Getting Here, Getting Around
Jacksonville has the great advantage of being easily accessible by air, land or sea, and with over 4 million tourists coming in and out of the city every year, the city’s points of entry function with remarkable efficiency.
A well-planned infrastructure of fast-moving highways makes getting around the city a breeze. In fact, the major interstate highways running through Jacksonville are so direct that they provide fast and easy access to nearly every major city in the region.
If arrival by rail raises your interest, rest assured that Amtrak services the city handily with multiple stops daily, and if seafaring stirs your blood, Jacksonville’s ease of embarkation will certainly float your boat. Care to arrive by air? Thanks to a major overhaul, the city’s airport is now both pleasing to the eye and user-friendly.
Give each one a try to understand Jacksonville’s multi-faceted mobility first-hand.
1. Cecil Field
City: Jacksonville, FL
Category: Getting Here, Getting Around
Telephone: (904) 573-1611
Address: 13365 Aeronautical Circle
Description: Drive 15 miles west of town to find Cecil Field, one of Jacksonville’s three regional general aviation airports. The site is well suited for aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations. With four, 200-foot-wide runways, three of which measure 8,000 feet, Cecil Field provides a user-friendly base for corporate aircraft, general aviation, and air cargo. The fourth runway, at 12,500 feet, is one of the longest in Florida.
2. Craig Airport
City: Jacksonville, FL
Category: Getting Here, Getting Around
Telephone: (904) 641-7666
Description: Centrally located near Jacksonville’s suburban business centers, Craig Airport is a general aviation field perfect for busy corporate executives and ideally situated for quick access to the city’s beaches, Downtown business district, and Jacksonville Jaguars football games at nearby Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. In 2005 Craig reported 162,000 takeoffs and landings.
3. Herlong Airport
City: Jacksonville, FL
Category: Getting Here, Getting Around
Telephone: (904) 783-2805
Address: 9300 Normandy Blvd.
Description: Located on the city’s west side, Herlong Airport serves as a general aviation field and prime recreational site for small private planes, hot-air balloons, gliders, and similar craft. Herlong covers 1,434 acres of land, houses approximately 140 aircraft, and features 3,500- and 4,000-foot runways. Single- and twin-engine aircraft, gliders, helicopters, ultralights, and an increasing number of corporate jets and turboprop aircraft use this airport, which is located about 11 miles southwest of Downtown.
4. Amtrak
City: Jacksonville, FL
Category: Getting Here, Getting Around
Telephone: (904) 766-5110, (800) 872-7245
Address: 3570 Clifford Lane
Description: Train travel is both affordable and scenic. Book a sleeper compartment and wend your way down from D.C. or speed up the coast from Miami. Amtrak offers daily service to Jacksonville’s station, located on the city’s Northside, about 7 miles from Downtown. Picking up and dropping off out-of-town guests at the station is super-easy, but city buses and taxis are always available to provide local transportation.
5. Greyhound Bus Lines
City: Jacksonville, FL
Category: Getting Here, Getting Around
Telephone: (904) 356-9976, (800) 231-2222
Address: 10 North Pearl St.
Description: For those traveling on a limited budget, Greyhound Bus is the most affordable way to get to and from Jacksonville. The bus line’s main terminal is located in the heart of Downtown, where transferring to public transportation or grabbing a taxi is a snap.
6. Jaxport Cruise Terminal
City: Jacksonville, FL
Category: Getting Here, Getting Around
Address: 9810 August Dr.
Description: Board a four- or five-day cruise to Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas, or treat yourself to a five-day getaway to Key West and Nassau or Half Moon Cay and Nassau on Carnival Cruise Lines, which departs right from the JAXPORT Cruise Terminal just off Heckscher Drive. If you plan to leave a car at the terminal, prepare to spend $15 per day per passenger vehicle ($60 for a four-day cruise and $75 for a five-day cruise), and $25 per day for oversized recreational vehicles ($100 for a four-day cruise and $125 for a five-day cruise). The lot is located adjacent to the terminal building, and no reservations are required for parking.
City: Jacksonville, FL
Category: Getting Here, Getting Around
City: Jacksonville, FL
Category: Getting Here, Getting Around
City: Jacksonville, FL
Category: Getting Here, Getting Around
Address: 3189 East Old Port Circle (office)