Route #7 Beverly Beach - Palm Coast - Hastings - San Mateo

This route connects the Atlantic coast with the agricultural interior of northeastern Florida, passing through communities that emerged during very different historical periods. The journey begins in Beverly Beach, on the barrier islands of Flagler County, and continues inland toward Palm Coast, a planned city whose growth is relatively recent.

From there, the route leaves the coastline and heads toward Hastings, in St. Johns County, one of the oldest agricultural communities in the state. Founded in the nineteenth century, Hastings was known for decades as the potato capital of the world, thanks to its fertile soil and the early arrival of the railroad, which made large-scale agricultural exports possible.

The final stretch leads to San Mateo, a small historic settlement in Putnam County linked to agriculture and to the old inland trade routes. The contrast between the tourist-oriented coast, planned cities, and rural communities reveals different layers of the region’s historical development.

The complete route and its historical context are included in Discovering Florida – Volume 1.