State Road 44 West - Inverness to Crystal River
West
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Citrus County Road 470 comprises a 5.42 mile long loop north around Tsala Apopka Lake from SR 44 west to Downtown Inverness.
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SR 44 (Gulf to Lake Highway) spans Withlacoochee State Trail before joining U.S. 41 north at Highland Boulevard.
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SR 44 overlaps with U.S. 41 west 1.06 miles across Inverness.
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U.S. 41 south leads south from Inverness to Floral City, Brooksville and the Tampa Bay region.
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North West
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U.S. 41 branches north from SR 44 to the unincorporated community of Hernando and Dunnellon in Marion County.
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West
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The southern leg of Citrus County Road 581 lines Pleasant Grove Road south 11.90 miles to the Hernando County line, where it becomes CR 481 en route to Lake Lindsey.
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CR 581/481 provide a more direct route south from Inverness to Brooksville, bypassing Floral City and U.S. 41 to the west.
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SR 44 (Gulf to Lake Highway) meets CR 491 (Lecanto Highway) in unincorporated Lecanto.
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CR 491 (Lecanto Highway runs northeast to Beverly Hills, Holder and SR 200 and south to U.S. 98 near Brooksville.
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CR 490 (Homosassa Trail) angles southwest from SR 44 to Homosassa Springs.
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CR 490 runs 6.18 miles west to U.S. 19/98, and then 2.21 miles along a spur to Homosassa along the Homosassa River.
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SR 44 heads northwest from Lecanto to a diamond interchange (Exit 68) with SR 589 (Suncoast Parkway).
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SR 589 (Suncoast Parkway) is a toll road traveling 70 miles south from CR 486 to SR 60 (Memorial Highway) by Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Hillsborough County.
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The Suncoast Parkway opened to traffic 2.3 miles north from SR 44 to CR 486 (Norvell Bryant Highway) on August 23, 2025.
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The Suncoast Parkway will eventually extend 12 miles northwest to U.S. 19/98 at Red Level.
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SR 589 opened 13 miles south from SR 44 to U.S. 98 (Ponce De Leon Boulevard) in northern Hernando County on February 28, 2022.
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Span wire traffic lights at Rock Crusher Road were replaced with these mast arm assemblies as part of a repaving project along 2.4 miles of SR 44 between Norvell Bryant Highway to N Lopp Point. The project was completed on October 17, 2024 (FDOT, 2024).
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Forthcoming CR 486 (Norvell Bryant Highway) stems east from SR 44 to U.S. 41 (Florida Avenue) at Hernando.
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CR 486 leads 1.7 miles east back to the Suncoast Parkway (SR 589).
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A four lane arterial, CR 486 (Norvell Bryant Boulevard) runs 10.80 miles east, connecting SR 44 with Black Diamond, CR 491 to Beverly Hills, and Citrus Hills.
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Turkey Oak Drive comprises an at-grade bypass of Crystal River to U.S. 19/98 northwest for Red Level and Inglis.
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Crystal Street branches northwest from SR 44 (NE 5th Street) at NE 12th Avenue.
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Traffic lights were installed along SR 44 at NE 8th Avenue / Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue as part of a repaving project between U.S. 19/98 and NE 10th Avenue in Crystal River. The signal commence operation on March 1, 2023 (FDOT, 2023).
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Overheads for U.S. 19/98 at the west end of SR 44 were replaced in kind as part of the repaving project completed on June 14, 2023 (FDOT, 2023).
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References:
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). (2024, October 17). 432582-1-52-01 SR 44 (Gulf to Lake Hwy) Repaving from Norvell Bryant Hwy to west of N Lopp Point. FDOT. https://www.fdottampabay.com/project/760/432582-1-52-01
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). (2023, June 14). 441665-1-52-01 SR 44 Repaving from US 19 to NE 10th Ave. FDOT. https://www.fdottampabay.com/project/515/441665-1-52-01
Photo Credits:
- ABRoads: 07/10/11, 11/25/11, 12/26/11, 11/25/12
- Alex Nitzman: 09/15/19, 03/02/22, 09/13/25
- AARoads: 09/13/25
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Page Updated Monday September 15, 2025.