Orlando to the Treasure Coast
The Best Beach Towns Near Orlando, From People Who Grew Up Here
The short answer
- Closest beach to Orlando: Cocoa Beach, about an hour east.
- Best for a classic beach town feel: New Smyrna Beach.
- Best for quiet, uncrowded beaches: Sebastian and Vero Beach.
- Best for fishing and an old Florida downtown: Fort Pierce.
- Best riverfront and boating towns: Jensen Beach and Stuart.
All of them are an easy day trip. The Treasure Coast towns also make a lot of sense for a weekend place or a full-time move.
How far is each beach town from Orlando?
Approximate drive times from Orlando International Airport with normal traffic:
Cocoa Beach: about 50 to 60 minutes (SR 528 east)
New Smyrna Beach: about 1 hour (SR 417 / SR 44, or I-4 to I-95)
Sebastian: about 1 hour 20 minutes (SR 528 to I-95 south)
Vero Beach: about 1 hour 30 minutes (SR 528 to I-95 south, SR 60 exit)
Fort Pierce: about 1 hour 40 minutes (SR 528 to I-95, or Florida's Turnpike)
Jensen Beach: about 1 hour 55 minutes (Florida's Turnpike or I-95)
Stuart: about 2 hours (Florida's Turnpike)
SR 528 and Florida's Turnpike are toll roads. A SunPass or E-PASS saves time.
The beaches most Orlando folks already know
Cocoa Beach
The closest real beach to Orlando, and it shows on weekends. You get the pier, surf shops and a busy strip of hotels and restaurants. Being next to Port Canaveral and the Space Coast means rocket launches right overhead.
Good for: a quick day trip, surfing, launch watching.
New Smyrna Beach
A true beach town with a walkable Flagler Avenue full of shops and places to eat. Popular with surfers. You can drive on parts of the beach, which is fun and also means it gets crowded on nice weekends.
Good for: a walkable beach town vibe, surfing, a day out.
Both are great. They're also the first places everybody from Orlando goes, so traffic, parking and prices follow.
Keep driving south: the Treasure Coast
The Treasure Coast runs from Sebastian down to Stuart. No big theme park crowds, no high-rise wall on the beach, and a lot of public beach access. We grew up here (Peter in Vero Beach, Kate in Fort Pierce), so these are the towns we know best.
Drive from Orlando: about 1 hr 20 minSebastian
Small, laid back, and built around the water. Sebastian Inlet State Park is one of the best surfing and fishing spots in the state. The riverfront along Indian River Drive has casual seafood spots with dock views.
Feels like: a fishing town that never got in a hurry.
Explore Sebastian
Drive from Orlando: about 1 hr 30 minVero Beach
Clean, quiet beaches and an easygoing downtown with galleries and local restaurants. Ocean Drive has shops and cafes a short walk from the sand. The barrier island has strict building height limits, so the beach still feels open.
Feels like: a small, well-kept beach town where people say hello.
Explore Vero Beach
Drive from Orlando: about 1 hr 40 minFort Pierce
A working waterfront with a real downtown, a Saturday farmers market, and some of the best fishing on the coast. Hutchinson Island beaches here are wide and uncrowded. It's also home to the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum.
Feels like: old Florida with a fishing boat out back.
Explore Fort Pierce
Drive from Orlando: about 1 hr 55 minJensen Beach
A small town on the Indian River Lagoon with a laid back downtown and easy access to Hutchinson Island beaches. Sea turtle nesting is a big deal here every summer.
Feels like: a beach town where everybody has a boat or knows someone who does.
Explore Jensen Beach
Drive from Orlando: about 2 hrStuart
A charming downtown on the St. Lucie River with shops, restaurants and a riverwalk. Known as a boating and sport fishing town, with quick access to the inlet. Beaches are a short drive over the bridge to Hutchinson Island.
Feels like: a polished little river town with a lot of boats.
Explore Stuart
What homes cost compared to Orlando
$390,000
Orlando metro median single-family sale price
March 2026, Orlando Regional REALTOR Association
$395,000
St. Lucie County median single-family sale price
Q2 2026, Miami REALTORS
$655,000
Martin County median single-family sale price
June 2026, Miami REALTORS
| Area | Median price | Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando metro (Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake) | $390,000 (Mar 2026) | Orlando area |
| Orange County | $420,000 (Mar 2026) | Orlando |
| St. Lucie County | $395,000 (Q2 2026) | Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie |
| Fort Pierce (city) | $273,450 (Q2 2026) | Fort Pierce |
| Martin County | $655,000 (Jun 2026) | Jensen Beach, Stuart |
In much of the Treasure Coast, a home costs about the same as one in the Orlando suburbs, except you're 10 or 15 minutes from the beach instead of an hour. Martin County runs higher. Beachside and riverfront homes cost more everywhere, so these medians are a starting point, not a quote. Ask us for current Sebastian and Vero Beach numbers.
Orlando figures: Orlando Regional REALTOR Association, March 2026 (single-family attached and detached). St. Lucie and Martin figures: Miami REALTORS market reports, 2026. Prices change monthly; ask us for current numbers.
Thinking about a weekend place, or a full-time move?
Lots of people start with day trips from Orlando, then a weekend place, then decide they'd rather live near the beach full time. Either way, the Treasure Coast is close enough to keep ties to Orlando and far enough to feel like a different pace of life.
A few things worth knowing:
- Orlando International Airport is about 1.5 hours from Vero Beach. Melbourne Orlando International Airport is closer for Sebastian and Vero Beach.
- Second homes don't get Florida's homestead exemption. A full-time home can. See our Save Our Homes explainer.
- Many beach areas need flood insurance and a 4-point inspection on older homes. We'll walk you through it.
Vero Beach city pageClosest Airport to Vero BeachHow to Become a Florida Resident
Common questions
What is the closest beach to Orlando?
Cocoa Beach is the closest, about 50 to 60 minutes east on SR 528. New Smyrna Beach is close behind at around an hour.
What is the prettiest beach town near Orlando?
That depends on what you like. New Smyrna is the classic walkable beach town. If you want quiet beaches without high-rises, Vero Beach and Sebastian are worth the extra 30 minutes.
Are there affordable beach towns near Orlando?
Yes. In Fort Pierce and much of St. Lucie County, median home prices are at or below the Orlando metro median. Homes right on the water cost more anywhere.
Is the Treasure Coast too far from Orlando for a weekend place?
Not really. Sebastian and Vero Beach are about an hour and a half from the Orlando airport, which makes a Friday night drive easy.
Which beach towns near Orlando are less crowded?
Sebastian, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and Jensen Beach are much quieter than Cocoa Beach or New Smyrna on a typical weekend. Hutchinson Island has long stretches of beach with very few people.
Want to see a few of these towns in person?
We grew up here and we're happy to show you around, whether you're looking for a weekend place or a new home.
Contact UsPeter White 772-284-1419 | Kate Ward 772-342-4006 | The McKinney Team | REMAX Gold