State Road 26 (SR 26) is a east–west route across
North Central Florida.
Route description
The western terminus of SR 26 is at
US 19
U.S. Route 19 or U.S. Highway 19 (US 19) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mex ...
/
98/
27 Alternate (unsigned
SR 55) in
Fanning Springs, near the
Gilchrist/
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 ...
county line. However the beginning of its run is a short curve towards the north with a connecting
County Road 55A leading to southbound US 19/98/Alt-27, and only begins to move it its signed cardinal direction in
Wilcox Wilcox may refer to:
Places
;Canada
*Wilcox, Saskatchewan
;United States
* Wilcox, Florida, an unincorporated community in Gilchrist County, Florida
*Wilcox, Missouri, an unincorporated community in Nodaway County, Missouri
* Wilcox, Nebraska
* Wil ...
east of
the junction
The Junction is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is near the West Toronto Diamond, a junction of four railway lines in the area. The neighbourhood was previously an independent city called West Toronto, that was also its own fe ...
between three segments of the
Nature Coast State Trail
The Nature Coast State Trail (NCST) is a 31.7-mile long segment of Florida's Statewide System of Greenways and Trails System built along abandoned railroad tracks, and designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Recreation Tra ...
. Beginning in Wilcox, the route runs parallel to the trail. The route proceeds east through
Trenton where it is named West Wade Street in the vicinity of the Trenton Elementary School, which is also where the trail beings to move away from the road. West Wade Street becomes East Wade Street at the intersection with
US 129
U.S. Route 129 (US 129) is an auxiliary route of US 29, which it intersects in Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for from an intersection with US 19/ US 27 ALT/ US 98 in Chiefland, Florida, to an interchange ...
, then the route passes into
Alachua County
Alachua County ( ) is a county in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 278,468. The county seat is Gainesville, the home of the University of Florida.
History Prehistory and ear ...
and
Newberry
Newberry is a surname, a variant of Newbury. Notable people with the surname include:
* Booker Newberry III (1956–2023), American singer and keyboardist
* Brennan Newberry (born, 1990), American professional stock car racing driver
* Brian Ne ...
as West Newberry Road, where it briefly runs through the
city's historic district. After running through the historic district, it intersects with
US 27
U.S. Route 27 or U.S. Highway 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Southern and Midwestern U.S. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I ...
-
41 (unsigned
SR 45), and continues to maintain the same street name even as it passes through the communities of Jonesville and Tioga before encountering the interchange with
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 ...
just west of
Gainesville.
East of the interstate, it runs straight east until the intersection with Northwest 57th Street where it curves to the southeast. SR 26 maintains the same street name until the road approaches
State Road 26A, where West Newberry follows the same trajectory onto Southwest Second Avenue, while SR 26 moves onto University Avenue. East of President's Park, the route runs it runs along the northern edge of the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
campus alongside
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (in full Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium),[SR 24
Route 24, or Highway 24, can refer to:
International
* European route E24
Australia
* Lyell Highway (Tasmania)
* Central Arnhem Road, NT
Austria
* Verbindungsspange Rothneusiedel
Bolivia
* Route 24 (Bolivia), National Route 24 (Bolivia)
...](_blank)
at
U.S. Route 441
U.S. Route 441 (US 441) is a auxiliary route of U.S. Route 41. It extends from US 41 in Miami, Florida to US 25W in Rocky Top, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 travels through the states of Florida, Georgia, North ...
(13th Street) and
SR 20 at former
SR 329 (Main Street), separating again near the eastern city limits. Skirting the western shores of
Newnan's Lake
Newnans Lake (or Newnan's Lake) is a lake located off Florida State Road 20, State Road 20, east of Gainesville, Florida. Approximately wide, Newnans Lake is home to many forms of wildlife, and had been designated as a protected site by Alachua ...
as well as the
state forest
A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by a sovereign state, sovereign or federated state, or territory (country subdivision), territory.
Background
State forests are forests that are Administration (gov ...
named for the lake, it approaches the northern shores of the lake entering the Newnans Lake Conservation Area, where it makes a sharp right turn at the eastern terminus of
SR 222. Leaving the preserve area and passing through farmland, the road later crosses
US 301 in
Orange Heights, although a realignment of SR 26 south of the existing intersection was built by the Florida Department of Transportation between 2010 and 2011 which includes an interchange. The next town along the route is
Melrose Melrose may refer to:
Places
United Kingdom
* Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland
** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery
** Melrose RFC, rugby club
Australia
* Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnett R ...
, where the road enters the
community's historic district, crosses the Alachua-
Putnam County line and intersects
SR 21, before it curves to the northeast and ends at
SR 100 in
Putnam Hall.
Major intersections
Related routes
County Road 26A
County Road 26A (CR 26A), also known as Newberry Lane, is a former segment of SR 26 that spans from US 27/41 on the southeast corner of a railroad grade crossing to SR 26.
;Major intersections
State Road 26A
State Road 26A (SR 26A) is a former section of State Road 26 in
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesv ...
. It is locally known as West Newberry Road and Southwest Second Avenue, and runs along the northwest corner of the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
.
State Road 26A contains a large sidewalk for bicycles east of
SR 121. The southeast corner of this intersection is also the location of the University of Florida Golf Course.
;Major intersections
State Road 26 Truck
Florida State Truck Route 26 in
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesv ...
was created in order to divert trucks form the congested downtown areas of Gainesville.
FDOT Public Notice (Gainesville Sun; Gainesville Sun -- May 14, 1986)
/ref> The route begins at the 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 387, and follows that route south. At exit 384, the route is also joined by Truck Route 24 and both routes follow the interstate until leaving at Exit 382 to make an easterly turn onto a new overlap with State Road 121. One block after the interstate, the two truck routes encounter the southern terminus of Florida State Road 331
State Road 331 (SR 331) is a short state highway running south and east of Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville, although it once stretched as far south as Williston, Florida, Williston. It also serves as a truck route for State Roads 24, 26, an ...
, and SR 121 makes a sharp left turn, while Truck Routes 24 and 26 join SR 331 in an overlap are joined by Florida State Truck Route 121.. At the intersection with U.S. Route 441
U.S. Route 441 (US 441) is a auxiliary route of U.S. Route 41. It extends from US 41 in Miami, Florida to US 25W in Rocky Top, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 travels through the states of Florida, Georgia, North ...
, the routes are joined by a truck route of that route as well. The four truck routes run northeast along SR 331 and then curve to the north. SR 331 terminates at the east end of the overlap of SRs 20, 24, and 26, which also serves as the terminus of Florida Truck Routes 24 and 26. However US 441 Truck and Florida Truck Route 121 continue to the northeast along SR 24 until reaching their respected parent routes.
References
External links
{{Commons category multi , Florida State Road 26, Florida State Road 26A
Routes 20 - 29
a
Florida's Great Renumbering
026
026
026
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