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The 14 Best Towns in Florida, According to a Local
Pristine beaches, Southern charm, nearby woodland, and springs are just a few of the reasons to visit the many towns in Florida.
I’m a Florida local, and I’ve visited small towns all over the state. No matter what you’re looking for, I’m going to help you find some of the best towns the Sunshine State has to offer including a few of my personal favorites.
Make sure to bookmark our guide to the best beaches in Florida while you’re here! Then, let’s get started!
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14 Best Towns in Florida
Cedar Key
Cedar Key is a quiet, small island community that is charming, walkable, and friendly.
🏠 Population: 761 | 📍 Google Maps | Cedar Key Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Cedar Key on Booking
Cedar Key is a small, charming island community with a population of less than 800. Cedar Key is found among other tiny keys on the Gulf Coast and has a friendly community and a variety of outdoor activities to enjoy.
Cedar Key is known for Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge, a group of small islands with trails and birdlife. At Cedar Key Museum State Park and Cedar Key Historical Museum you can explore the town’s rich history as Florida’s second oldest town. You should also be sure to check out the local restaurants and try the seafood.
Palm Beach
A famous and affluent town with historic landmarks, beautiful mansions, and Gilded Age architecture.
🏠 Population: 9,266 | 📍 Google Maps | Palm Beach Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Palm Beach on Booking
Palm Beach is an affluent town in South Florida, known for its famous resorts, mansions, the Flagler Museum, and beautiful beaches. Worth Avenue, The Royal Poinciana Plaza, the Flagler Museum, and the Norman Foster-designed Norton Museum Sculpture Garden are great options to explore outside of the beaches.
You can catch a show at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, golf on the famous Par 3 course, and enjoy plenty of shopping and high-rated restaurants in the area.
Seaside
Seaside has picturesque weather and architecture, as well as plenty of waterfront dining, shopping, and beautiful beaches.
🏠 Population: 22,104 | 📍 Google Maps | Seaside Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Seaside on Booking
Seaside is a little resort community on the Gulf of Mexico. The community is filled with local food and businesses, homes and cottages, and picturesque sand and water. It’s a beautiful destination that’s hard not to love.
Seaside is home to “food truck row,” with six Airstream trailers in Central Square serving local food. Central Square often has entertainment and live music for you to enjoy during your time in Seaside. Central Square also has a farmer’s market every Saturday.
Havana
A small and friendly town that is historic, quaint, and has become a mecca for local artisans.
🏠 Population: 1,753 | 📍 Google Maps | Havana Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Havana on Booking
Known as “Florida’s Friendliest Small Town,” Havana is located on U.S. 27, just minutes north of Tallahassee and the I-10 interchange in eastern Gadsden County. Named after Havana, Cuba, and founded in 1906, Havana is rich in history and local artistry.
With dozens of specialty stores and local businesses, Havana is a unique little town that retains its small-town feel in the busy modern world. It’s the perfect escape from the city.
Home to the Kennedy Space Center, the Wizard of OZ Museum, and family-friendly beaches.
🏠 Population: 10,040 | 📍 Google Maps | Cape Canaveral Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Cape Canaveral on Booking
Cape Canaveral is best known for being the home of The Kennedy Space Center, but it’s worth noting its other great draws, too. Cherie Down Park and Manatee Sanctuary Park offer acres of waterfront beauty, and the Wizard of OZ Museum and Golf N Gator are great places to visit if you’re going as a family.
Miramar Beach
Scenic, diverse, and offering plenty of activities, Miramar Beach is the perfect beachfront destination.
🏠 Population: 9,857 | 📍 Google Maps | Miramar Beach Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Miramar Beach on Booking
Located on the Gulf Coast, Miramar Beach is vibrant and exciting, but not as overcrowded as beaches like Daytona Beach or Miami Beach. Miramar Beach’s beach roads and beachfront homes are perfect for anyone looking to relax and explore beautiful white sands and turquoise water.
Miramar Beach has plenty of outdoorsy activities, with opportunities for swimming, volleyball, tennis, and golf. You can enjoy everything from the Miramar Beach farmer’s market to the Village of Baytowne Wharf and Silver Sands Premium Outlets for shopping and nightlife.
Marianna
A quaint, charming town for those who love nature and the outdoors.
🏠 Population: 7,966 | 📍 Google Maps | Marianna Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Marianna on Booking
Marianna is the perfect place for anyone searching for a quaint and friendly outdoor town. Marianna is a Florida Main Street town. The downtown area has been restored to look as it used to, retaining its unique charm. The downtown area includes the Marianna Historic District, which has several antebellum homes.
If you like being outdoors, you’ll love Marianna. Florida Caverns State Park is located 2 miles north of Marianna. There is also cave diving nearby in Blue Springs. The Chipola River is a source of recreation for kayak, canoe, and paddleboard enthusiasts.
While you’re here, check out the Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail to see the oldest bridge of its type in Florida and to discover one of Marianna’s best-known ghost stories.
Ponce de Leon
This small town with a population of only 518 has one of the best parks in the state.
🏠 Population: 518 | 📍 Google Maps | 👉 Browse Hotels in Ponce de Leon on Expedia
Ponce de Leon is a town of only 518 residents and is home to one of the most stunning parks in Florida. Ponce de Leon Springs State Park has gorgeous natural springs that remain at a constant 68°F throughout the year. The park has two self-guided nature trails and multiple areas for picnicking.
The town of Ponce de Leon itself has a rustic charm and is a great place to enjoy a quiet life, though the park can get exceedingly busy during the summer. Fishing, hunting, golfing, and boating are some of the more popular pastimes in town.
DeFuniak Springs
A haven for outdoors lovers looking for fishing, swimming, or picnicking.
🏠 Population: 7,295 | 📍 Google Maps | DeFuniak Springs Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in DeFuniak Springs on Booking
DeFuniak Springs is a charming small town home to Lake DeFuniak, the almost perfectly round 40-acre lake in the heart of the DeFuniak Springs Historic District.
In addition to the lake, DeFuniak Springs has the Chautauqua Vineyards and Winery and Lake Stanley Park. If you’re interested in the small town’s history, Walton County Heritage Museum explores the Victorian-era style that DeFuniak Springs has largely retained.
Micanopy
This rural town between Gainesville and Ocala is home to antique stores, historical buildings, and two state parks.
🏠 Population: 656 | 📍 Google Maps | Micanopy Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Micanopy on Booking
With a population of less than 700, it’s easy to overlook Micanopy. But Micanopy has a rural appeal, a friendly community, and tons of history. Though Micanopy is small, it’s home to two state parks: Price’s Scrub State Park and Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. You’ll find miles of land for hikers, equestrians, and cyclists to enjoy.
Micanopy’s food is great, and while you won’t find a huge number of places directly in town to stay, the unique Herlong Mansion is well worth visiting. The Herlong Mansion is an 1845 bed and breakfast, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It offers breakfast every morning and home-baked cookies and wine in the evenings.
Fernandina Beach
Situated on Amelia Island and part of the Greater Jacksonville area, Fernandina Beach has 13 miles of beautiful beaches and is beloved for its antique stores and local food.
🏠 Population: 14,017 | 📍 Google Maps | Fernandina Beach Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Fernandina Beach on Booking
Fernandina’s 13 miles of picturesque beaches and its quaint coastal town atmosphere make it a great place for people looking for a quiet town and good weather.
Fernandina Beach is known for its local antique stores, seafood, and multiple parks and trails worth exploring. You can enjoy everything from horseback riding and kayaking to historical tours and river cruises.
Fernandina Beach is within an hour of Jacksonville and an hour and a half of St. Augustine. It is one of the three communities on Amelia Island. Along with the rest of the island, Fernandina Beach has multiple high-end hotels on the water to stay in.
Crystal River
Located in Florida’s Nature Coast, this “home of the manatee” has water activities, local art and history museums, and beautiful springs and trails.
🏠 Population: 3,586 | 📍 Google Maps | Crystal River Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Crystal River on Booking
Crystal River, the self-professed “home of the manatee,” has everything from local art galleries, museums, parks, and, of course, manatees. The manatees gravitate toward the naturally 72°F waters from around November to March. They can be seen and swam with at Kings Bay and Three Sisters Springs.
Tourism based on watching and swimming with manatees is the fastest-growing contribution to the local economy. But while you’re in town, try the local seafood, and visit Mertailor’s Mermaid Aquarium Encounter a few miles southeast. You can also visit The Shoppes of Heritage Village in the heart of Crystal River’s downtown area.
Blountstown
A friendly rural town with lots of history, less than an hour from Panama City, Tallahassee, and the Alabama and Georgia state lines.
🏠 Population: 2,279 | 📍 Google Maps | Blountstown Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Bountstown on Expedia
Blountstown is a small, rural town found in the Florida Panhandle, less than an hour’s drive to larger municipalities like Tallahassee.
Some of the best things to do in Blountstown include exploring the Blountstown Greenway Trail, which is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail.
Blountstown is home to the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement and the M&B Memorial Railroad Park. The Panhandle Pioneer Settlement features 18 restored historic buildings. The M&B Memorial Railroad Park is an old railroad line that used to be the shortest in all of Florida. Both attractions offer interesting insight into the town’s history.
Cypress Gardens
Once home to Florida’s first tourist attraction and now home to LEGOLAND and other local attractions, Cypress Gardens is a great family-friendly destination.
🏠 Population: 9,886 | 📍 Google Maps | Cypress Gardens Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Cypress Gardens on Booking
Cypress Gardens is famous for being the home of Florida’s first tourist attraction. Visitors enjoyed the botanical gardens and water skiing, and it soon became known as the “Water Ski Capital of the World.” The Polk County Area has a friendly suburban feel and many residents spend the whole of their lives in the general area.
Only minutes from Winter Haven and the greater Lakeland–Winter Haven Area, Cypress Gardens has the Peppa Pig Museum, Chain of Lakes Park, and the Cypress Lanes bowling alley. Since 2009, Cypress Gardens has been home to LEGOLAND, with a portion of the historic garden being preserved in the park.
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Thank you for reading my guide on small cities and towns in Florida. Check out my guide on the best time to visit Florida so you can start planning your trip!
