Florida's Turnpike North - Orlando to Wildwood

Florida's Turnpike was expanded to eight overall lanes north from Interstate 4 to the Turkey Lake Service Plaza in 2008.

10/12/22

Turkey Lake Service Plaza derives its name from nearby Turkey Lake. Located between the north and south roadways, the facility provides fuel, food, and tourist information. The Turnpike operations center is also located on the north side of the plaza.

10/12/22

02/27/16

Passing north of Lake Olivia, Florida's Turnpike next meets the west end of SR 408 at Exit 265. The tolled East-West Expressway travels to Pine Hills and Downtown Orlando, providing a bypass route to SR 50 (W Colonial Drive).

10/12/22

Exit 265 originally consisted of a wye interchange joining the Turnpike southbound with SR 408 east, and from SR 408 west to the Turnpike north.

10/12/22

One mile ahead of the directional T interchange (Exit 265) with SR 408 (East West Expressway). SR 408 provides a commuter route from Ocoee, Winter Garden and Clermont east to Downtown Orlando and the University of Central Florida (UCF).

10/12/22

SR 408 east serves the Pine Hills and Orlo Vista communities to the east via connections with Good Homes Road or Hiawassee Road. Prior to completion of Exit 265, an interchange was planned between the Turnpike and Hiawassee Road directly.

10/12/22

SR 408 (East West Expressway) extends 22.5 miles east from Exit 265 across Orlando to SR 50 (E Colonial Drive) and Challenger Parkway near Bonneville and the University of Central Florida (UCF).

10/12/22

Succeeding exits leave Florida's Turnpike for SR 429 (Daniel Webster Western Beltway) and SR 50 (W Colonial Drive) 1.5 miles west of the entrance ramp from SR 408.

10/12/22

With auxiliary lanes in each direction, the toll road expands to 12 overall lanes between SR 408 / Exit 265 and SR 429 / Exit 267 A.

10/05/24

Curving west by Lake Pearl, Florida's Turnpike reaches the city of Ocoee. SR 429 (Western Beltway) winds northward through Ocoee to Apopka while SR 50 (Colonial Drive) represents the main arterial across Ocoee and adjacent Winter Garden.

10/05/24

The Western Beltway travels south from Winter Garden to Walt Disney World and northwest Osceola County. The toll road provides part of a bypass around Orlando south to Interstate 4. SR 50 continues west through Winter Garden to Oakland and the Turnpike at Exit 272.

10/05/24

Road work in 2023 expanded Exit 267 A for the Western Beltway to three lanes.

10/05/24

Exit 267 B separates for ramps to SR 429 north to Apopka and Sanford, and SR 429 south to Horizon West and I-4 west to Tampa.

10/05/24

SR 429 (Western Beltway) ties into the John Land Apopka Bypass (SR 414) to the north, and extends along the Wekiva Parkway northeast from Apopka to Lake County. SR 429 south travels 20 miles to I-4 near Championsgate.

10/05/24

A trumpet interchange (Exit 267 B) follows on the Turnpike northbound with an access road linking the toll road with parallel SR 50 (W Colonial Drive).

10/05/24

The access road at Exit 267 B ties into SR 50 (Colonial Drive) at a trumpet interchange between SR 429 (Western Beltway) and CR 439 (Maguire Road) south of Downtown Ocoee.

10/05/24

Traveling through the systems interchange with SR 429 (Western Beltway) on Florida's Turnpike north.

09/20/17

Confirming marker posted after the Beaulah Road underpass. Sound walls separate the Turnpike from the Sterling Point and Daniels Crossing subdivisions.

09/20/17

The final Orange County interchange joins Florida's Turnpike with SR 50 (W Colonial Drive) at the town of Oakland. Beyond Exit 272, the Turnpike angles northwest to the city of Minneola and U.S. 27.

09/20/17

SR 50 (W Colonial Drive) continues west from Oakland and a diamond interchange (Exit 272) with Florida's Turnpike to Killarney and eastern reaches of Clermont in Lake County.

09/20/17

SR 50 (Colonial Drive) generally consists of a commercial arterial throughout most of Orange County and also west into the city of Clermont.

09/20/17

01/20/20

Suburban growth in both Clermont and Minneola led to the expansion of Florida's Turnpike to eight overall lanes west to Exit 272. Additional widening underway through mid-2026 extends northwest from Exit 272 to Exit 279.

09/20/17

Exit 272 departs from Florida's Turnpike north at the 4th Street overpass for SR 50 east to Winter Garden and west to Clermont. A transpeninsular highway, SR 50 travels 114 miles from U.S. 19 at Weeki Wachee to U.S. 1 in Titusville.

09/20/17

Oakland Avenue (CR 438) and the West Orange Trail cross over Florida's Turnpike just west of SR 50.

09/20/17

Northbound reassurance shield posted by the J.W. Jones Road underpass. Rural land on the south side of the Turnpike was turned over for development of the Oakland Trails subdivisions in 2017.

09/20/17

Entering the second to last county of Florida's Turnpike northbound. Lake County derives its name from the more than 1,400 named lakes found within its boundaries.

09/20/17

Posted 11 miles from U.S. 27/SR 19, this distance sign predated the opening of the Minneola interchange. The replacement removed the line for CR 270 and added Minneola at five miles.

09/20/17

The forthcoming parclo interchange with Hancock Road opened to traffic on June 10, 2017. The exchange cost $14 million to build.¹

10/12/22

Hancock Road replaced Turkey Lake Road north from SR 50 in Clermont as a new suburban arterial to the east side of Minneola and Florida's Turnpike. The road was extended on a new alignment north from Exit 278 to CR 561A.

09/20/17

Ramps at Exit 278 opened with all electronic tolling (AET) collection with transponder readers or toll-by-plate. This was prior to the elimination of cash toll collection.

10/12/22

Exit 278 departs from Florida's Turnpike north with two lanes for Hancock Road and Minneola. Opening of the interchange spurred rapid suburban growth.

10/12/22

Florida's Turnpike curves around Camp Lake just beyond Exit 278. $233 million in construction widening the toll road to eight overall lanes between Minneola and O'Brien Road beyond Exit 285, runs through mid-2028.

09/20/17

Low rolling hills that represent the tallest elevations on Peninsular Florida surround the areas along the Turnpike west of Lake Apopka near Clermont and Minneola. Among the hills is Sugarloaf Mountain (el. 312 feet), the tallest elevation on the peninsula.

09/20/17

Advancing northwest, next along the Turnpike is the trumpet interchange (Exit 285) for U.S. 27 (Claude Pepper Memorial Highway) and SR 19 (Howey Road) in north Groveland. A greenout replaced Clermont with Tavaras on this panel.

09/20/17

Clermont and Leesburg represent the U.S. 27 destinations, while SR 19 joins the Turnpike with Howey-In-The-Hills and the Lake County seat of Taveras to the north and Groveland (SR 50) to the southwest.

04/28/08

U.S. 27 and SR 19 meet at a parclo B2 interchange tying into the Turnpike access road in an unincorporated area midway between Clermont and Leesburg.

09/20/17

U.S. 27 (Claude Pepper Memorial Highway) continues alongside Florida's Turnpike from Exit 285 four miles to the northbound entrance ramp at Exit 289. SR 19 (Howey Road) heads seven miles south to Downtown Groveland and six miles north to Howey-In-The-Hills.

09/20/17

The last main line toll plaza along the Turnpike northbound was located at milepost 288, northwest of the O'Brien Road overpass near Mulehead Lake.

09/20/17

Replaced with an all electronic tolling (AET) gantry to the southeast, the Leesburg Toll Plaza was demolished during 2020/21 construction.

09/20/17

Confirming marker posted after the half diamond interchange (Exit 289) with U.S. 27. Construction expanding the Turnpike from four to eight lanes northwest from O'Brien Road to this point begins in 2026.

09/20/17

Lake County Road 470 converges with the Turnpike in six miles at a formerly rural area of west Leesburg. The Okahumpka Service Plaza follows two miles further northwest.

09/20/17

CR 470 stems west from CR 33 and CR 48 at Okahumpka to meet Florida's Turnpike at Exit 296 in two miles.

09/20/17

The parclo A2 interchange (Exit 296) with CR 470 opened to traffic on January 22, 2005. Completed 48 days ahead of schedule, construction on the $18 million exchange started in Summer 2003.²

09/20/17

Amenities at the Okahumpka Service Plaza include a gas station, fast food franchises and automated windshield washers.

09/20/17

CR 470 connects the Turnpike with Leesburg to the east. The route west to U.S. 301 at Sumterville was partially replaced by Central Parkway as part of the massive southward expansion of The Villages.

09/20/17

Florida's Turnpike northbound reaches Exit 296 for County Road 470 near Lake Denham. The western leg of CR 470 connects Sumterville with I-75 and Lake Panasoffkee.

09/20/17

The final 10.67 miles of Florida's Turnpike extend northwest in Sumter County.

05/19/22

Surrounded by The Villages development, the forthcoming Okahumpka Service Plaza is located at milepost 299.

09/20/17

The Okahumpka Service Plaza falls within the city limits of Wildwood, which extend far southeast from the city center to the county border.

05/19/22

Eight miles remain before the Turnpike converges with Interstate 75 north in Wildwood.

09/20/17

CR 468 passes over the toll road beyond this distance sign 29 miles from Ocala. With the Villages community expanding southward into Sumter County, an interchange was proposed in 2009 at CR 468 to serve new development. The county road was four laned and grading was completed for possible ramps, but plans for the exchange were abandoned in 2017.³

09/20/17

Florida's Turnpike maintains a northwesterly course between Lake Okahumpka and Hogeye Sink to a roadway separation preceding Exit 304 to U.S. 301.

09/20/17

U.S. 301 (Main Street) joins the Turnpike with Downtown Wildwood to the north in one mile.

09/20/17

The Villages, a large master-planned community, spreads to the northeast around Wildwood into portions of Lake and Marion Counties. U.S. 301 connects with western reaches of the age-restricted community.

09/20/17

Entering the diamond interchange (Exit 304) with U.S. 301 (Main Street) on the Turnpike northbound. U.S. 301 heads south to CR 468 and west along Warm Springs Avenue into the city of Coleman.

09/20/17

U.S. 301 north to SR 44 west provides an alternate route to Interstate 75. The lone Business Spur I-75 shield installed in the state stands along the exit ramp to U.S. 301.

10/05/24

The Sumter County seat of Bushnell is 14 miles to the south along U.S. 301. Leesburg is 11 miles back to the east via SR 44.

10/05/24

Florida's Turnpike defaults onto Interstate 75 northbound three miles beyond the entrance ramp from U.S. 301 in Wildwood.

01/20/20

The last confirming marker stands beside the CSX Railroad underpass west of U.S. 301.

01/20/20

2.5 miles of Florida's Turnpike northbound remain. Downtown Ocala is 28 miles from this distance sign via I-75 and SR 200.

01/20/20

There is no direct access to Interstate 75 south from Florida's Turnpike north. Instead drivers are directed onto SR 44 west for the southbound entrance ramp at nearby Exit 329.

01/20/20

The four lane toll road traverses wetlands to the southwest of Wildwood by this sign for the Ronald Reagan Turnpike.

01/20/20

Florida's Turnpike converges with I-75 north at a wye interchange adjacent to SR 44. Started in September 2016, a $68.5 million improvement project expanded the exchange with new distributor roadways linking I-75 and the Turnpike with SR 44.

01/20/20

Completed in January 2020, construction at the north end of the Turnpike added flyovers separating traffic from I-75 north to SR 44 and from SR 44 south to Florida's Turnpike.⁴ This eliminated weaving traffic.

01/20/20

State Road 44 runs across the city of Wildwood east to The Villages and U.S. 441 at Leesburg and west to Inverness and U.S. 19/98 at Crystal River.

01/20/20