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State Road 30A (Florida)
Encyclopedia
State Road 30A is a Florida Department of Transportation
designation shared by four alternate routings of SR 30
in the Florida panhandle
. Two segments have SR 30A signage; the other two do not as they are segments of U.S. Highway 98. Three of the four SR 30A segments are next to the shore of the Gulf of Mexico
for most (if not all) of their length.
. While US 98-SR 30 continues through the heart of Point Washington State Forest, SR 30A follows the shoreline, passing through Grayton Beach
and Seaside
, before rejoining SR 30 near Inlet Beach
.
While US 98-SR 30 spans the length of Point Washington State Forest, SR 30A doesn't avoid it completely: the westernmost mile forms the boundary between the State Forest and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
, and along, the Gulf of Mexico, SR 30A cuts through approximately three miles of State Forest between Blue Mountain Beach and Seaside... and another three miles (5 km) of Deer Lake State Park
to the southeast of Seagrove Beach.
between Miami
and Fort Lauderdale
), US 98 and (unsigned) SR 30 separate. While SR 30 continues along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico as Front Beach Road, US 98 continues roughly one mile inland (as Panama City Beach Parkway) with the unsigned FDOT designation SR 30A. The Panama City Beach Segment ends 16 miles (25.7 km) from the western terminus, as traffic on US 98-SR 30A rejoins SR 30 on the approach to the Hathaway Bridge crossing St. Andrews Bay and entering Panama City
.
, it passes through Hollywood Beach, Sunnyside
, Laguna Beach
, and Panama City Beach
-- popular "Spring Break
" stops for U.S. college students—before curving back inland to rejoin US 98. The popularity of the Panama City Beach beach
front (with Miracle Strip Amusement Park
) has often resulted in the overloading of Front Beach Road and the prompting of FDOT's "creation" of a second bypass of the downtown area: the three-mile (5 km) long State Road 392A.
Unlike SR 30A, State Road 392A is entirely within the city limits of Panama City Beach, no more than 0.4 mile (0.643736 km) inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Locally known as Hutchison Boulevard, it is signed east–west. The western terminus is an intersecion with SR 30-Alt near Youpon Road; the eastern terminus is an intersection with SR 30 at Thomas Drive.
. US Highway 98 and SR 30A continues eastward along 15th Street, passing through Cedar Grove
and Springfield
before a southward 90-degree turn onto North Tyndall Parkway in Callaway
. As US 98-SR 30A approach the New DuPont Bridge across East Bay
, its 11 miles (17.7 km) run ends with the merge with Business US 98-SR 30 near Long Point.
before rejoining US 98 on the approach to the New Dupont Bridge. The merge marks the eastern terminus of the 10-mile-long Business US 98.
and Franklin
counties.
Historically, SR 30A veered southward from US 98-SR 30 one mile (1.6 km) south of Port St. Joe
, near the communities of Oak Grove and Ward Ridge, and followed Sand Bar Road along the shoreline of St. Joseph Bay
past the St. Joseph Point Lighthouse before turning to the east to follow the shore of Bay San Blas, Indian Lagoon, and Saint Vincent Sound before rejoining US 98-SR 30 one mile (1.6 km) east of Nine Mile.
Today, only a part of the north–south section and the nine-mile-long portion of the loop east of Indian Pass
is still signed State Road 30A. The east–west stretch that was west of Indian Pass was incorporated into Gulf County Road 30E.
Another "casualty" of the series of FDOT reversions of State Roads to County Roads was State Road 30E, originally existing only on the St. Joseph Peninsula
and known locally as Cape San Blas Road. It was - and is - a scenic route, with the western terminus in St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
near Eagle Harbor. Eastbound motorists drive by the T.H. Stone Memorial and the Cape San Blas lighthouse as they approach the historic terminus of SR 30E, an intersection with the SR 30A loop roughly a mile south of St. Joseph Point Lighthouse.
As part of the western side of the SR 30A loop lost its status as a State Road, so did SR 30E, which then incorporated a section of the recently-reverted SR 30A to extend eastward to Indian Pass
and became Gulf County Road 30E. Some road maps erroneously show CR 30E extended over Indian Pass Road on the Indian Peninsula to the east of Indian Pass. This stretch of road is actually Gulf County Road 30B, which was never part of the Florida State Road system.
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the Florida State Road Department...
designation shared by four alternate routings of SR 30
State Road 30 (Florida)
State Road 30 is the mostly hidden Florida Department of Transportation designation for most of US 98 west of Perry, Florida to Alabama.In a 14-mile-long stretch west of Panama City, US 98 and SR 30 are separated by less than one mile , with SR 30 on Front Beach Road along the shore of the Gulf of...
in the Florida panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
. Two segments have SR 30A signage; the other two do not as they are segments of U.S. Highway 98. Three of the four SR 30A segments are next to the shore of the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
for most (if not all) of their length.
State Road 30A: Point Washington State Forest segment
Just west of Santa Rosa Beach, near East Hewlett Road, SR 30A branches off Reddick Road (US 98-SR 30) and heads southeastward toward the shore of the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. While US 98-SR 30 continues through the heart of Point Washington State Forest, SR 30A follows the shoreline, passing through Grayton Beach
Grayton Beach, Florida
Grayton Beach is a small, historic beach village on the Florida Panhandle Gulf coast halfway between Destin and Panama City in Walton County and adjacent to Grayton Beach State Park...
and Seaside
Seaside, Florida
Seaside is an unincorporated master-planned community on the Florida panhandle in Walton County, between Panama City Beach and Destin. The town has become the topic of slide lectures in architectural schools and in housing-industry magazines, and is visited by design professionals from all over the...
, before rejoining SR 30 near Inlet Beach
Inlet Beach, Florida
Inlet Beach is located in south Walton County, Florida. Inlet Beach is the most eastern South Walton County beach and is named after Phillips Inlet at the border of South Walton and Bay counties....
.
While US 98-SR 30 spans the length of Point Washington State Forest, SR 30A doesn't avoid it completely: the westernmost mile forms the boundary between the State Forest and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park located in Santa Rosa Beach, ten miles east of Destin, off U.S. 98, in northwestern Florida. The address is 7525 W...
, and along, the Gulf of Mexico, SR 30A cuts through approximately three miles of State Forest between Blue Mountain Beach and Seaside... and another three miles (5 km) of Deer Lake State Park
Deer Lake State Park
Deer Lake State Park is a Florida State Park located in Santa Rosa Beach, on CR 30A, in northwestern Florida. Its sister park is Grayton Beach State Recreation Area.-Recreational Activities:...
to the southeast of Seagrove Beach.
State Road 30A: Panama City Beach segment
Two miles to the east of the eastern terminus of the Washington Point State Park segment of SR 30A, and one mile (1.6 km) west of Hollywood Beach (not to be confused with the city of HollywoodHollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
between Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
), US 98 and (unsigned) SR 30 separate. While SR 30 continues along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico as Front Beach Road, US 98 continues roughly one mile inland (as Panama City Beach Parkway) with the unsigned FDOT designation SR 30A. The Panama City Beach Segment ends 16 miles (25.7 km) from the western terminus, as traffic on US 98-SR 30A rejoins SR 30 on the approach to the Hathaway Bridge crossing St. Andrews Bay and entering Panama City
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
.
Alternate US 98, State Road 30, and State Road 392A
As the 16-mile-long SR 30 parallels the Gulf CoastGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, it passes through Hollywood Beach, Sunnyside
Sunnyside, Florida
Sunnyside is an unincorporated community in Bay County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Panama City–Lynn Haven–Panama City Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach, Florida
Laguna Beach is a census-designated place in Bay County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,932 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Panama City–Lynn Haven–Panama City Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, and Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach, Florida
Panama City Beach is a city in Bay County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico coast. The city is often referred to under the umbrella term of "Panama City", despite being a distinct municipality from the older and larger inland Panama City to the east, making Panama City and Panama City...
-- popular "Spring Break
Spring break
Spring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...
" stops for U.S. college students—before curving back inland to rejoin US 98. The popularity of the Panama City Beach beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
front (with Miracle Strip Amusement Park
Miracle Strip Amusement Park
Miracle Strip Amusement Park was a popular local theme park built in 1963 in Panama City Beach, Florida, across the street from the beach. It featured several rides that were uniquely spectacular by placing them within enclosed spaces and adding pounding music and lighting effects, in addition to...
) has often resulted in the overloading of Front Beach Road and the prompting of FDOT's "creation" of a second bypass of the downtown area: the three-mile (5 km) long State Road 392A.
Unlike SR 30A, State Road 392A is entirely within the city limits of Panama City Beach, no more than 0.4 mile (0.643736 km) inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Locally known as Hutchison Boulevard, it is signed east–west. The western terminus is an intersecion with SR 30-Alt near Youpon Road; the eastern terminus is an intersection with SR 30 at Thomas Drive.
State Road 30A: US 98 through Panama City and Callaway
On the eastern approach to the Hathaway Bridge, SR 30 and US 98 separated at the corner of 18th Street and Beck Avenue in Panama CityPanama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
. US Highway 98 and SR 30A continues eastward along 15th Street, passing through Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove, Florida
Cedar Grove was an incorporated town in Bay County, Florida, United States which is dissolved in 2008 after a vote by residents. The town has 90 days from October 3, 2008 to implement the dissolution ordinance and hand over all operations to organs of the county government. This would be the...
and Springfield
Springfield, Florida
Springfield is a city in Bay County, Florida, United States, east of Panama City. The population was 8,903 at the 2010 census. . It is part of the Panama City–Lynn Haven–Panama City Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area. Springfield was incorporated on February 12, 1935...
before a southward 90-degree turn onto North Tyndall Parkway in Callaway
Callaway, Florida
Callaway is a city in Bay County, Florida, United States. The population was 14,405 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Panama City–Lynn Haven–Panama City Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Callaway is located at ....
. As US 98-SR 30A approach the New DuPont Bridge across East Bay
East Bay (Florida)
East Bay is a bay located in the far western Florida Panhandle.Milton, which is the county seat of Santa Rosa County, is located on the north end of the bay. Unusually, East Bay is connected to open waters via Pensacola Bay to its southwest...
, its 11 miles (17.7 km) run ends with the merge with Business US 98-SR 30 near Long Point.
Business US 98 and State Road 30 in Panama City and Callaway
While US 98-SR 30A follows 15th Street through Panama City and Callaway before reaching North Tyndall Parkway, Business US 98 and State Road 30 follows Ninth Street, Beach Boulevard, Sixth Street, and Fifth Street before curving southward (near School Avenue) and eastward (through ParkerParker, Florida
Parker is a city in Bay County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Panama City–Lynn Haven–Panama City Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Parker is located at ....
before rejoining US 98 on the approach to the New Dupont Bridge. The merge marks the eastern terminus of the 10-mile-long Business US 98.
Former and current State Road 30A: a loop near Port St. Joe
After FDOT started phasing out a set of Florida State Roads in the late 1970s and early 1980s and reverted them to county maintenance, many State Roads disappeared from road maps, and many others were greatly truncated or transformed. One such drastically-affected road was SR 30A, which formed a 19-mile-long loop in GulfGulf County, Florida
Gulf County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,332. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 13,975 . Its county seat is Port St. Joe.- History :...
and Franklin
Franklin County, Florida
Franklin County is a coastal county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 11,057. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 11,177...
counties.
Historically, SR 30A veered southward from US 98-SR 30 one mile (1.6 km) south of Port St. Joe
Port St. Joe, Florida
Port St. Joe is a city located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and State Road 71 in Gulf County, Florida, United States. As of 2007, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,579. The population was 3,644 as of the 2000 census. Port St. Joe became the county seat of Gulf County...
, near the communities of Oak Grove and Ward Ridge, and followed Sand Bar Road along the shoreline of St. Joseph Bay
St. Joseph Bay
St. Joseph Bay is a bay on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida, located in Gulf County between Apalachicola and Panama City. Port St. Joe is located on St. Joseph Bay....
past the St. Joseph Point Lighthouse before turning to the east to follow the shore of Bay San Blas, Indian Lagoon, and Saint Vincent Sound before rejoining US 98-SR 30 one mile (1.6 km) east of Nine Mile.
Today, only a part of the north–south section and the nine-mile-long portion of the loop east of Indian Pass
Indian Pass, Florida
Indian Pass is a small area on the south coast of Gulf County, Florida, 8 miles south of Port St. Joe. It promotes itself as an uncrowded haven for sports fisherman and water enthusiasts, and for dining featuring locally caught oysters. A ferry provides access to a wildlife sanctuary on St Vincent...
is still signed State Road 30A. The east–west stretch that was west of Indian Pass was incorporated into Gulf County Road 30E.
A scenic spur: the former State Road 30E
St. Joseph Peninsula
The St. Joseph Peninsula is located in Gulf County, Florida in the panhandle of Florida, at coordinates . It is an 15-mile long spit, extending northward from Cape San Blas between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Saint Joseph Bay to the east. It is 6 miles west of Port St. Joe at its closest...
and known locally as Cape San Blas Road. It was - and is - a scenic route, with the western terminus in St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is a Florida State Park near Port St. Joe. It is located off U.S. 98.-Recreational activities:The park has such amenities as beaches, birding, boating, cabins, canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, picnicking areas, snorkeling, wildlife viewing and full camping...
near Eagle Harbor. Eastbound motorists drive by the T.H. Stone Memorial and the Cape San Blas lighthouse as they approach the historic terminus of SR 30E, an intersection with the SR 30A loop roughly a mile south of St. Joseph Point Lighthouse.
As part of the western side of the SR 30A loop lost its status as a State Road, so did SR 30E, which then incorporated a section of the recently-reverted SR 30A to extend eastward to Indian Pass
Indian Pass, Florida
Indian Pass is a small area on the south coast of Gulf County, Florida, 8 miles south of Port St. Joe. It promotes itself as an uncrowded haven for sports fisherman and water enthusiasts, and for dining featuring locally caught oysters. A ferry provides access to a wildlife sanctuary on St Vincent...
and became Gulf County Road 30E. Some road maps erroneously show CR 30E extended over Indian Pass Road on the Indian Peninsula to the east of Indian Pass. This stretch of road is actually Gulf County Road 30B, which was never part of the Florida State Road system.