Gainesville is gridded mathematically. The city’s streets are set up on a grid system with four quadrants (NW, NE, SW and SE), the center point (0/0 demarcation) being the intersection of University Avenue and Main Street in downtown Gainesville. Click here to navigate Gainesville via google maps.

  • Avenues, Places, Roads or Lanes (remembered by the acronym “APRIL”) run east and west.
  • Streets, Drives and Terraces run north and south.
  • Boulevards and several major thoroughfares (Archer, Waldo, Hawthorne, Williston) do not follow the grid system.
  • Streets are numbered, except for a few major thoroughfares.
  • Two commonly used names which you will rarely see on an official street sign are Tower Road (SW 75th Street) and Williston Road (SR 121/331).

The older part of Gainesville that radiates out from downtown generally follows an open grid system, making it easy to traverse the area through many different routes. In newer parts of the city, the grid is interrupted by large sections blocked by the University of Florida and subdivisions with only one or two entrance points. Before choosing a place to live or making your way across town by car or bicycle, familiarize yourself with the time required and the options available for getting to your destination.

SURROUNDING TOWNS

Gainesville is surrounded by smaller towns approximately 10 miles out in all directions. Many people live in small town or rural areas and commute into Gainesville for work or classes. Commute times vary on time of day and specific city, but range from 20 to 45 minutes. Towns in Alachua County include High Springs, Alachua, LaCrosse, Melrose, Hawthorne, Micanopy, Waldo, Archer, Cross Creek, Evinston, Newberry and Jonesville. Out of county, but within commuting distance to Gainesville, are Williston and Keystone Heights.

FROM GAINESVILLE TO ANYWHERE

Gainesville’s own Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) makes getting in and out of town a breeze, with no lines, no hassle and no long drive to anywhere else. Use the trip planner to compare the costs of your trip before buying tickets. RTS offers bus services to the airport on Route 25.