State Road A19A (Florida)
Encyclopedia
State Road A19A is a loop in the St. Petersburg, Florida
, area that currently consists of the entirety of the north–south SR 693
(66th Street), a stretch of SR 699
in and near St. Pete Beach
, and the entirety of SR 682 (a part of the toll
Pinellas Bayway
). The northern terminus of A19A is an intersection with US 19 (SR 55
); the southern terminus is an interchange with Interstate 275
/US 19/SR 93
just north of the Sunshine Skyway
. Cities and communities served by A19A include (from north to south) Pinellas Park
, Kenneth City
, South Pasadena
, St. Pete Beach, and St, Petersburg.
Noteworthy places near (or accessible to) A19A include Pass-a-Grille Beach, the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, Fort DeSoto State Park (on the southern tip of State Road 682, the north–south section of the Pinellas Bayway
), and the campus of Eckerd College
.
For two decades after the opening of the Pinellas Bayway on December 23, 1962, “A19A” signs lined the entire route (the east–west Pinellas Bayway originally had only SR A19A signs, while the other two parts had the A19A signs alongside – or above – the other, older State Road designation), but in the mid 1980s the Florida Department of Transportation
removed them as part of a statewide reorganization of the State Roads system and gave the Pinellas Bayway its current designation. While FDOT no longer maintains an “A19A”, the numbering is still used locally (Pinellas County
ordinances list A19A as synonymous for 66th Street south of Alternate US 19, and many commercial enterprises still refer to the Pinellas Bayway as “A19A” in their advertisements).
Despite the similar numbering, comparisons with SR A1A
can lead to faulty conclusions. While the barrier island
s along the Atlantic coast
of Florida have seven discontinuous segments of A1A traveling along them, there is no such “continuity” on the longer Gulf coast
. The Gulf Coast barrier islands feature the following State Roads:
• SR 951
(and Collier County Road 92/former State Road 92) – Marco Island
• SR 865
– Estero Island
(Bonita Beach to Fort Myers Beach
)
• SR 767 (now Lee County Road 767) – Pine Island (Saint James City to Bokeelia
)
• SR 771 (now Charlotte County Road 771) – Gasparilla Island
(Boca Grande
)
• SR 758
– Casey Key and Siesta Key
(Crescent Beach
)
• SR 789
– Longboat Key
(Sarasota
to Holmes Beach
)
• SR 679 (part of Pinellas Bayway
) – Mullet Key and Cabbage Key (Tierra Verde
)
• SR 699
– St. Pete Beach
to Indian Rocks Beach
(the road continues northward as Pinellas County Road 699 to Clearwater Beach)
• SR 300 (originally SR G1A) – St. George Island
• SR 30E (now Gulf County Road 30E) – St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
)
• SR 30
/US 98 – Santa Rosa Beach to Fort Walton Beach
• SR 399 (now Escambia County Road 399) – Navarre Beach
to Pensacola Beach
• SR 292
– Perdido Key
While SR A1A
received its current designation after people were confusing the original “SR 1” with nearby U.S. Route 1 (and US 1A/Alternate US 1 was also near the State Road), the SR A19A designation was the original numbering of the Pinellas Bayway. Since A19A branches off Alternate US 19 and connects with the parent route US 19, a likely explanation for the numbering is for the loop to represent “Alternate (U.S. Highway) 19 Alternate,” or “Alternate (U.S. Highway) 19A.”
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, area that currently consists of the entirety of the north–south SR 693
State Road 693 (Florida)
Locally known as 66th Street, Pasadena Avenue, and A19A, State Road 693 is a 12-mile-long north–south street serving southern Pinellas County, Florida. The southern terminus is an intersection with Blind Pass Road and Gulf Way in St...
(66th Street), a stretch of SR 699
State Road 699 (Florida)
Locally known as Gulf Boulevard and Blind Pass Road, State Road 699 is a 15-mile-long road running the length of the Pinellas County barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico and serving the popular beaches near St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo. The southern terminus of SR 699 is at the extreme...
in and near St. Pete Beach
St. Pete Beach, Florida
St. Pete Beach is a coastal city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States famous for its status as a tourist destination. St. Pete Beach was formed from the Towns of Pass-a-Grille, Don CeSar, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach and unincorporated Pinellas County. At the time of its incorporation...
, and the entirety of SR 682 (a part of the toll
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
Pinellas Bayway
Pinellas Bayway
The Pinellas Bayway System is a series of bridges on two Florida State Roads in Pinellas County, Florida. It is a toll road complex maintained and operated by the Florida Department of Transportation. It also is compatible with the SunPass ETC system currently in used on all other FDOT-owned toll...
). The northern terminus of A19A is an intersection with US 19 (SR 55
Florida State Road 55
State Road 55 is mainly the internal or secret designation of U.S. Route 19 through Florida, although it has appeared on maps and atlases in several occasions. State Road 55 originates at the Georgia border north of Ashville, and ends at SR 684 in Bradenton. North of Perry, it's the secret route...
); the southern terminus is an interchange with Interstate 275
Interstate 275 (Florida)
Interstate 275 in Florida serves the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, measuring 60.696 miles in length. The southern terminus is I-75 near Palmetto, just five miles east of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a toll bridge crossing Tampa Bay. The highway passes through St...
/US 19/SR 93
State Road 93 (Florida)
State Road 93 is the hidden Florida Department of Transportation designator for the following routes:*Interstate 75 from the Georgia state line to the interchange with the Palmetto Expressway and the Gratigny Parkway in Miami Lakes....
just north of the Sunshine Skyway
Sunshine Skyway Bridge
The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a bridge spanning Tampa Bay, Florida, with a cable-stayed main span, and a total length of 21,877 feet . It is part of I-275 and US 19 , connecting St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County, Florida, passing through Hillsborough...
. Cities and communities served by A19A include (from north to south) Pinellas Park
Pinellas Park, Florida
Pinellas Park is a city located in central Pinellas County, Florida. The population was 45,658 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 47,166 . The city was founded by Philadelphia publisher, F. A...
, Kenneth City
Kenneth City, Florida
Kenneth City is a town located in southern Pinellas County, Florida, between St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park, in the United States. Kenneth City was founded in 1957 by Sidney Colen, a local developer, who named the city after his son Kenneth Colen. The population was 4,400 at the 2000 census. As...
, South Pasadena
South Pasadena, Florida
South Pasadena is a city located in southern Pinellas County, Florida, near St. Petersburg. The population was 5,778 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,745 .-Geography:...
, St. Pete Beach, and St, Petersburg.
Noteworthy places near (or accessible to) A19A include Pass-a-Grille Beach, the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, Fort DeSoto State Park (on the southern tip of State Road 682, the north–south section of the Pinellas Bayway
Pinellas Bayway
The Pinellas Bayway System is a series of bridges on two Florida State Roads in Pinellas County, Florida. It is a toll road complex maintained and operated by the Florida Department of Transportation. It also is compatible with the SunPass ETC system currently in used on all other FDOT-owned toll...
), and the campus of Eckerd College
Eckerd College
Eckerd College is a private 4-year coeducational liberal arts college at the southernmost tip of St. Petersburg, Florida, in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.- Campus :...
.
For two decades after the opening of the Pinellas Bayway on December 23, 1962, “A19A” signs lined the entire route (the east–west Pinellas Bayway originally had only SR A19A signs, while the other two parts had the A19A signs alongside – or above – the other, older State Road designation), but in the mid 1980s the Florida Department of Transportation
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the Florida State Road Department...
removed them as part of a statewide reorganization of the State Roads system and gave the Pinellas Bayway its current designation. While FDOT no longer maintains an “A19A”, the numbering is still used locally (Pinellas County
Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...
ordinances list A19A as synonymous for 66th Street south of Alternate US 19, and many commercial enterprises still refer to the Pinellas Bayway as “A19A” in their advertisements).
Despite the similar numbering, comparisons with SR A1A
State Road A1A (Florida)
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
can lead to faulty conclusions. While the barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
s along the Atlantic coast
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
of Florida have seven discontinuous segments of A1A traveling along them, there is no such “continuity” on the longer Gulf coast
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The Gulf Coast barrier islands feature the following State Roads:
• SR 951
State Road 951 (Florida)
Originally long, State Road 951 is now an eight-mile-long north–south divided highway that provides access from the Tamiami Trail near Naples Manor to the popular tourist destination Marco Island...
(and Collier County Road 92/former State Road 92) – Marco Island
Marco Island, Florida
Marco Island is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States, located on an island by the same name in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Southwest Florida. It is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area...
• SR 865
State Road 865 (Florida)
Originally a continuous Florida State Road extending from Bonita Springs to Tice, Florida and serving Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach, State Road 865 now consists of two segments connected by a part of Lee County Road 865 that was originally part of SR 865, one signed north–south, the other...
– Estero Island
Estero Island
Estero Island is an island located in Lee County, Florida, on the Gulf coast of Southwest Florida. It is bordered by San Carlos Island to the north and Big Carlos Pass to the south. The Matanzas Pass Bridge is on the northern end of the island and connects Estero Island over Matazanas Pass to San...
(Bonita Beach to Fort Myers Beach
Fort Myers Beach, Florida
Fort Myers Beach is a town located on Estero Island in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,561 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
)
• SR 767 (now Lee County Road 767) – Pine Island (Saint James City to Bokeelia
Bokeelia, Florida
Bokeelia is a census-designated place located on Pine Island in Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 1,997...
)
• SR 771 (now Charlotte County Road 771) – Gasparilla Island
Gasparilla Island
Gasparilla Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida, United States, straddling the border of Charlotte and Lee Counties. Its largest town is Boca Grande, and it is the location of the Gasparilla Island State Park...
(Boca Grande
Boca Grande, Florida
Boca Grande is a small residential community on Gasparilla Island, in southwest Florida. Gasparilla Island is a part of both Charlotte and Lee Counties, while the actual village of Boca Grande, which is home to many seasonal and some year-round residents, is entirely in the Lee County portion of...
)
• SR 758
State Road 758 (Florida)
State Road 758 is an 11-mile-long street connecting Siesta Key with other parts of Sarasota. State Road 758 is locally known by several names: Midnight Pass Road northwest of Crescent Beach on Siesta Key, then Higel Avenue on Siesta Key, Siesta Drive as it crosses Roberts Bay in Sarasota, and for...
– Casey Key and Siesta Key
Siesta Key, Florida
Siesta Key is a barrier island off the central western coast of Florida in the United States of America. It is situated between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. A portion of it lies within the city boundary of Sarasota, but the majority of the key is a census-designated place in Sarasota County...
(Crescent Beach
Crescent Beach, Florida
Crescent Beach is an unincorporated census-designated place in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. The population was 985 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crescent Beach is located at ....
)
• SR 789
State Road 789 (Florida)
A 19-mile-long road along the Florida’s Gulf Coast, State Road 789 spans Bird Key, St. Armands Key, and Lido Key, in Sarasota; Longboat Key ; and Anna Maria Island...
– Longboat Key
Longboat Key, Florida
Longboat Key is a town in Manatee and Sarasota counties along the central west coast of the U.S. state of Florida, located on the barrier island of the same name. Longboat Key is south of Anna Maria Island, between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is almost equally divided between Manatee...
(Sarasota
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
to Holmes Beach
Holmes Beach, Florida
Holmes Beach is a city on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,100. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area...
)
• SR 679 (part of Pinellas Bayway
Pinellas Bayway
The Pinellas Bayway System is a series of bridges on two Florida State Roads in Pinellas County, Florida. It is a toll road complex maintained and operated by the Florida Department of Transportation. It also is compatible with the SunPass ETC system currently in used on all other FDOT-owned toll...
) – Mullet Key and Cabbage Key (Tierra Verde
Tierra Verde, Florida
Tierra Verde is a census-designated place in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,574 at the 2000 census.Located at the end of Tierra Verde is Fort De Soto County Park.-Geography:...
)
• SR 699
State Road 699 (Florida)
Locally known as Gulf Boulevard and Blind Pass Road, State Road 699 is a 15-mile-long road running the length of the Pinellas County barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico and serving the popular beaches near St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo. The southern terminus of SR 699 is at the extreme...
– St. Pete Beach
St. Pete Beach, Florida
St. Pete Beach is a coastal city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States famous for its status as a tourist destination. St. Pete Beach was formed from the Towns of Pass-a-Grille, Don CeSar, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach and unincorporated Pinellas County. At the time of its incorporation...
to Indian Rocks Beach
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida
Indian Rocks Beach is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,072 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,167.-Geography:...
(the road continues northward as Pinellas County Road 699 to Clearwater Beach)
• SR 300 (originally SR G1A) – St. George Island
• SR 30E (now Gulf County Road 30E) – St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is a Florida State Park near Port St. Joe. It is located off U.S. 98.-Recreational activities:The park has such amenities as beaches, birding, boating, cabins, canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, picnicking areas, snorkeling, wildlife viewing and full camping...
)
• SR 30
State Road 30 (Florida)
State Road 30 is the mostly hidden Florida Department of Transportation designation for most of US 98 west of Perry, Florida to Alabama.In a 14-mile-long stretch west of Panama City, US 98 and SR 30 are separated by less than one mile , with SR 30 on Front Beach Road along the shore of the Gulf of...
/US 98 – Santa Rosa Beach to Fort Walton Beach
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...
• SR 399 (now Escambia County Road 399) – Navarre Beach
Navarre Beach, Florida
Navarre Beach, is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County in the U.S. state of Florida. It is on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. The community is considered part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.Immediately to its east...
to Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach, Florida
Pensacola Beach is an unincorporated community located on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island, in Escambia County, Florida, United States. It is situated south of Pensacola, and Gulf Breeze connected via bridges spanning to the Fairpoint Peninsula and then to the island, on the Gulf of Mexico...
• SR 292
State Road 292 (Florida)
State Road 292 is a major thoroughfare in the Pensacola, Florida metropolitan area. Locally, it is known as Pace Boulevard, Barrancas Avenue, Gulf Beach Highway, Sorrento Road, and Perdido Key Drive.-Route description:...
– Perdido Key
While SR A1A
State Road A1A (Florida)
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
received its current designation after people were confusing the original “SR 1” with nearby U.S. Route 1 (and US 1A/Alternate US 1 was also near the State Road), the SR A19A designation was the original numbering of the Pinellas Bayway. Since A19A branches off Alternate US 19 and connects with the parent route US 19, a likely explanation for the numbering is for the loop to represent “Alternate (U.S. Highway) 19 Alternate,” or “Alternate (U.S. Highway) 19A.”