Butler Beach is a beach town between St. Augustine Beach and Crescent Beach in the First Coast region of Florida.

Understand

The town is one of several towns on Anastasia Island, a barrier island that extends from north to south across much of St Johns County. To its west is Matanzas River, a part of the Intracoastal Waterway, while to the island's east is the Atlantic Ocean.

History

Butler Beach was founded by, developed by, and named after Frank B. Butler, who established one of the first African-American beach towns in the state during the era of segregation. The town developed as a popular beach destination during the 1940s, and Butler remained active in local politics throughout the Civil Rights era. Part of the town was reserved as a state park until his death in 1973, before it was later rededicated as a county park in 1980.

Get in

FL-A1A is the highway providing access to the park via St. Augustine Beach to the north and Crescent Beach to the south. The road passes through the town from north to south and connects it with the St. Augustine metropolitan area and the Hammock Beach/Palm Coast metropolitan area.

Do

• 1 Frank B. Butler County Park, 5860 FL-A1A S (east park access at the junction of FL-A1A and Minnie St), ☏ +1 904 209-0752. 7:30AM-7:30PM. Beach access, including parking on- or off-beach, on the east side of FL-A1A and views of the Intracoastal Waterway on the west side. (updated Jun 2023)

Eat

• 1 Redfrog and McToad's, 5545 FL-A1A S, ☏ +1 904 814-8430. A grub-and-pub with BBQ, seafood, and sandwiches. (updated Jun 2023)
• 2 Saltwater Cowboys, 299 Dondanville Rd (west end of Dondanville Rd; west of FL-A1A), ☏ +1 904 471-2332. Seafood including unusual items such as gator, oysters, and frogs' legs. (updated Jun 2023)

Sleep

• 1 The Ocean Gallery, 4600 FL-A1A S, ☏ +1 904 471-6663, toll-free: +1 800 398-5980. Beachfront condos. (updated Jun 2023)

Go next

• Crescent Beach to the south
• St. Augustine to the northwest
• Vilano Beach across the inlet to the north

Routes through Butler Beach

Jacksonville ← St. Augustine ←

'N  '

→ Crescent Beach → Daytona Beach