State Road 40 (SR 40) is a east–west route across northern and east-central Florida, running from

U.S. Route 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, ...

(US 41) in Rainbow Lakes Estates eastwards through

Ocala Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...

over the

Ocklawaha River The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 21, 2011 Ocklawaha River flows north from central Florida until it joins the St. Johns River near Palatka. Its name is derived ...

and bridge and through the heart of the

Ocala National Forest The Ocala National Forest ls the second largest nationally protected forest in the U.S. State of Florida. It covers of northern Florida. It is located three miles (5 km) east of Ocala and southeast of Gainesville. The Ocala National For ...

State Road A1A State Road A1A (SR A1A) is a major north–south Florida State Road that runs along the Atlantic Ocean, from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Fernandina Beach, just south of Georgia on Amelia Island. It is the main road through m ...

Ormond Beach Ormond Beach is a city in central Florida in Volusia County. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metropolitan ...

. Names of the road include Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala, Fort Brooks Road from Silver Springs through Astor, Butler Road in Astor, and Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach. Former sections in Ormond Beach are named "Old Tomoka Road" and "Old Tomoka Avenue."

Route description

The segment maintained by

FDOT The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...

begins at US 41 north of the entrance to

Rainbow Springs State Park Rainbow Springs State Park is a Florida State Parks, Florida state park located on U.S. Route 41 in Florida, U.S. 41, 3 miles (5 km) north of Dunnellon, Florida. It comprises upland (which includes around of wetlands) and submerged. T ...

, where it moves at a northeast angle before crossing under a narrow railroad bridge. The road passes by the

Ocala International Airport Ocala International Airport is five miles west of Ocala, in Marion County, Florida. It is also known as Ocala International Airport-Jim Taylor Field and was previously Ocala Regional Airport or Jim Taylor Field. The airport is about 31 miles so ...

before entering the city limits and crossing under

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 352. East of I-75 SR 40 continues as a four-lane divided highway where it passes the site of the former Region #5 Headquarters of the

Florida Department of Transportation The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...

. CSX's S-Line, which once carried the Amtrak Palmetto runs beneath the road before intersecting with

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 U.S. Route 1 in Florida, US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in India ...

- 301- 441. East of the triplex, SR 40 climbs a hill and passes just north of the

Ocala Historic Commercial District The Ocala Historic Commercial District is a United States, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Historic District (designated as such on June 3, 1999) located in Ocala, Florida. It encompasses approximately , and is bounded by 1st Street ...

, and south of the

Ocala Union Station The Ocala Union Station (also known as Union Station Plaza) is a historic site in Ocala, Florida, United States. It is located at 531 Northeast First Avenue, and was built in 1917 by both the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Pr ...

. At the intersection of Northeast 25th Street SR 40 turns northeast where it gains a wide tree-lined divider. It passes along the northern edge of the Ocala Golf Club, then serves as the western terminus of CR 314 (Northeast 7th Street) and the eastern terminus of State Road 492 (Northeast 14th Street), and later the Appleton Museum of Art, which includes the Ocala Civic Theatre. From there, the divider ends as the road enters

Silver Springs, Florida Silver Springs is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is the site of Silver Springs, a group of artesian springs and a historic tourist attraction that is now part of Sil ...

where it intersects with the northern terminus of State Road 35 and southern terminus of County Road 35 at the

Silver Springs Nature Theme Park Silver Springs is a group of artesian springs that feed into the Silver River in Marion County, Florida. It is the largest artesian spring in the world and the site of the oldest commercial tourist attraction in Florida, and was designated a Nat ...

. Before the entrance to this park, a major segment of the Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway begins along the route. The road runs along the north side of

Silver Springs State Park Silver Springs State Park, formerly known as Silver River State Park, is a Florida state park located on the Silver River in Marion County. The park contains Silver Springs, Florida's first tourist attraction. The Silver Springs attraction da ...

, where it serves as the eastern terminus of State Road 326 and the southern terminus of CR 315, before it climbs the Bert Dosh Memorial Bridge in order to cross the

, which was also intended to be part of the

Cross Florida Barge Canal The Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway is a protected green belt corridor, more than one and a half miles (1.6 km) wide in places, that was the former route of the proposed Cross Florida Barge Canal. It is named for the leader o ...

, and is now part of the Cross Florida Greenway and the

Florida National Scenic Trail The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. It currently runs , from Big Cypress National Preserve (between Miami and Naples, Florida along the Tamiami Trail) to Fort Pickens at Gulf Islands National Seashore, ...

. Shortly after descending from that bridge, the highway intersects CR 314 for the second time, and then passes through Lynne where it intersects CR 314A, before bisecting the

. Toward the eastern edge of the Juniper Springs Recreation Area, SR 40 approaches the intersection with State Road 19. Immediately after the SR 19 intersection, the road crosses the Marion- Lake County line and runs along an overlook and camping area at Wildcat Lake. East of the intersection of CR 445 & CR 445A in Astor Park, it passes through Astor where it crosses the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...

via the Astor Bridge. Immediately across the bridge, on the east bank of the St. Johns River, SR 40 passes through the

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Volusia Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the 2 ...

, one of the first European settlements in Florida, and the area for which Volusia, County was named. As the road leaves Lake George State Forest and enters Barberville, it shifts to the northeast at the intersection of Lemmon Road, then intersects CR 3 and then the Barberville Flea Market and Post Office before a railroad crossing for the

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

"A" line a block west of the intersection of

U.S. Route 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, wit ...

. The road curves back east, and then northeast again as it passes along the south side of

Volusia Speedway Park Volusia Speedway Park (formerly known as Volusia County Speedway and Barberville Speedway) is an auto racing facility located near Barberville in Volusia County, Florida. It currently operates as a 1/2-mile dirt oval and a 1/5-mile dirt oval ...

before the intersection of

State Road 11 Route 11, or Highway 11 can refer to routes in the following countries: International * Asian Highway 11 * European route E11 * European route E011 Argentina * Buenos Aires Provincial Route 11 Australia Queensland * Suttor Developmenta ...

in DeLeon Springs. From there, the road bisects the Tomoka Wildlife Management Area Union-Camp Tract and, after passing by some residential areas and intersecting Country Acres Boulevard, the road goes from two lanes to four as turns back into a divided highway. Despite officially entering the City of Ormond Beach, the highway runs along the north side of Tiger Bay State Forest and the

Dan Rice Airport Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...

, but then becomes more suburban as it approaches the vicinity of the

Tomoka River The Tomoka River is a north-flowing river in Volusia County, Florida, Volusia County, Florida, United States. It drains an area of about and has a length of .U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe N ...

where the Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway ends just before

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

at Exit 268 which is a block away from CR 4009. East of I-95 & CR 4009, the road curves northeast again as it runs along residential areas along the Tomoka River, until it curves east before crossing over a bridge over one of its tributaries, just west of the intersection of State Road 5A (North and South Nova Road). The road makes one last left curve at Old Tomoka Avenue before approaching the grade crossing of the

Florida East Coast Railroad The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a pro ...

main line, and then intersects with

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 ...

(North and South Yonge Street). The route continues, but the divider ends as SR 40 comes in close proximity to Ormond Beach City Hall on the southwest corner of Granada Boulevard and Beach Street( CR 4011). From there, SR 40 is overlapped by the

Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail The Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail is a series of scenic state and county highways in Volusia County, Florida. CR 2002 (Highbridge Road and Walter Boardman Road) is the northern leg of the trail. CR 4011(Old Dixie Highway and North Beach Street) is ...

, where the divider begins again on the Granada Bridge over the

Halifax River The Halifax River is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, located in northeast Volusia County, Florida. The waterway was originally known as the North Mosquito River, but was renamed after George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax (for whom ...

, and immediately intersects John Anderson Drive( CR 2803), where one leg of the scenic route heads north and West Granada Boulevard becomes East Granda Boulevard, before finally terminating at

. The other leg of the Ormond Beach Scenic Loop heads north on SR A1A. Despite the fact that SR 40 terminates at SR A1A, East Granada Boulevard continues as a beach access road.

Related routes

County extensions west of US 41

A western extension of SR 40 continues from US 41 in

Dunnellon Dunnellon is a city with the unique feature of sitting in 3 counties in Marion, Levy & Citrus counties in Florida, United States. The predominant part falls in the Marion county. The population was 1,928 at the 2020 census, up from 1,733 in 20 ...

as County Road 40 to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

through

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

and

Levy Levy, Lévy or Levies may refer to: People * Levy (surname), people with the surname Levy or Lévy * Levy Adcock (born 1988), American football player * Levy Barent Cohen (1747–1808), Dutch-born British financier and community worker * Levy Fi ...

Counties north of the Withlacoochee River. County Road 40 is named ''Follow That Dream Parkway'' west of

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 ...

/ 98 after the 1962

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

movie that was filmed in Inglis, Yankeetown and the surrounding area. East of US 19-98, the road is known as Port Avenue in Levy County, and Cedar Street, then Pennsylvania Avenue in Dunnellon. Between Dunnellon and Rainbow Lakes Estates, SR 40 serves as a not-so-hidden route along US 41.

County Road 40A

County Road 40A is a suffixed alternate of County Road 40, along Southeast 193rd Place. It begins at the intersection of CR 40 and Allen Park Road and 63rd Street and briefly runs northeast until curving to the east where it runs mostly parallel to the north side of CR 40 into Inglis, where it moves further away from Follow That Dream Boulevard then terminates at

/ 98.

History

The route was established in the 1945 renumbering.

Future

A proposed expansion of SR 40 resulted in the State Road 40 Environmental Feasibility Study,State Road 40 Environmental Feasibility Study
/ref> which reviewed potential impact of improvements to the existing highway while not destroying the natural beauty of the area.

Major intersections

References

External links

{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway (Florida Scenic Highways)
State highways in Florida, 040 SR040 040 040 040 040 040 1945 establishments in Florida