Jacksonville to Key West
 

We're driving from Jacksonville, FL to Key West and figure Rt. 95 is our best bet at least until we get to Fort Pierce. From that point, is it better to continue on 95 or take the Florida Turnpike until we hit Homestead? Quickest route is our priority.

Turnpike.

thanks

You realize it's about 9 hours, don't you? That's with no traffic.

Yeah, I do, Postal - thanks. We're actually driving from Delaware, and stopping in Jacksonville for the night.

Yes, yes, yes. Get off I-95 as soon as possible to get on the turnpike. I-95 from Palm Beach to Miami is a mess and can turn into a parking lot quickly.

In Florida City, take Card Sound Road into Key Largo. It is a much nicer drive than US1.

Actually, don't get off 95 "as soon as possible" as there is no benefit to being on the pike until you get into south Florida- it just costs you $$. I would not get on the turnpike at Ft. Pierce, unless you happen to stop for gas etc at that exit on I-95. I usually get off 95 at Jupiter, which is about as far south as you can go on 95 and convinently get on the pike before running into traffic. The drawback is there are little to no service stations at the Jupiter exit.
Also gotta disagree a little bit with Gotravel on Card Sound Road. Yes, IF there is heavy southbound traffic (say on Friday afternoons or anytime on weekends, especially this time of year) Card Sound can help you avoid traffic snarls but in general it is longer and slower, and with the exception of the Shanty town and Card Sound Bridge (which is about 2 miles of the entire 30+ mile drive) there is nothing more to see on this road than if you take RT 1 to Key Largo. In fact, Rt. 1 will offer better views of the Everglades than Card Sound. Add to it that Card Sound is a much older , bumpier road, and a more narrow road, with hardly any shoulder to pull off on if you have car trouble, and has no dedicated passing zones, and I would say that unless you are driving down on a weekend, or simply "must" have lunch at Alabama Jacks, stick with the stretch (RT. 1).

Here's another vote for Card Sound Road and Alabama Jack's. It's the perfect gateway to the Keys.

Ok, cool - thanks everyone for your help. We'll be driving down to Jacksonville on Easter Sunday and from Jacksonville to Key West on Monday. We'll probably be leaving Jacksonville about 6 or 7 AM and that should put us into Key West around 5-ish after a stop for lunch. I don't much care how much the turnpike costs - we're on vacation! We're just looking for quick and easy passage (and scenery is nice, too.) Any other thoughts based on that timeframe, please feel free. Thanks again for the input.

Since you are coming down to the Keys on a Monday traffic southbound thru the Keys should not be a huge issue (barring accidents, of course). If you have already eaten lunch by the time you get to Florida City (at the end of the Florida Turnpike), there will be no reason to take Card Sound Road into the Keys. But if you want to wait to eat lunch at Alabama Jack's, you'll need to take Card Sound Road. Jack's is cool, it consistently ranks high or win's the award for South Florida's best Biker Bar. A local entertainment/restaurant guide describes it as "a biker friendly white trash tiki hut". Enjoy.

Ok, thanks Larry. My crew usually eats early lunches (3 squares a day plus snacks, ya know?), so I suspect we'll stop before Florida City. But who knows - it may be snack time by then...

If you get to the Ft. Lauderdale area and want a little change of pace from the TP, get off at I-595 and head west to I-75 South (6-7 miles.) This road intersects with the TP Extension and will be a decent change in scenery and save you some $$ on the tolls. It doesn't add any extra time to your trip and if it's lunchtime, there are loads of restaurants at University Drive and I-595. To the north there's Chili's, Red Lobster, BBQ, Applebees & Olive Garden within a mile of I-595; and to the south in the Tower Shops area there's Roadhouse, Davie Ale House (good food), Shell's Seafood, and fast food places also within a mile of the interstate.

From Ft Lauderdale, it's about a 5 hour drive to Key West if you don't run into any traffic snarls. I also vote for Card Sound Road. It's a rougher road, but I love the drive when the traffic is light. My parents used to have their boat in the Keys years ago and we always took Card Sound Road either on the way down or back. It really gives you a good feel for the Keys.

Have a safe drive down and enjoy your vacation!

What was I thinking? Wait until Jupiter to get on the turnpike because it is about 20 miles south of of Ft. Pierce and will save you a whopping dollar.

Should I be taking lunch advice from someone named Heartburn? (Just kidding!) Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions. 2 more weeks - can hardly wait!