The Florida Welcome Center: What you need to know
There is a difference once you enter the Sunshine State!
Presented as a service to Interstate275Florida.com visitors
You took a road trip out of state and you are headed back home to the Sunshine State. Or, you are coming to visit our great Sunshine State of Florida and explore all we have to offer!
You are on Interstate 75 southbound in Georgia and you passed the last Georgia exit south of Valdosta, which is Exit 2 for Lake Park, Georgia and Bellville, Florida. Another mile past the underpass and - voila - you see the signage for the Florida state line and that you are crossing into Hamilton County, Florida, which is the first Florida county you'll enter. Right after you're over the Florida-Georgia border you see the signs on southbound Interstate 75 reminding you of the 70 mph speed limit (patrolled by the Florida Highway Patrol using aircraft) and to use SunPass when you traverse Florida's toll roads to save money.
Right after all those Welcome to Florida reminders, you see the sign for the Florida Welcome Center - the official Florida Welcome Center. That long drive got you tired, so you exit to the Florida Welcome Center. How can you tell if the Florida Welcome Center is the legitimate and official Florida Welcome Center? Read on.
First, the Official Florida Welcome Center
The official Florida Welcome Center is found on interstate highways leading into our great State of Florida: Interstates 75 and 95 from Georgia and Interstate 10 from Alabama. Signage for the official Florida Welcome Center is always erected by the Florida Department of Transportation (the Florida DOT) and you will see blue overhead signage letting you know that the State of Florida Welcome Center is coming up just after you cross the state line from Georgia or Alabama. An example of this can be seen on the banner photo on the top of this page as well as the photos below.
The official Florida Welcome Center is always advertised on official Florida DOT signage.
Entrance to the official Florida Welcome Center. This is the Florida Welcome Center on Interstate 75 south just south of the Florida-Georgia border in Jennings. Again, the signage is always advertised on official Florida DOT signage - never on a billboard.
The official Florida Welcome Center at the welcome center itself. Again, this is mounted on official Florida DOT signage.
The official Florida Welcome Center is where you get official Florida tourist information. The helpful and friendly staff will assist you in getting the information you need for the part of Florida you are headed to - even if you are headed for the Tampa/St. Petersburg area and the land of Interstate 275! In addition, you can also get major road construction information straight from the official source: The Florida DOT. (In fact, this information is also posted at Florida's rest areas and Florida Turnpike service plazas too!)
While you're at the official Florida Welcome Center, feel free to sample the beverage that makes Florida so famous: Orange juice! You can also purchase snacks and drinks from the vending machines located strategically throughout the welcome center, and restrooms are available. There is even a photo opportunity of Florida's new entry monument featuring Florida's signature bridge on none other than Interstate 275 connecting St. Petersburg with Bradenton, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT stop on the shoulders of Interstates 75, 95 or 10 to get a picture of Florida's new entry monument that you see right after you cross the Florida line from Georgia or Alabama. Stopping on the shoulder of an interstate highway is illegal unless you have an emergency and you can risk a citation from the Florida Highway Patrol. The Florida Welcome Center is much safer instead.
The official Florida welcome Center also sells SunPass, Florida's electronic toll collection system. Here in Florida, a SunPass is becoming more of a must have in your car - SunPass comes in two different flavors, the stick on transponder and the portable SunPass Pro transponder. After all, more and more toll roads in Florida - including the Selmon Crosstown and Veterans Expressway in Tampa and recently Florida's Turnpike systemwide - are cashless meaning that no cash is accepted. The SunPass Pro portable transponder is highly recommended, as you can use it not only in Florida but in Georgia, North Carolina and anywhere else EZ-Pass is accepted. SunPass kiosks are available in the welcome centers to activate your SunPass or you may go online to the SunPass web site and activate. Don't forget, if you got an Apple iPhone you can also download the SunPass app from the Apple app store.
Georgia PeachPass, North Carolina QuickPass and EZ-Pass (especially Maryland EZ-Pass) users can rejoice - your transponders can be used on Florida's toll roads and bridges where SunPass is accepted!
While you're at the official Florida Welcome Center, trained and courteous staff will assist you in planning where you want to go in the Sunshine State, whether it may be Tampa/St. Petersburg and its finest beaches, Orlando and the land of Mickey Mouse or even Miami and South Florida. Be sure to sample the beverage that makes Florida so famous, Orange Juice!
Florida's new entry monument on display at the Florida Welcome Center. This is a great photo opportunity in a safe environment that features Florida's signature bridge on none other than Interstate 275 connecting St. Petersburg with Bradenton, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge! This is why the Florida DOT has signs on the Interstate 75 mainline that do not allow any stopping at the entry monument just as you cross the border from Georgia, and it's there for a reason thanks to Section 316.1945 of the Florida Statutes!
After all, the official Florida Welcome Center should always be your first stop once you cross over the state line into the Sunshine State of Florida! There's a lot to check out and the friendly and helpful staff will help you with where you are headed in Florida.
Second, the unofficial Florida Welcome Center
Now I need to tell you about the other Florida Welcome Center that you may see: The unofficial Florida Welcome Center.
You will see them advertised not on official Florida DOT signage, but on huge billboards that line Interstates 75, 95 and 10 either before you cross the state line into Florida or after you cross. In order to get to one of these unofficial Florida Welcome Centers, you have to exit the interstate highway.
You may think that these unofficial Florida Welcome Centers feature the same thing that is offered at the official Florida Welcome Centers, but there is a difference: The sale of Orlando area theme park tickets such as Walt Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios Florida or even Legoland in Winter Haven, especially at cut rate prices or given away for free.
RED FLAG!!!
You never know what these unofficial Florida Welcome Centers may be offering: Information that may be outdated. As for the Orlando area theme park tickets, those tickets offered either at a cut rate price or for free will more than likely come with an overly aggressive presentation for a time share which you will more than likely have to sit through to get these tickets. And another thing, you never know how good the tickets are: You fall for the time share pitch and you get the tickets, only to be refused admittance at the gate because the tickets are no good!
After all, you don't need to endure plenty of fear and anxiety after a long trip thanks to those time share hucksters perched on the sides of Interstate 75 whose sole purpose is to part you from your hard earned money. The lure of free or heavily discounted attraction tickets may be tempting, but it is not worth the effort.
The Bottom Line on the Florida Welcome Center
Whether you are a visitor to our great State of Florida or you are a resident headed back home after a long trip, if you need traveler information the best resource is the official Florida Welcome Center. There you will get the latest up to date information you need and the information is given to you - and you don't have to fall to an unwanted time share sales pitch!
Now if you're headed south on Interstate 75 towards the Tampa Bay region, approximately 193 miles stands between the official Florida Welcome Center in Jennings (the first exit on Interstate 75 southbound in Florida is FL 143, Exit 467, right after the official Florida Welcome Center) and the northern terminus of Interstate 275 (Exit 274) located on the Hillsborough-Pasco county line in Wesley Chapel.
189 miles to Exit 274, Interstate 275 south to Tampa and St. Petersburg!
For More Information
Links to websites outside of Interstate275Florida.com are provided for your convenience. Interstate275Florida.com is not responsible for the content on external web sites. Please see our terms of use page as well as the terms of use page at the Edward Ringwald Websites Portal for more information. Links to external web sites will open in their own window.
Visit Florida - the official tourism arm of the State of Florida. This is the entity that operates Florida's Official Welcome Centers. The hours of operation for the official Welcome Centers are 8 AM to 5 PM seven days a week, excluding holidays.
The Florida Department of Transportation - there you can obtain and download a version of the official Florida state map that is distributed at the official Florida Welcome Centers (click on Maps & Data, then State Highway Map in the Maps section).
SunPass - Florida's prepaid toll program. If you do not have a SunPass, the SunPass website is the place. SunPass transponders are sold in the Welcome Centers and kiosks are available to register and activate your SunPass or you can go to the SunPass website. Apple iPhone users can download the SunPass app from the Apple app store. Georgia PeachPass, North Carolina QuickPass and EZ-Pass users can rejoice - your transponders will work on Florida's toll roads and bridges where SunPass is accepted!
