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Driving to Florida (directions question)

1,661 Views | 17 Replies | Last: 21 days ago by Yesterday
The Shank Ag
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3:39p, 7/25/26
Super late to ask as I'm planning on pulling out of the driveway at 4am tomorrow morning… but

We are going to rosemary beach for the next week and I am looking for best routes. Would have flown but with two littles (7 and 4, 4 has Down syndrome) we are taking a ton of crap with us I didn't want to check on a flight.

Waze is saying to stay on 20 until we get to Jackson MS, then a couple state highways to mobile and merging onto 10. When I've done this drive in the past with extended family I've always got to Shreveport, then cut down on 49 to Lafayette to get on 10 (though going to fort Morgan and grabbing the ferry, not 30A)

For anyone that's done this multiple times, do you have a best route?
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BIMS O1
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In reply to The Shank Ag • 4:18p, 7/25/26
AG
I personally prefer the Jackson route, but others feel differently. I dislike the diagonal drive through Louisiana that takes a lifetime on terrible roads, so we do the "northern route".
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smurphy07
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5:48p, 7/25/26
AG
Stick with Waze recommendation. Same directions we take every summer.
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a.froman
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8:03p, 7/25/26
AG
I also like the 20 to Jackson, down to Hattiesburg onto Mobile and then 10 onto Rosemary route
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2wealfth Man
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9:25a, 7/26/26
AG
Traffic in Baton Rouge and over the long bridge can be nasty. I would avoid it during the day if possible. The tunnel in Mobile is another choke point that you cannot avoid .
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Candiru
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9:45a, 7/26/26
AG
It's been a while for me but cool thing I noticed in the numbers on the northern route: in general from DFW to the border - 185 miles; border to border to cross all of LA, 185 miles.
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The Shank Ag
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8:08a, 7/27/26
Well it was a day, that's for sure.

Went the northerly route. Left the house from cleburne at 4 on the dot.

Everything was great to start, hit Louisiana at 7, stopped for quick breakfast in Monroe. Nobody told me about all the lights after getting to Jacksonville. Lunch in Hattiesburg at Zaxbys, Gas at Buc-eels past mobile bay (burned out RV on the bridge slowed us down a half hour) on to our rental.

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Matsui
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In reply to The Shank Ag • 11:20a, 7/27/26
AG
Glad you made it safely!
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The Shank Ag
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1:25p, 7/27/26
Forgot to mention…

My wife and daughter, prob got 4 hours of naps in
My 4 year old son also got a nap in, once we hit the Florida line (faceplam)
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Gigem_94
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2:48p, 7/28/26
AG
I've driven this route for years w 4 kids including a week ago. On the way there I prefer the northern route i20 to Jackson then south through hattisburg to mobile. Although the hwy between i20 and I10 is not an interstate it is mostly divided 4 lanes but does have some stop lights, but at least there are places to stop for bathrooms and food. 49 between Shreveport and Lafayette is desolate with few places to stop. I hate that route myself. Nonetheless I usually take that route back because my wife likes to stop in New Orleans.
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Decay
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3:34p, 7/28/26
AG
South route one way, North route the other. Any excuse for NOLA food, we take it!
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The Shank Ag
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4:01p, 8/1/26
Took south route home, was supposed to be 20 minutes faster before 10 in Baton Rouge shut down and cut us off from the bridge.

Still a great time

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Buford Tannen
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5:54p, 8/2/26
AG
20-Jackson-Hattiesburg-Mobile is the way we go. That Bucees at the Orange Beach turnoff is always unbelievably crowded. Only real issues you have are sometimes construction getting out of Jackson and through the Mobile tunnel.
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Matsui
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9:52a, 8/3/26
AG
glad you made it back safely!
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Yesterday
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1:29p, 8/6/26
AG
Here now. Avoid Louisiana as much as possible. Planning on leaving here tomorrow around 7am to avoid evening traffic in DFW.
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The Shank Ag
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In reply to Yesterday • 4:14p, 8/6/26
We headed back at 6am, hit Dallas right at 6:30. Then again we had 3 stops for potty/lunch
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The Collective
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9:22p, 8/7/26
AG
Ya, goal 1 for me is get out of La as fast as possible. Hattiesburg is a nice night spot if you ever want to take it slow. We've stopped there - several good places to eat there.
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Yesterday
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In reply to The Collective • 6:52a, 8/8/26
AG
The Collective said:
Ya, goal 1 for me is get out of La as fast as possible. Hattiesburg is a nice night spot if you ever want to take it slow. We've stopped there - several good places to eat there.


Took a detour through town yesterday due to a wreck. Never knew that's where southern Miss is. Cool little town that I never even knew was there. Just thought it was stop lights
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