How Do You Get On and Off Marco Island, and Why Does It Matter When You Buy?

By one of two bridges. The S.S. Jolley Bridge carries Collier Boulevard (State Road 951) across the Marco River on the north side of the island, and it is the main route to U.S. 41, Naples and I-75. The Goodland Bridge carries San Marco Road (County Road 92) off the east side of the island toward Goodland and on to U.S. 41 near Collier-Seminole State Park. Every car trip to the mainland uses one or the other.

I am Kris Asquith, Broker Associate at Premiere Plus Realty. Buyers rarely ask about the bridges at the first showing, and they nearly always ask about them by the second visit. This article covers what each bridge is, how the two of them shape daily life and storm planning on Marco Island, and the address-level questions I go through with buyers.

The Judge S.S. Jolley Bridge is the crossing most people mean when they say "the bridge" on Marco. The first span opened in December 1969 and was called the Marco River Bridge until 1991, when it was renamed for Judge Jolley. A second, parallel span opened in 2011. Since then the 1969 span has carried northbound traffic and the newer span carries southbound traffic, so each direction has its own bridge.

Collier Boulevard runs north from the bridge toward U.S. 41 and continues on to I-75, which makes this the crossing for trips into Naples, for shopping and dining on the mainland, and for the drive toward Southwest Florida International Airport.

The Goodland Bridge carries San Marco Road (County Road 92) east off the island. The original Goodland Bridge opened in 1938 and was the first automobile bridge to Marco Island; the current bridge opened in 1975, and remnants of the old one still stand beside it. From there the road passes the turn for Goodland, a small waterfront fishing village with waterfront dining and boating, and continues east to U.S. 41.

For anyone heading east, toward Everglades City or across the state on U.S. 41, this is the more direct way off the island. It also means Marco has a second road to the mainland, which matters most on the days when one of them is busy.

Because where a home sits on the island decides which bridge you use most, and how far you drive to reach it. A buyer who will be on the mainland most days for work, appointments or the airport should map the route from the specific address to the bridge they will actually use, and drive it at the times they will actually drive it.

Winter season traffic is the practical part. Collier Boulevard carries more cars in the busy months than in summer, and a trip that is easy in August can take noticeably longer in February. I would rather you time that drive yourself, in season, than rely on a map estimate. The same applies in reverse for a seller: a home that is convenient to the Jolley Bridge is worth describing that way in the listing.

If you are buying a second home here, the bridge question is usually about arrival: how you get from the airport to the front door after a flight. My page on vacation and second homes on Marco Island covers the other questions worth asking about a home you will not live in year-round.

Marco Island is a barrier island on the Gulf, and in a storm the bridges are the way off. Two things are worth knowing before you buy:

• Your evacuation zone is not your flood zone. Collier County assigns hurricane evacuation zones by address, and they are a different map from the FEMA flood zones that drive insurance. A home can be in one and not the other. Look up the address on Collier County Emergency Management's zone lookup and confirm the FEMA flood zone separately.
• The City of Marco Island issues its own orders. In past storms the city has issued its own voluntary and mandatory evacuations alongside the county. Sign up for both the county's ALERT Collier notices and the city's alerts so you hear an order from the people who give it.

None of this is a reason not to buy on the island. It is a reason to have a plan before June, and to know which bridge you would use and where you would go.

Flood zone and elevation also decide what you can do to an older home later. My article on renovating an older Marco Island home and the 50% rule explains how that works.

Most commercial flights for Marco Island use Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, reached by Collier Boulevard and I-75 over the Jolley Bridge. Closer to the island, Marco Island Executive Airport is a public general aviation airport on the mainland, northeast of the island, run by the Collier County Airport Authority. It handles private and general aviation flights rather than airline service.

If you fly your own aircraft or use private charters, ask about hangar and tie-down availability early, and treat it as part of the same route planning as the bridges.

On the water, the questions are different and they depend on the address. A boat leaving a canal home on the island heads for the Gulf through the canal system and the passes, and the things that actually limit it are depth at low tide, any fixed bridge clearance on that home's route, posted speed zones, and the size and rated capacity of the dock and lift at that address. Check each one for the specific home, with the boat you plan to keep.

My guide to how boat access actually works on Marco Island goes through those checks, and my article on Gulf-front versus Gulf-access homes on Marco Island explains why a beachfront home and a canal home with a dock are two different purchases. You can browse Gulf access homes on Marco Island when you are ready to compare addresses.

Before you write an offer, drive the route to the bridge you will use, at the time of day you will use it. Inside your inspection period, confirm the evacuation zone, the FEMA flood zone and the elevation certificate, and get insurance quotes in the first days of the contract. I build those steps into my buying process so that none of them waits until the week before closing.

I work with buyers and sellers on Marco Island and in eight other Southwest Florida markets, and waterfront property is the core of what I do. If you are comparing homes on the island, or getting ready to sell one, reach out to me directly or call (239) 300-1427, and we can go through the addresses on your list one at a time.

This article is a general overview. It is not legal, insurance, engineering or emergency-management advice for any particular property; for evacuation decisions, follow Collier County and the City of Marco Island.