Havana, FL

Havana is a Gadsden County town about 16 miles north of Tallahassee on US 27. The 2020 census counted 1,753 residents. It was named for Havana, Cuba, when shade tobacco and cigar-making shaped the local economy. The Georgia, Florida and Alabama Railroad reached the area in 1902, and the town's commercial buildings were rebuilt after a 1916 fire. These days, Havana's center is the draw: more than 40 antique shops, art galleries, artist studios, boutiques, cafes, and restaurants fill old brick buildings along the North Florida Arts Trail.

ATTREbyabe / CC BY-SA 3.0

The old brick storefronts make the center easy to read, with US 27 carrying through traffic past the shops. The Havana History & Heritage Museum and the Shade Tobacco Museum keep the tobacco-growing past close to the storefronts, while murals add color along Main Street. The mix is distinctly Havana today. Tallahassee is close enough for the bigger daily run, but Havana has its own small-town circuit of galleries, antiques, and food.