State Road 16

State Road 16 travels 63.6 miles east from State Road 121 to the First Coast in north Florida. The route originates on the east side of Raiford, a rural town of around 200 in northeastern Union County. Crossing the New River, SR 16 heads southeast to Heilbronn and the Bradford County seat of Starke. Brownlee Street takes the route across northern reaches of the Starke street grid.

Continuing east into Clay County, SR 16 converges with SR 230 at Kingsley Village. The state road circumvents Kingsley Lake through the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, resuming an eastward course to Belmore State Forest and the town of Penney Farms. Idlewild Avenue takes SR 16 east into Green Cove Springs, where the route dog legs south from Ferry Street for 0.6 miles alongside U.S. 17 (Orange Avenue).

The 6,662 foot long Shands Bridge carries SR 16 across the St. Johns River from Green Cove Springs into Clay County by Smith Point. Built in 1961,¹ the two lane span represents the lone crossing of the St. Johns River between Palatka (U.S. 17) and the Buckman Bridge (I-295) at Jacksonville.

SR 16 combines with SR 13 for four miles through Florence, and east of Palmo Cove on the St. Johns River. SR 13 ends at their split, with CR 13 extending southwest to Picolata and SR 16 turning east through suburban areas. Advancing southeast by Turnbull Swamp, the state road converges with Interstate 95 at a commercialized diamond interchange (Exit 318).

SR 16 provides one of two arterial routes east to the city of St. Augustine. The state road concludes along Picolata Road at SR 5A / Former U.S. 1 Business (San Marco Avenue), two blocks east of U.S. 1 (Ponce De Leon Boulevard).

Florida State Road 16 Guides

• East - Raiford to Penney Farms
• East - Green Cove Springs to St. Augustine
• West - St. Augustine to Green Cove Springs
• West - Penney Farms to Raiford

Connect with:
Interstate 95
U.S. 1
U.S. 17
U.S. 301
State Road 13 / County Road 13
State Road 21
State Road 121
Clay County Road 218

Page Updated 11-14-2022.