U.S. Route 90 in Florida

U.S. Route 90 (US 90) in the state of Florida is the northernmost east–west United States Numbered Highway in the state. US 90 passes through the county seats of all 15 counties on its course in Florida, and it is also the road upon which many of the county courthouses are located. It is never more than from Interstate 10 (I-10) throughout the state. It runs as a two-lane highway through most of the sparsely populated inland areas of the Florida Panhandle, widening to four lanes through and near several towns. The speed limit is for all rural points west of Monticello, and it is on all rural points beginning in Madison County to Glen St. Mary.

Like all highways in Florida, US 90 always carries a state road number, which may or may not always be signed. These numbers are assigned by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT):
* State Road 10 (SR 10) from the Alabama state line to US 90 Alt./SR 10 east in Jacksonville with one exception:
** SR 10A between the western and eastern termini of US 90 Alt. in Escambia County, which carries SR 10.
* SR 212 from the US 90 Alt./SR 10 interchange in Jacksonville to the eastern terminus at SR A1A in Jacksonville Beach.

Concurrencies include US 98 in Pensacola, US 331 in DeFuniak Springs, US 221 in Greenville, US 301 in Baldwin, and US 1 in Jacksonville. Lesser concurrencies with state and county roads also exist in various parts of the state. The segment between US 319 in Tallahassee and US 441 in Lake City also includes part of the DeSoto Trail.

Route description

Escambia County, including Pensacola

As it enters the Sunshine State from Alabama after crossing a bridge over the Perdido River, US 90 and the eastbound beginning of unsigned SR 10 passes by two roads for a local fish camp on the northeast side of the bridge then bends northeast toward the rural community of Beulah. This segment of the road is known as Mobile Highway. Halfway along this alignment a single truck weigh station that's accessible from both directions can be found on the south side of the road. Once it begins to turn more to the east again, US 90 becomes a divided highway before it shifts south towards Pensacola while US 90 Alternate (US 90 Alt.) stays to the north of the city taking SR 10. This stretch of highway is also known as Nine Mile Road. US 90 itself moves onto hidden SR 10A where it narrows back down to two lanes and then takes a turn to the southeast, still keeping Mobile Highway as the street name. From there, the road becomes the southern terminus of County Road 99 (CR 99), the westernmost two-digit route in Florida.

After passing by the Florida Division of Forestry's Beulah Fire Lookout Tower, and then a few schools and churches, the road crosses waterways such as Elevenmile Creek and then Eightmile Creek before entering Bellview. Here, the first major intersection is CR 173, better known as the Blue Angels Parkway, and a county extension of SR 173. Next, it turns into a four-lane divided highway north of Goodwin Lane, and then becomes the southern terminus of SR 297. The only other intersection south of this point is Belleview Avenue between there and a much more important intersection with the western terminus of SR 296 and eastern terminus of CR 296. From there, open space exists on the southwest side of the street which is interrupted only by one street, specifically CR 341 (Marlane Drive). The road then crosses a body of water known as Bayou Marcus Creek which leads to Crescent Lake, the southwest corner of which is flanked by the Osceola Municipal Golf Course. The road runs along the border of West Pensacola and Myrtle Grove until it reaches the intersection with SR 727 (Fairfield Drive) and is entirely within West Pensacola. Eastbound SR 727 provides the only northbound access to the next state route, because that route happens to contain a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 295, which includes only east-to-south and west-to-north access from US 90, and south-to-east and north-to-west access from SR 295. Later it serves as the northern terminus of SR 295 Spur and eastern terminus of SR 298 (New Warrington Road). The road then approaches a bridge over some railroad tracks and then begins to turn more towards the east and less towards the south.

US 90 finally enters the city of Pensacola after the intersection of CR 453 (W Street) where it merges onto West Cervantes Street, which is also the name of a local street west of CR 453. Eight blocks later, US 90 encounters the intersection of US 98 and SR 292, and US 98 moves from a concurrency with SR 292 to one with US 90. Together US 90 & 98 run through the heart of Pensacola. Among the intersections they share are with US 29 where West Cervantes Street becomes East Cervantes Street. But US 29 has been overshadowed by a partial interchange with I-110 at exit 2. Two to three blocks later it encounters southbound SR 291 along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (formerly Alcaniz Street), and northbound SR 291 along Davis Highway). Four blocks later, the US 90/98 concurrency ends at the intersection with SR 289, where US 98 turns south towards the Pensacola Bay Bridge and runs along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico toward Perry, Lakeland, and Palm Beach, while US 90 continues along Cervantes Street. Veering slightly to the right after the intersection with 15th Street, it crosses a bridge over Bayou Texar, and hits land again at the intersection of Bayou Boulevard across from the Bayou Texar Boat Ramp, which can only be accessed from Stanley Avenue a block east.

Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway

After the eastern terminus of SR 296 at Perry Avenue, the name of the road changes to "Scenic Highway," becoming an official Florida Scenic Highway known as the Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway. It narrows down from four lanes to two lanes between Chipley Avenue and Strong Street, and it turns north where it runs along the west side of Escambia Bay. Along the way, it frequently encounters the CSX P&A Subdivision, a former Louisville and Nashville Railroad line that carried Amtrak's Sunset Limited from 1993 until 2005 when Hurricane Katrina truncated the line to New Orleans. The road moves closer to the tracks near Magnolia Point just south of Hyde Park Road. Most of the area along this segment is residential, and those that aren't normally tend to consist of either parkland or merely open space.

Despite having neither a state or county road designation, the intersection of Summit Boulevard of importance because it leads to Pensacola Regional Airport. After another random series of local streets, residences and parks, US 90 approaches a signaled intersection with Langley Avenue, which is across the street from a wayside for Chimney Park along Red Bluff, the site of the former Hyer-Knowles Planing Mill, which was destroyed by Confederate General Braxton Bragg as part of an attempt to prevent the factory from falling into Union hands. This site has been part of the National Register of Historic Places since May 2012. Just west of a peninsula called Gulf Point, the last state highway US 90 encounters in the city is SR 742. From there it enters Ferry Pass, where it will remain through the rest of the county. US 90 then encounters the first of five interchanges with I-10 at exit 17 (which is a folded diamond interchange), just before I-10 crosses the Escambia Bay Bridge. Later, the P&A Subdivision branches off to the east at Lora Point in order to cross its own bridge across the bay while US 90 moves to the northwest along the coast of Macky Bay. The first intersection along this segment also happens to be the first major intersection, SR 290 (Olive Road). All other streets along this segment are local ones, and all on the west side of the road. However, when the coastline moves to the north it provides local streets on the east side. Once this happens, the route finally encounters the eastern terminus of US 90 Alt. where the scenic route officially ends, and it becomes a four-lane divided highway again before crossing some bridges along the swamps on the left side of the bay the first of which is for the Escambia River where it crosses the Escambia–Santa Rosa county line.

Santa Rosa County

Not yet outside of the Pensacola metropolitan area, US 90 enters Pace and gains the name Caroline Street. After the intersection of CR 197A, the road turns northeast, where it crosses CR 197 (Chumukula Highway), and at County Road 197B (West Spencer Field Road) it turns east again. The road remains straight east and west as it encounters another segment of CR 197A. After the northern terminus with SR 281 the road curves northeast, and officially enters Milton. It then crosses a pair of bridges over Pond Creek, where it passes by Mayo Park. Just east of the intersection with Glover Lane, Old US 90, a former segment of US 90 veers off to the right, but it is only a local street. The rest of the area is surrounded by portions of city territory, which becomes more widespread as it approaches the southern terminus of SR 89 (Dogwood Drive), but also has a hidden concurrency with SR 89 east of there. A far more visible concurrency exists later on when the road curves back to the east where it meets the intersection with SR 87, the eastern corners of which also includes the intersection of the Blackwater Heritage State Trail. From this point on the road narrows down to two lanes as it runs through the Milton Historic District, an area that has been on the National Register of Historic Places since November 12, 1987 and also includes an intersection with CR 191, which contains the east end of Old US 90. The district ends as the road crosses a bridge over the Blackwater River, and leaves the city limits.

As the road enters East Milton and the Marquis Bayou, US 90/SR 87 encounters the entrance to Russell Barker Landing Park, and across from that the historic former section of US 90 known as State Road 1 (''see below''), which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Later the road runs through the rural outskirts of Milton which includes another park known as Locklin Field Park, and then curves to the southeast. The old road is encountered again under a bridge over the CSX P&A Subdivision, and after becoming the northern terminus of CR 89 thus eliminating the hidden SR 89 concurrency, it then runs parallel to the old road as well as the P&A Subdivision on the north side. All three roads (US 90/SR 78, Old SR 1, and the P&A line) run relatively straight northeast to southwest from that point on. Right after Peter Prince Field, the concurrency with SR 87 ends as that route turns south toward Navarre Beach, while the other routes continue in the same direction, with only random local intersections. A street which would seem to be a former segment of US 90, but isn't known as Goodrange Drive veers off to the southeast in Harold, while US 90 turns at a more northeasterly angle where it encounters Deaton Bridge Road which leads to Blackwater River State Park after passing by the Harold Nolf Heliport. On the opposite of this is one leg of the wye to Miller Bluff Road. Goodrange Drive merges back with US 90, which remains at the same trajectory. From there, the road runs along a mostly dirt road called "Bliss Way." Both road run under a power line right-of-way, then pass by the George T. McCutchan Airport (a local airstrip) before it later encounters the no longer existent community of Floridale, briefly moving away from the tracks, and then returning to tracks before cutting through the southeast corner of Blackwater River State Forest. Upon leaving the forest, it runs near an animal feed store and horse farm which is the last business to be found in the county. The last intersection in the county is Lake Yellow River Road on the southwest the Santa Rosa– Okaloosa county line, and Garner Landing Road on the northeast side.

Okaloosa County

In much of Okaloosa County, US 90 takes one of the names given to the former sections in Santa Rosa County; the "Old Spanish Trail." The first community it runs through is Holt, where it moves slightly further away from the railroad tracks at the intersection of Cooper Lane, and then encounters CR 189, a county extension of SR 189. It runs in a concurrency with CR 189 that shifts back to the side of the tracks before reaching Summertime Drive, which then turns north onto Galliver Cutoff to meet the state highway it was originally part of. Later it crosses a bridge over the P&A Subdivision, and then serves as the eastern terminus of SR 4 in Milligan, however it also shares a hidden concurrency with SR 4 as both roads run along West James Lee Boulevard. One intersection with the southern terminus of CR 397 (Old River Road), and its dirt road extension Ellis Road exists before US 90/SR 4 cross a bridge over the Yellow River. East of this bridge, the road becomes a four-lane divided highway and County Road 4 branches off to the southeast and leads to southern Crestview.

US 90 enters Crestview itself where the divider ends at CR 188, but remains four-lanes wide. Further into the city, it runs along the border of the Crestview Commercial Historic District and then encounters an intersection with Main Street where West James Lee Boulevard becomes East James Lee Boulevard, and then intersects SR 85 and Courthouse Terrace on the southwest corner of that intersection. US 90 leaves the historic district at Industrial Drive, and then passes by Twin Hills Park on the south side, and the Okaloosa County Jail on the north side. At the intersection with Del Cerro Camino, the road changes from a four-lane undivided highway to a four-lane divided one. East of Crestview, US 90 remains four lanes wide as it crosses a bridge over Mandle Creek, but narrows down to a two lane undivided highway before crossing the bridge over the Shoal River. The rest of the way through the county it includes both names "East James Lee Boulevard" and "Old Spanish Trail", as it meanders around rural Okaloosa County. As it enters Killingsworth Crossorads, the road runs along the north side of the P&A Subdivision, but the tracks begin to move away momentarily as it enters Deerland, where it encounters the southern terminus of CR 393. The tracks return to the side of the road just west of the intersection of Mare Creek Drive, and will remain on this side even as both pass through some last developments hidden away on both sides before it crosses the Okaloosa-Walton county Line.

Walton County

Shortly after crossing the county line, US 90 continues to carry the name "Old Spanish Trail" where it enters the community of Bottle Branch and serves as the northern border of Eglin Air Force Base, although some private property occasionally can be found. Here the road serves as the northern terminus of State Road 285. Continuing along the northern edge of the base, US 90 and I-10 run parallel to each other, until the base territory ends, and I-10 moves to the southeast. In DeFuniak Springs, US 90 runs along the north side of the DeFuniak Springs Airport where it is joined in a concurrency with southbound US 331. After the airport US 90/331 runs along the north side of the DeFuniak Springs Country Club and then intersects a street named Baldwin Avenue, a city street with little importance other than the fact that it runs along the north side of the P&A Subdivision. This concurrency ends as US 331 turns south onto unmarked State Road 83 (Freeport Road), which joins US 90 as they both enter the DeFuniak Springs Historic District until it heads north onto North Ninth Street. US 90 doesn't leave the historic district until the intersection of Second Street, but it encounters three other local intersections after this. A sure sign that the road's presence in the city is coming to an end, is when it approaches the east end of Baldwin Avenue with Dorsey Avenue as the road curves to the northeast along the railroad tracks, eventually leaving DeFuniak Spring and turning more toward the east again.

As the road enters the former community of Koerber, and then passes by the site of the former railroad station, US 90 appears to serve as the southern terminus of CR 183 (Kidd Road). However, CR 183 secretly joins US 90 in a concurrency as they both climb a small hill, and shortly descend near a small industrial area. US 90/CR 183 curve slightly to the southeast as they enter Argyle, where CR 183 secretly joins CR 10A, while US 90 briefly curves to the northeast. CR 10A is named Old Highway 90), then removes the name "Old Spanish Trail" from US 90 as it crosses US 90 before both the old and "new" versions of US 90 cross the Walton- Holmes County Line.

Holmes and Washington Counties

US 90 winds around western rural Holmes County, as it does in much of the state. On the opposite side of a land mass called Long Pond Hill, US 90 finally reunites with the Old Spanish Trail at CR 10A, at an intersection also shared with a dirt road called the Baker Manning Loop. Shortly after this, the road enters its first municipality in the county, the Town of Ponce De Leon, where the only major intersection is an unsignalized one with State Road 81. The intersection with SR 81 would actually be a wye, if the west leg didn't continue south towards I-10 at Exit 96, Redbay, and points south. Shortly after the east leg of the wye with SR 81, US 90 crosses over Sandy Creek and then encounters the northern terminus of CR 181A (Ponce de Leon Springs Road), at an intersection also shared by Old Mill Road, a local city/county street. CR 181A leads to Ponce de Leon Springs State Park, and then down to CR 181. East of there, the road crosses a bridge over the P&A Subdivision, but before leaving Ponce de Leon, US 90 has another encounter with CR 10A (Old US 90) east of the eastern terminus of Main Street. CR 10A is encountered again at Oak Grove Church Road, but the FDOT maps still includes the abandoned section between Oak Grove Church Road and US 90.

Just as US 90 enters Westville a concurrency with CR 181 (South Cypress Street) begins, and US 90/CR 181 run parallel to CR 181C (R.M. Ward Road). The concurrency and the parallel suffixed route end when CR 181 turns north onto Pine Street, and the alignment of US 90 shifts back towards the east. But just as it briefly runs direct east, it turns southeast again, as it approaches the George L. Dickerson Bridge over the Choctawhatchee River, and thus the Holmes- Washington County Line, upon which it immediately enters the Town of Caryville, maintaining the street name "Old Spanish Trail." The southeast corner of this bridge contains a local parallel street to a boat ramp. Despite running through a clearly defined town, US 90 runs by very few established landmarks, one of which is Caryville Town Hall and then intersects with Church Street, the southern side of which was a former segment of CR 279. Roughly two blocks after this it encounters the northern terminus of CR 279, which leads to I-10 at Exit 104, and then to Vernon, and Greenhead. Almost instantly the road crosses a bridge over a tributary to the Choctawhatchee River. Shortly after the embankment for this bridge ends, the road has two other local intersections before encountering the southern terminus of CR 179, which leads north to Pittman. East of there it is not only named Old Spanish Trail, but Brown Avenue. US 90 leaves the Caryville Town limits and meanders around the thumb of Washington County running through Garnair Airport, before it re-enters Holmes County, continuing to use "Old Spanish Trail" as the street name.

Holmes and Washington Counties; The second run

In its second journey through Holmes County, US 90 runs in a straight line northeast and southwest at least one block away from the P&A line until it reaches Boswell Road and curves to the southeast beginning to move slightly further away from that line. East of the intersection of West Banfill Avenue, which forks off to the northeast, US 90 becomes a four-lane divided highway again. Along this segment it passes by the Holmes County High School on the south side just before entering Bonifay. At the intersection of CR 173, the divider ends abruptly, and the rest of the road remains a four-lane undivided highway well through the intersection with State Road 79, narrowing down to two lanes at Weeks Street. Two government offices can be found outside of the city limits. Many of the surroundings after this transform into farmland, and then sparse residences, and the road even runs through a forest on its way out of the county.

At a bridge over Holmes Creek, US 90 returns to Washington County. Few locations along this segment are of any note, other than a one-lane dirt road named Ray's Place that leads across the tracks to Vosika's Airport. However, just east of the site of the former Hulaw L&N Railroad Station, US 90 becomes the northern terminus of State Road 277, and then turns into a four-lane undivided highway once again. At Hoyt Street, the road becomes West Jackson Avenue as it officially enters Chipley, where it passes by Washington County Public Library, and City Hall across the street, which is not to be confused with the old City Hall, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located further into town. Second Street is where the name of the road changes from West Jackson Avenue to Jackson Avenue. East of Third Street, which has a South Third Street Historic District south of US 90, the historic Washington County Courthouse can be found on the south side of the street, where Fourth Street would be. Naturally, the next intersection is Fifth Street, which leads to the Old City Hall and the Woman's Club of Chipley

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