Palatka is in north-central Florida, about 60 miles south of Jacksonville and 30 miles east of Gainesville on the St. Johns River. The nearest major airport is Jacksonville International (JAX), roughly an hour's drive north on US-17. Gainesville Regional (GNV) is about 45 minutes west and serves a handful of domestic routes.
Amtrak's Silver Star and Silver Meteor trains stop at Palatka station on the line between New York and Miami — one of the more useful and underused train options in north Florida. The trip from Jacksonville takes about an hour; from Orlando about 2.5 hours.
By car, US-17 runs north-south through the heart of Palatka. From I-95, take exit 311 at Bunnell and drive west on SR 100; from I-75, take exit 384 at Gainesville and drive east on SR 20 or SR 26. The town is compact and easy to navigate.