Tallahassee
Introduction
Tallahassee is the capital of Florida and the seat of Leon County, and it is the only incorporated municipality in that county. It became the capital when Florida was still a territory, and it remains the principal city of its metropolitan area. It is also the largest city in the Florida Big Bend and Panhandle regions.
Before you go
Before you go, it helps to know that Tallahassee's visitor services are concentrated downtown. The Downtown Tallahassee Visitor Information Center sits on East Jefferson Street and is open on weekdays during business hours, so plan your arrival accordingly if you want to pick up maps or ask questions in person. You can also reach the center by phone or email ahead of your trip. Beyond that, the source material offers little practical detail, so treat this as a starting point rather than a complete briefing. Check current conditions and local guidance before you travel, and use the visitor center as your first stop for orientation once you arrive.Getting there
Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH) sits about five miles south of the Florida State University campus, on the west side of town via Lake Bradford Road. Non-stop flights arrive from Atlanta, Dallas-Ft Worth, Washington DC and South Florida, with American Eagle/American Airlines serving Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami and Washington National; Delta/Delta Connection serving Atlanta; and Breeze Airways serving Ft Lauderdale and Raleigh Durham. Note that Star Metro, the local public transportation system, does not serve the airport, so plan on a taxi, rental car or shuttle for the final leg.
By road, Interstate 10 runs through the city, with access from exits 199 to 209, including Tennessee Street and Monroe Avenue & Apalachee Parkway. Capital Parkway loops around the east and south sides of town, linking Thomasville, Georgia, through Tallahassee to US Highway 98 on the Gulf Coast. Intercity buses stop at the CK Steele Bus Plaza on East Tennessee Street, where Greyhound Lines and Flixbus connect the city to Atlanta, Nashville, Jacksonville, Orlando and Houston, with some through-service to Miami and transfers in Orlando for other destinations. Redcoach also serves Tallahassee from a stop on St Augustine Street at the FSU campus parking garage, with another stop on Marriott Drive downtown, running to Miami via Ocala, Gainesville and Ft Lauderdale. The nearest connections to Amtrak trains are in Orlando, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Atlanta, so check schedules if you're linking up with rail.
Getting around
Tallahassee is a sprawling Southern capital and college town, and how easily you get around depends heavily on where you stay. Downtown, Midtown, and Lake Ella are the most picturesque and convenient areas for walking, and neighborhoods like Levy Park and Frenchtown are pedestrian-friendly enough for some errands on foot. Elsewhere, the city's spread-out layout means you will likely want a car or another mode of transport to reach everyday amenities. A practical strategy is to base yourself in a walkable district and use buses, taxis, or ride-hailing for everything beyond it. There is no metro, tram, or light rail network, and no local passenger rail service within the city, so plan on road-based transport.
Public transit is provided by StarMetro, the city's bus system, with routes serving Florida State University, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee Community College, and Downtown. Buses typically run from about 6AM to 7 or 8PM on weekdays and roughly 7AM to 7PM on weekends, with limited routes and hours after 7PM and on Sundays. Reaching anywhere other than Downtown or a university campus usually requires at least one transfer, and the central hub is the C.K. Steele Bus Plaza in Downtown. There are no longer ticket vending machines at the bus plaza, but tickets, passes, and cards can be purchased at a kiosk by cash or credit card during business hours. StarMetro does not serve Tallahassee Regional Airport, so you will need another option for the airport leg.
- Several taxi companies serve the city, but outside the airport there are not many taxi stands, so it is better to call ahead and arrange a pickup than to expect to hail a cab on the street.
- Ride-hailing apps are a convenient complement, particularly for evening trips and weekend travel when bus service is thin.
- For cyclists, the city has invested in bike infrastructure, including bike lanes, paths, and shared-use trails, making biking viable for short commutes and leisure rides, though the hilly terrain can be challenging.
- From Tallahassee Regional Airport, south of the Florida State University campus and reached via Lake Bradford Road, your options are taxis, ride-hailing, rental cars, and shuttle companies; arrange a taxi pickup in advance or book a ride-hailing car on arrival.
- Intercity buses from Greyhound, Flixbus, and Redcoach serve the city, connecting it to Atlanta, Nashville, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Houston, among other destinations.
- By car, Tallahassee sits on Interstate 10, accessed from exits 199 to 209, with connections via Tennessee Street, Monroe Avenue, and Apalachee Parkway; Capital Parkway loops around town along the east and south sides.
Where to stay
Most of Tallahassee's lodging clusters along two main corridors: Apalachee Parkway, southeast of the Capitol, and North Monroe Street, which runs north toward the interstate. The Apalachee Parkway strip is the more convenient base if you want to be close to downtown, with a run of familiar chain properties including the Best Western Tallahassee-Downtown Inn & Suites, the Courtyard Tallahassee Capital, the Wyndham Garden Tallahassee Capitol, and a Motel 6 downtown. A Comfort Suites on the same road is entirely smoke-free and offers an exercise room, a seasonal outdoor pool, and free high-speed wireless internet. Two Econo Lodges, one on Apalachee Parkway and one on North Monroe Street, both welcome pets and provide free high-speed internet in every room.
If you prefer to stay near the interstate, look to the North Monroe Street and Raymond Diehl Road area. There you'll find a Quality Inn that is pet-friendly and has a seasonal outdoor pool, and the Residence Inn Tallahassee North I-10 Capital Circle, which offers a full kitchen, an indoor pool, free high-speed wireless internet, and pet-friendly rooms. The SpringHill Suites Tallahassee Central is an all-suites option downtown, with spacious rooms, a free hot breakfast, a swimming pool, free internet, and meeting facilities. Other choices include the Hilton Garden Inn on Blairstone Road, the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites on Graves Road, a Suburban Extended Stay Hotel with a seasonal outdoor pool and free internet, and a second Motel 6 on the west side of North Monroe Street.
Food & drink
For Japanese food, you can choose among Sakura, Sado Mori, Osaka and Masa, while Bahn Thai and Essence of India cover Thai and Indian cravings. Cuban fare is available at Gordo's, and Coosh's Bayou Rouge Market & Eatery serves Cajun-style cooking. Other options include Italian at Mom & Dad's and Bella Bella, Mexican at Los Compadres and San Miguel, seafood at Crystal River Seafood, and steaks at Ted's Montana Grill. For lighter fare, Au Peche Mignon offers coffee, tea and French pastries, and Black Dog Cafe is a spot for coffee. When you're ready for a drink, Leon Pub is a smoking-friendly pub with a huge selection of beers from around the world. Fermentation Lounge is a hip but down-to-earth spot with wines, beers, mead, sangria and ciders. For local beer, head to Proof Brewing Co, a large brewpub with a beer garden, or Amicus Brewing Ventures, set by Cascades Park in the old city waterworks building and offering a beer garden and flights.What to see and do
Start downtown at the Florida Historic Capitol Museum, where the old statehouse has been restored to its 1902 appearance, then cross to the newer Florida State Capitol behind it; after a security screening you can ride up for a panoramic view from the 22nd floor and look in on the Legislative chambers on the 5th. A short drive away, the Tallahassee Automobile Museum holds a large collection of classic and antique cars alongside other curiosities, while the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University offers tours of its powerful magnets. For history further back, Mission San Luis de Apalache reconstructs a Spanish Franciscan mission on its 1656 site as a living history museum, and the Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park preserves ancient Native American earthen temple mounds, two of them viewable, with a pair of hiking trails. In town, the First Presbyterian Church is the oldest church in Tallahassee and the oldest building in Florida still used for its original purpose, and Goodwood Museum & Gardens shows a plantation home decorated as it was around World War I, with original family furnishings and free access to the grounds. The Tallahassee Museum spreads across a lakeside site of native Florida flora and fauna, including Florida panthers and red wolves, a cypress swamp, hiking trails, zip-lines and adventure courses, a 19th-century farmstead reconstruction, and an outdoor exhibition of Jim Gary's 20th Century Dinosaurs. Note that the Museum of Florida History and the Knott House Museum may be closed for renovations. For something outdoors, Lake Ella in north central Tallahassee is ringed by a paved walking trail and bordered on its west side by small shops and cafes, and you can walk, skate or skateboard around it. Maclay Gardens centers on the winter home and gardens of Alfred B. Maclay and his wife Louise, with the house open as an interpretive museum and grounds known for camellias and magnolias; the surrounding park adds biking, hiking and equestrian trails plus kayaking, canoeing and fishing. Elsewhere in the state park system you'll find Lake Talquin State Park, Letchworth-Love Mounds Archaeological State Park, Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park and St. Marks River Preserve State Park. If you want to skate, the Tallahassee Skate Park sits between James Messer Fields and the TalTran administrative offices.When to go
Tallahassee has a humid subtropical climate, with long, hot, stormy summers and short, mild winters. Spring and autumn are transitional seasons that are warm to hot and drier than summer, making them comfortable times to explore the city on foot.
- Summer: Long, tropical and hotter than much of peninsular Florida. Brief, intense afternoon showers and thunderstorms roll in with the Gulf sea breeze, so plan indoor stops or a flexible schedule. July is the hottest month, and heat and humidity dominate.
- Winter: Short and markedly cooler. Freezing nights are common, and the freezing window runs from late November through mid-March. Snow and ice are rare, and most winters pass without any, though light flurries appear every few years.
- Spring: Warm to hot and drier than summer, with the freezing season ending by mid-March. This is also when the Big Bend area sees tornadoes, generally weak but occasionally touching down in the city.
- Autumn: Warm to hot and drier than summer, with the first freezing nights possible by late November. Hurricane season can bring outer rain and wind bands; direct strikes are rare but have occurred.
Three days in Tallahassee
Day one: Start your visit at the Downtown Tallahassee Visitor Information Center on East Jefferson Street, a useful first stop for orienting yourself in Florida's capital. From there, explore the downtown core, where Monroe Avenue anchors the city's civic and historic heart. Tallahassee sits in Leon County, within the Florida Big Bend and Panhandle region, so expect warm and humid conditions much of the year. If you arrive by air, Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH) is served by American Eagle, American Airlines, Delta, Delta Connection and Breeze Airways, with connections through Charlotte, Miami, Washington National, Atlanta, Dallas, Ft Worth, Ft Lauderdale and Raleigh Durham.
- Begin at the Downtown Tallahassee Visitor Information Center on East Jefferson Street
- Walk the downtown area around Monroe Avenue
- Note that Star Metro provides local bus service
Day two: Turn your attention to Florida State University, a major presence in the city and a good way to spend a full day on foot. Lake Bradford Road is another corridor worth knowing as you move around the area. Getting around by car is straightforward via Interstate routes, and Tennessee Street is a key artery through town. Before you set out, check whether your plans are better served on foot, by Star Metro, or by driving.
- Spend the day around Florida State University
- Use Tennessee Street as a main route across the city
- Consider Star Metro for local trips
Day three: Beyond the university and downtown, use your final day to fill in the gaps in your understanding of Tallahassee and its place in Florida. Revisit the Downtown Tallahassee Visitor Information Center if you need maps or local guidance before departing. If you are flying out, allow time to reach Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH), with American Eagle, American Airlines, Delta, Delta Connection and Breeze Airways offering service to destinations including Charlotte, Miami, Washington National, Atlanta, Dallas, Ft Worth, Ft Lauderdale and Raleigh Durham. Note that connections through hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas, Ft Worth, Washington DC, South Florida and Charlotte are common for onward travel.
- Revisit the Downtown Tallahassee Visitor Information Center for last-minute information
- Allow extra time for Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH)
- Check your airline and connection before heading out