Spring break has begun around the country as students escape the classrooms for a week or two to relax and unwind. The holidays officially run from March 2 through the 30th but each college, university and county school district runs on its own schedule.
Spring breakers from around the country are already flocking to Florida in droves for a break from the cold. In Daytona Beach, they're hitting at the same time as a few hundred thousand bikers for Bike Week 2024. Panama City Beach Police have put out the warning for breakers to be good because the city doesn't have a "real fun jail." Fort Lauderdale, the home of spring break, is "embracing" the event while Miami Beach is trying to shut theirs down. The Florida Highway Patrol has started a campaign warning breakers of the dangers of impaired driving. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced additional law enforcement would be sent as backup to spring break hot spots.
The weather is expected to be warm all month, with temperatures in the 70s across most of the state, although rain is always an issue. There is a massive amount of sargassum, the smelly brown seaweed that blanketed Florida shores last year, floating our way again out in the Atlantic basin but it isn't expected to start hitting our beaches until late March or April and no red tide has been reported at any state locations. However, there is a measles outbreak in Broward to be aware of.
For students and families planning their vacations, travel got a little more restricted this year with travel advisories issued for popular cruise destinations in the Bahamas and Jamaica and a crime warning for Mexico. But there are plenty of popular Florida destinations, a few beach towns you might not have considered, two beaches that made a worldwide "hottest" list, and even 10 Florida islands to visit.
Here are the spring break dates for Florida schools. Dates are subject to change to meet conditions, i.e. hurricanes.
Spring break 2024 dates for Florida universities
- Bethune Cookman College (Daytona Beach): March 4-9
- Florida A&M University (Tallahassee): March 11-15
- Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton): March 2-8
- Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers): March 3-9
- Florida International University (Miami): Feb. 26 - March 2
- Florida Polytechnic University (Lakeland): March 2-10
- Florida State University (Tallahassee): March 11-15
- New College of Florida (Sarasota): March 18-22
- University of Central Florida (Orlando): March 18-23
- University of Florida (Gainesville): March 9-16
- University of North Florida (Jacksonville): March 18-22
- University of South Florida (Tampa): March 11-17
- University of West Florida (Pensacola): March 25-31
Spring break 2024 dates for Florida colleges
- Broward College (Davie): March 4-10
- Chipola College (Marianna): March 18-22
- College of Central Florida (Ocala): March 11-17
- Daytona State College (Daytona Beach): March 11-15
- Eastern Florida State College (Cocoa): March 25-31
- Florida Gateway College (Lake City): March 15-22
- College of the Florida Keys (Key West): March 16-24
- Florida SouthWestern State College (Fort Myers): March 11-17
- Florida State College at Jacksonville (Jacksonville): March 18-24
- Gulf Coast State College (Panama City): March 16-22
- Hillsborough Community College (Tampa): March 11-17
- Indian River State College (Fort Pierce): March 11-17
- Lake–Sumter State College (Leesburg): March 10-17
- Miami Dade College (Miami): March 25-31
- North Florida College (Madison): March 11-15
- Northwest Florida State College (Niceville): March 18-22
- Palm Beach State College (Lake Worth): March 4-10
- Pasco–Hernando State College (New Port Richey): March 4-10
- Pensacola State College (Pensacola): March 25-31
- Polk State College (Winter Haven): March 11-17
- Santa Fe College (Gainesville): March 11-15
- Seminole State College of Florida (Sanford): March 17-24
- South Florida State College (Avon Park): March 11-15
- St. Johns River State College (Palatka): March 18-22
- St. Petersburg College (St. Petersburg): March 10-16
- State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota (Bradenton): March 4-8
- Tallahassee Community College (Tallahassee): March 11-15
- Valencia College (Orlando): March 18-24
What are prices like this Spring break?Here's what travelers can expect.
Spring break 2024 dates for Florida schools by county districts
- Alachua: March 11-15
- Baker: March 18-22
- Bay: March 18-22
- Bradford: March 25-29
- Brevard: March 25-29
- Broward: March 22-29
- Calhoun: March 18-22
- Charlotte: March 15-22
- Citrus: March 25-29
- Clay: March 11-15
- Collier: March 11-15
- Columbia: March 18-22
- Desoto: March 11-15
- Dixie: March 15-22
- Duval: March 18-22
- Escambia: March 25-29
- Flagler: March 18-22
- Franklin: March 11-15
- Gadsden: March 18-25
- Gilchrist: April 15-19
- Glades: March 11-15
- Gulf: March 18-22
- Hamilton: April 1-5
- Hardee: March 11-15
- Hendry: March 18-22
- Hernando: March 22-29
- Highlands: March 11-15
- Hillsborough: March 11-15
- Holmes: March 25-29
- Indian River: March 25-29
- Jackson: March 18-22
- Jefferson: March 11-18
- Lafayette: April 8-12
- Lake: March 11-15
- Lee: March 15-22
- Leon: March 11-15
- Levy: April 15-19
- Liberty: March 18-22
- Madison: March 11-15
- Manatee: March 25-29
- Marion: March 11-15
- Martin: March 11-15
- Miami-Dade: March 22-29
- Monroe: March 18-22
- Nassau: March 15-22
- Okaloosa: March 15-22
- Okeechobee: March 11-18
- Orange: March 15-22
- Osceola: March 11-15
- Palm Beach: March 18-25
- Pasco: March 25-29
- Pinellas: March 11-15
- Polk: March 11-15
- Putnam: March 18-22
- Santa Rosa: March 18-22
- Sarasota: March 8-15
- Seminole: March 15-22
- St Johns: March 11-18
- St Lucie: March 15-22
- Sumter: March 3-10
- Suwannee: March 18-22
- Taylor: March 11-15
- Union: March 18-22
- Volusia: March 22-29
- Wakulla: March 18-25
- Walton: March 15-22
- Washington: March 18-23