of SR 20 that runs in a hidden concurrency with US 27 was designated as "Claude Pepper Memorial Highway" by the Florida State Legislature in 1999. Further, the same co-signed portion of SR 20 was designated as "Purple Heart Highway" by the Florida State Highway Board in 2010.

Major intersections

Related routes

County Road 0120

County Road 0120 (CR 0120) is a short piece of an old alignment of State Road 20, at the

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

/ Leon County Line. CR 0120 only extends a couple of tenths of a mile (about 300 m) to the

Ochlockonee River The Ochlockonee River ( ) is a fast running river, except where it has been dammed to form Lake Talquin in Florida, originating in Georgia and flowing for before terminating in Florida. Background The name is from the Hitchiti language words ...

, where the old bridge has been dismantled; thus, it no longer connects, to Leon County CR 20, on the other side of the river. The reasons for a realignment were to straighten out the curve on the Leon County side and to bypass a residential area. Along CR 0120, are entrances to a couple of residences and an abandoned

gas station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoline ...

County Road 20A

County Road 20A is a suffixed county alternate route on the south side of SR 20 in western Putnam County. It begins at the southern terminus of State Road 21 in

McMeekin McMeekin may refer to: * Clark McMeekin, joint pseudonym of American authors Dorothy Clark and Isabel McMeekin * Duncan McMeekin (born 1955), justice of Supreme Court of Queensland * Isabel McMeekin (1895-1973), American author under the pseudonym ...

, and runs southeast towards

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

, and

Edgar Edgar is a commonly used English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Eadgar'' (composed of '' ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''gar'' "spear"). Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the later medieval period; it was, however, rev ...

, finally reaching Interlachen, where it turns north to meet SR 20 again.

References

External links

{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
Florida Route Log (SR 20)
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