Getting Around

Maps – On-line maps for Gainesville and related areas. 

General Street System

Gainesville has an extensive road system, which is served by Interstate 75, and several Florida State Routes, including State routes 20, 24, and 26, among others. Gainesville is also served by US 441 and nearby US 301, which gives a direct route to Jacksonville, Ocala, and Orlando. The primary intersection in the city is the intersection of 13th Street (US 441), the main north-south route, and University Avenue (SR 26) the main east-west route. This intersection is at the northeast corner of the University of Florida campus and thirteen blocks west of the center of downtown, where Main Street intersects University Avenue.

The city’s streets are set up on a grid system with four quadrants (NW, NE, SW and SE). All streets are numbered, except for a few major thoroughfares which are often named for the towns to which they lead. For example, Waldo Road (SR 26) goes to Waldo, Hawthorne Road (SR 20) will take you to Hawthorne, Williston Road (SR 121) goes to Williston, Archer Road (SR 24) to Archer, and Newberry Road (SR 26) leads to Newberry.

Residents sometimes use the acronym APRiL to remember the orientation of the streets on the grid: all streets with the suffix Avenue, Place, Road, or Lane run east-west. Any other suffix denotes a street that runs north-south.

 East-West                                                                                       North-South

Avenue                                                                                             Street
Place                                                                                                 Terrace
Road                                                                                                  Circle
Lane                                                                                                  Court

 

Major Roads

There are three primary roads in Gainesville.

  • University Avenue (runs East-West) – This road is the center mark for Gainesville’s North/South division, and is a major artery running through the center of the city. After West University Avenue intersects with 34th Street, it becomes West Newberry Road (a change in name only). University Avenue is a road with which most Gainesville residents are very familiar because it leads to many central shopping centers, eateries, and entertainment.
  • Main Street (runs North-South) – Main Street is the other divider for Gainesville. It is the center division of the East and West segments of the city. The intersection of University Avenue and Main Street marks the center of Gainesville’s addressing system, and is the oldest part of Gainesville. You will find many historical buildings in the Downtown section of Gainesville.
  • 34th Street (runs North-South) – This street is parallel to Main Street. The Northwest segment of the road is two lanes and runs through mostly residential areas. The Southwest portion is a six-lane highway. A large number of major apartment complexes are situated on one side of 34th Street and the other is the western border of the University of Florida campus.

Transportation Options

Bus:

Gainesville is served by Gainesville Regional Transit System, or RTS, which is the fourth largest mass transit system in the state. Designated UF students, faculty, and staff with a Gator-1 card enjoy prepaid, unlimited access anywhere and anytime that RTS operates, except on Special Services such as Gator Aider. Door-to-door Para-transit service is available for ADA-certified passengers. Each campus bus has front-mounted bike racks. For information, call (352) 334-2600 Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or email rts@ci.gainesville.fl.us.

Interstate bus transportation is offered by Greyhound. The station is located at 101 NE 23rd Avenue. Call (352) 376-5252 for more information.

Air:

Gainesville is served by the Gainesville Regional Airport in the northeast part of the city, with daily service to Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, and Charlotte.

Train:

Daily Amtrak service to and from Waldo (12 mi NE of the city) has been replaced with two Amtrak shuttle busses that re-connect with the rail system further south. Full Amtrak service is available at Palatka 32 miles to the east.