Florida State Road 85
Encyclopedia
State Road 85, or SR 85, is a north–south state highway that runs from US 98 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida
north to State Route 55 at the Florida
/Alabama
state line.
in downtown Fort Walton Beach to Shalimar, Florida
, SR 85 is a six-lane highway with turn medians, accessing local beaches and Eglin Air Force Base. The road runs north through Fort Walton Beach, and the town of Cinco Bayou
before crossing the namesake Cinco Bayou Bridge, and then through the Ocean City
area of Fort Walton Beach. It crosses Garniers Bayou into Shalimar
, and thence north onto the Eglin reservation
where it becomes a four-lane route with grass median. It then skirts the northwest side of Eglin Air Force Base Main Base
,with a grade separated interchange currently under construction for State Road 123 and Northwest Florida Regional Airport continuing as a four-lane divided highway with a 65 mi/h speed limit. Looping through Valparaiso
as Government Avenue and the John Sims Parkway into Niceville
, SR 85 turns north at the intersection with State Road 20, passing College Boulevard and the future intersection with State Road 293 Mid-Bay Bridge Connector, an intersection with the northbound terminus of State Road 123. SR 85 continues north through an intersection serving the cantonment for the 7th Special Forces Group and Duke Field
before reaching the Crestview
city limits and an interchange with I-10
. The road continues through Crestview
, the Okaloosa County seat, intersecting U.S. Route 90
, and continues north towards Alabama
. North of the community of Auburn to the Alabama
line State Road 85 is a two-lane rural highway. Just south of Laurel Hill
, the road crosses on a bridge the abandoned alignment of a former Louisville and Nashville Railroad
branch that paralleled 85 between Crestview and Florala, Alabama
.
Plans are to expand this section of highway to four lanes once Alabama completes their State Route 55
expansion to four lanes from south of Andalusia, Alabama
to Florala, Alabama
. This will provide both a better hurricane evacuation route from Okaloosa County as well as a more direct route to Destin, Florida
and Fort Walton Beach, Florida
from Interstate 65
.
The intersection with 77th Special Forces Way / McWhorter Avenue, serving the 7th Special Forces cantonment and Duke Field is in the planning phases of upgrading it to a freeway grade interchange.
State Road 85 has a few resurfacing projects planned, with the section from Bill Lundy Road to the Walton County
line, planned for 2012,, from US 98 To Richbourg Avenue, also planned for 2012, and from north of College Boulevard to north of SR 123, planned for 2014.
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
north to State Route 55 at the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
/Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
state line.
Route description
From its southern terminus at the intersection of US 98U.S. Route 98 in Florida
U.S. Route 98 is an east-west United States highway that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida and Apalachicola, Florida, and has since been extended eastward across the Florida Peninsula and westward into Mississippi...
in downtown Fort Walton Beach to Shalimar, Florida
Shalimar, Florida
Shalimar is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738...
, SR 85 is a six-lane highway with turn medians, accessing local beaches and Eglin Air Force Base. The road runs north through Fort Walton Beach, and the town of Cinco Bayou
Cinco Bayou, Florida
Cinco Bayou is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 377 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
before crossing the namesake Cinco Bayou Bridge, and then through the Ocean City
Ocean City, Florida
Ocean City is a census-designated place in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,594 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
area of Fort Walton Beach. It crosses Garniers Bayou into Shalimar
Shalimar, Florida
Shalimar is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738...
, and thence north onto the Eglin reservation
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
where it becomes a four-lane route with grass median. It then skirts the northwest side of Eglin Air Force Base Main Base
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
,with a grade separated interchange currently under construction for State Road 123 and Northwest Florida Regional Airport continuing as a four-lane divided highway with a 65 mi/h speed limit. Looping through Valparaiso
Valparaiso, Florida
Valparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, in the United States, and it is named after the Chilean city of Valparaiso. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,408. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 6,336...
as Government Avenue and the John Sims Parkway into Niceville
Niceville, Florida
Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located close to Eglin Air Force Base. It originally began with the name Valparaiso, then to separate itself from the neighboring town took the unofficial name of Boggy. Upon incorporation as an official city, the name was changed to...
, SR 85 turns north at the intersection with State Road 20, passing College Boulevard and the future intersection with State Road 293 Mid-Bay Bridge Connector, an intersection with the northbound terminus of State Road 123. SR 85 continues north through an intersection serving the cantonment for the 7th Special Forces Group and Duke Field
Duke Field
Duke Field , also known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, is a military airport located three miles south of the central business district of Crestview, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States-Units:...
before reaching the Crestview
Crestview, Florida
Crestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
city limits and an interchange with I-10
Interstate 10 in Florida
The of Interstate 10 in Florida is the eastern most section of the east–west Interstate 10 in the Southern United States. It is also the eastern end of the Interstate Highway known as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, one of three coast to coast interstates, along with I-80...
. The road continues through Crestview
Crestview, Florida
Crestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
, the Okaloosa County seat, intersecting U.S. Route 90
U.S. Route 90
U.S. Route 90 is an east–west United States highway. Despite the "0" in its route number, U.S. 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route; it has always ended at Van Horn, Texas. A short-lived northward extension to U.S...
, and continues north towards Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. North of the community of Auburn to the Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
line State Road 85 is a two-lane rural highway. Just south of Laurel Hill
Laurel Hill, Florida
Laurel Hill is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 549 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 576...
, the road crosses on a bridge the abandoned alignment of a former Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
branch that paralleled 85 between Crestview and Florala, Alabama
Florala, Alabama
Florala is a city in Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,964.-Geography:Florala is located at . According to the U.S...
.
Plans are to expand this section of highway to four lanes once Alabama completes their State Route 55
Alabama State Route 55
State Route 55 is a long route in the southern part of the state. The southern terminus of the route is at the Florida–Alabama state line, where the route continues as Florida State Road 85. The northern terminus of the route is at a junction with U.S...
expansion to four lanes from south of Andalusia, Alabama
Andalusia, Alabama
Andalusia is a city in and the county seat of Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 8,794.According to the 2007 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 8,705...
to Florala, Alabama
Florala, Alabama
Florala is a city in Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,964.-Geography:Florala is located at . According to the U.S...
. This will provide both a better hurricane evacuation route from Okaloosa County as well as a more direct route to Destin, Florida
Destin, Florida
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
and Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
from Interstate 65
Interstate 65 in Alabama
Interstate 65, beginning in Mobile at an interchange with Interstate 10, meanders across of the Alabama countryside linking six of the state's ten largest cities. The highway links together many important roadways that make commerce inside and outside of the state's boundaries possible...
.
Future
The entrance to the Northwest Florida Regional Airport is currently being reconstructed at SR 123, a cut-off named the Roger Clary Parkway that by-passes Valparaiso and Niceville, along with an additional flyover, planned to open in October 2012, providing easier access for those going to and from I-10/Crestview and Fort Walton Beach.The intersection with 77th Special Forces Way / McWhorter Avenue, serving the 7th Special Forces cantonment and Duke Field is in the planning phases of upgrading it to a freeway grade interchange.
State Road 85 has a few resurfacing projects planned, with the section from Bill Lundy Road to the Walton County
Walton County, Florida
Walton County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 40,601. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 50,324. Its county seat is DeFuniak Springs, Florida. The county is home to the highest natural point in Florida: Britton Hill, at .- History...
line, planned for 2012,, from US 98 To Richbourg Avenue, also planned for 2012, and from north of College Boulevard to north of SR 123, planned for 2014.
Junction list
The entire route is located in Okaloosa County.| Location | Mile | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern terminus | |||
| Near northern terminus of southern section of SR 189 | |||
| Southern terminus of SR 123 | |||
| Western terminus of SR 20 | |||
| Future interchange with SR 293, under construction | |||
| Northern terminus of SR 123 | |||
| Northern terminus at Alabama / Florida state line, near US 331 |