State Road 41 (SR 41) is the secret designation for
U.S. Route 301 between
Temple Terrace
Temple Terrace is an incorporated city in northeastern Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, adjacent to Tampa. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 26,690. It is the third and smallest incorporated municipality in Hillsb ...
and
Zephyrhills, Florida
Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. The population was counted at 17,194 in the 2020 census. It is a suburb of the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. Zephyrhills is also known as the headquarters of the Zephyrhill ...
. It is known as Fort King Highway in Hillsborough County, and Fort King Road in Pasco County.
Route description
State Road 41 begins at Harney Road (County Road 580/
43) at the embankment of a former railroad overpass, and curves underneath
Interstate 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 S ...
with no access. It serves as the eastern terminus for
State Road 582, as well as the unmarked County Road 582 in Thonotosassa. The road continues northeastward rejoining the aforementioned abandoned railroad line as both run through
Hillsborough River State Park
Hillsborough River State Park is located in the northeast corner of Hillsborough County, Florida near Zephyrhills (which is itself in Pasco County). It is a popular park due to its proximity to the city of Tampa.
The park consists of over 3,38 ...
. Like much of US 301 between Bushnell and Bradenton, State Road 41 also runs parallel to the DeSoto Trail.
Entering Pasco County, the road changes its name from Fort King Highway to Fort King Road. In Zephyrhills, it becomes concurrent with
State Road 39 which eventually replaces it as the secret route of US 301.
Former sections
County Road 41
In Zephyrhills, Route 41 breaks away as a County Road that was originally a state road. From this point to the intersection with Daughtery Road, it runs along the west side of a former
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, t ...
line which was abandoned in the early-1970's. Between Zephyrhills and
Dade City
Dade City is a city in and the county seat of Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is located in the Tampa Bay Area. The population was 6,437 at the 2010 census.
Dade City is popular with tourists for its antique stores, restaurants, and h ...
, the road is known mainly as Fort King Road. At one point it runs on top of LeHeup Hill, which at is one of the highest points in Pasco County.
After crossing
County Road 52 Alternate, it runs towards the back of Pasco High School. Within the Dade City Limits, it becomes South 17th Street. Concurrent with
SR 52 between South 17th Street and North 21st Street, and then immediately with County Road 578 between Saint Joe Road and Lock Street.
Northwest of Dade City CR 41 becomes Blanton Road, where it winds up, down, and around more hills. It serves as the terminus of both ends of
County Road 41 Alternate one end of which also includes the terminus of
County Road 575. At the interchange with
Interstate 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 S ...
at Exit 293 (formerly Exit 60) it becomes a two-lane divided highway, but only in the vicinity of the ramps. In between, it narrows back down to a two-lane bridge over I-75 itself. CR 41 curves back north again near an orange grove at the intersection of County Road 577 (Lake Iola Road), where it enters Hernando County.
County Road 541
North of the Hernando County Line, County Road 41 becomes County Road 541 as Spring Lake Highway. Once a former segment of State Road 41 and later County Road 41, it continues to move up and down the hills of eastern Hernando County, through orange groves, former orange groves, and hay farms. The road serves as the eastern terminus of
CR 576 (Hayman Road, formerly CR 420) and
CR 572 (Powell Road) in
Spring Lake. North of CR 572, one major orange grove remains intact. It ends at
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 ...
/
SR 50 in
Hill 'n Dale, where it leads to a realigned section of County Road 484.
Major intersections
Related route
County Road 41 Alternate is the bannered route of CR 41 in the northwestern outskirts of Dade City. It was originally a suffixed alternate of
State Road 35 called
County Road 35B, and included Frazee Hill Road.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Florida Route Log (SR 41)
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