Route #82 Ponce Inlet – Daytona Beach – DeLand

Route #82 marks the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de León’s arrival in Florida with a 70-mile round-trip journey across Volusia County. The route begins at Ponce Inlet, on the barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and the Halifax River, where Florida’s tallest lighthouse stands. From here, it follows the A1A north along the shoreline, passing through coastal communities shaped by tourism, maritime history, and the early era of beach auto racing.

After reaching Daytona Beach, the route turns west along US 92, linking the Atlantic coast to the state’s interior. This section passes the Daytona International Speedway and enters vast protected landscapes such as Tiger Bay State Forest, illustrating the contrast between developed corridors and restored natural environments that once formed part of Florida’s original wetlands.

The journey ends in DeLand, the county seat and a center of higher education, architecture, and cultural life. Its historic streets and institutions reflect centuries of settlement and change, completing a route that symbolically connects Florida’s documented European beginnings with its contemporary identity.

This route can be found in Discovering Florida – Volume 4.