Car Rental at Jacksonville Airport JAX

Airport travel guide

Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) serves Jacksonville, Florida, the largest city in the state by population. Jacksonville is located near the Atlantic Coast in the very northern part of the state. Its origins are as a blue collar town largely due to the big Navy base and the paper mills in the city. These days people use it as a fun city to stop and explore for a few days on the way to South Florida. Jacksonville may not be the most popular city in Florida among tourists, with people flocking in the thousands to Miami and Orlando, Jacksonville is a city not to be overlooked for a good time as there are lots of fun things to do in the city, without a lot of other tourists to get in the way. 

Of course, as in many places in the United States, public transportation in and around Jacksonville is not the best. A rental car is almost essential to get around, and here are some places you could go with one:

St. Augustine: Not far from Jacksonville, around 40 miles south, is a city you can’t miss if you are visiting Jacksonville. The city that claims to be the oldest in the US is an unmissable day trip from Jacksonville and a ‘must see’ in any Jacksonville road trip itinerary. A popular stopover on the way to Orlando or Miami, it should actually be considered a destination in its own right. Colonial plantation-style buildings, the Fort Matanzas, and the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum are all great reasons to visit, but the festivals that take place year-round are an even better one. Some of the most popular festivals to visit in St. Augustine include the St Augustine Food and Wine Festival in May and the St Augustine Country Festival in April. Whether you head there for a weekend or just take a day-trip from Jacksonville, St. Augustine shouldn’t be missed. 

Beaches: Many don’t typically think of beaches when they think of Jacksonville, but there are many great beaches near Jacksonville to enjoy, most of which are much less crowded than the beaches further south. Jacksonville Beach is the obvious starting point, the closest beach to town, only 16 miles outside of the city. You can also find great beaches both a short drive to the north and south of Jacksonville which are great day trips out of the city. Fort George Island is a great beach to visit near Jacksonville, located a short 30-minute drive away. Amelia Island is also a nice beach to visit from Jacksonville, located around 40 minutes drive away, as it has lots of activities to enjoy including amazing horse riding on the beach and great bike riding trails.

Cumberland Island National Seashore: The great part about Jacksonville is that it is so close to the Georgia State line that you can easily visit another State for a day. Just over the state line In Georgia is the stunning Cumberland Island National Seashore, offering incredible beaches and dunes, marshes, and freshwater lakes to explore. As this incredible area is only 39 miles north of Jacksonville, it is the perfect place to spend a day or two relaxing in nature from Jacksonville. Ride around the island, take a tour of the historic sites, or just relax on the unspoiled beach. You have to take a ferry (without your car) from St. Marys to reach it. It is recommended that you book your ferry in advance with the National Park Service and arrive an hour before your scheduled ferry departure time.

Orlando: Located a two-hour drive south of Jacksonville, Orlando is often called the theme park capital of the world and ranks among the most visited destinations not just in Florida, but all of the United States. The vast majority of visitors come for Walt Disney World, while others are happy to discover that the city, despite being inland, is also near the lovely Cocoa Beach, one of the planet’s top surfing hotspots.

Top international routes

• Atlanta
• New York City
• San Juan
• Charlotte
• Philadelphia
• Baltimore
• Dallas
• Washington
• Boston
• Denver

Main airlines

Delta Air Lines is one of the main airline carriers that service JAX. Its primary route is to and from Atlanta, with most passengers continuing to other destinations as ATL is the airline’s main hub. Other airlines that service JAX include Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Breeze Airways, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Sun Country, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. The low-cost airline Southwest is the another popular airline servicing JAX from destinations such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, and Nashville.

Terminals

There is one terminal at JAX with three concourses: A, B and C. Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are served by Concourse A at gates A1-A5. Concourse B from gates B1-B13 serves Airtran Airlines, ExpressJet, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, United Express, and US Airways. American Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Southwest Airlines are served by Concourse C at gates C1-C11. The concourses are connected and share the same security checkpoint.

Location

JAX is located roughly 15 miles north of downtown Jacksonville. The airport lies just outside the loop around the city created by I-295. The airport is also less than 30 miles from the Atlantic Coast region of Georgia. St. Augustine, the closest major tourist attraction outside of the city, is about an hour’s drive from the airport.

Most popular types of rental car

• Medium cars - from $45 per day
• Large cars - from $46 per day
• SUVs - from $48 per day
• Small cars - from $46 per day
• Premium cars - from $63 per day
• Vans - from $80 per day

Car rental desks

Dollar, Thrifty, National, and Alamo all have desks in the airport’s terminal. They can be found on the lower level next to the baggage claim area. When returning a car, follow the Rental Car Return signs to the ground floor of the parking garage. Alamo, National, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, and Thrifty are all available at the Jacksonville airport.

Ace, Europcar, and Easirent all have off-airport locations along Airport Road. Each provides its customers with a shuttle to reach its location.

Services and facilities

JAX is a major airport and as such has all of the services and facilities that one would expect of such.

As there are no international flights landing at JAX, there is no currency exchange service. If coming from abroad, be sure to exchange money at the airport you connect through. Every day between 11 am and 4 pm there is live entertainment in the central courtyard before security. Free WiFi can be found throughout the terminal. There is even a spa at the airport in Concourse A.

Travelers can find the typical airport fare to purchase in the terminal. Magazines and newspapers are available from CNBC News Stands located in both concourses. They can find tech from Best Buy Express, ladies fashion goods from Brighton, and dress clothes from Brooks Brothers. There are also plenty of dining options so travelers won’t go hungry. These include both table service restaurants and fast-food in both the food court located between the concourse and in each concourse. For those in need of a shot of caffeine, Starbucks can be found in the food court, before security, and in concourse C.

For those seeking to spend the night at or near the airport, there is a DoubleTree hotel at the airport. There are also many other hotels at the airport exit of I-95, most of which are cheaper than the DoubleTree. Many also offer free shuttles if you need to drop off your rental car the night before your flight.

Nearest gas station

There is a cluster of gas stations on Airport Road just after exiting from I-95 (Exit 373B, if coming from the south or Exit 363 from the north). There are Marathon, BP, Exxon, and Sunoco stations. The prices at the stations are generally around 10 cents per gallon higher than other stations in the area, a cost that is acceptable to most given the convenience of the stations.

If coming from the west on I-295, it’s best if you skip the airport exit and continue to I-95 North and then you can exit and stop at one of the gas stations mentioned previously.

Popular one-way rentals

• Orlando (141 miles / 227 km)
• Gainesville (72 miles / 116 km)
• Miami (346 miles / 557 km)
• Tampa (200 miles / 322 km)
• Saint Petersburg (223 miles / 359 km)
• Atlanta (346 miles / 557 km)