Places Named After Juan Ponce de León: Florida to Georgia

Legacy on the Map

The Spanish explorer (1474-1521), first governor of Puerto Rico and "discoverer" of Florida (1513), is commemorated in numerous place names—mostly in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Florida

• Ponce de Leon, FL — Town in Holmes County (panhandle)
• Ponce de Leon Inlet — Atlantic inlet near Daytona Beach (Ponce Inlet town)
• Ponce de Leon Springs State Park — Near DeFuniak Springs (natural spring, 68°F year-round)
• Ponce de Leon Avenue — St. Augustine (historic district, near Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park)

Puerto Rico

• Ponce de Leon Avenue (Avenida Ponce de León) — Major thoroughfare in San Juan (Santurce to Hato Rey)

Georgia

• Ponce de Leon Avenue — Atlanta (historic streetcar suburb corridor; BeltLine Eastside Trail follows it; Ponce City Market, Krispy Kreme flagship)

Other References

• Ponce, Puerto Rico (city named for his great-grandson? Or family generally)
• Numerous schools, parks, streets, springs across FL, PR, and former Spanish territories

Historical Irony

Ponce de León never found the Fountain of Youth—but his name flows through Florida's springs, avenues, and inlets, a more enduring legacy than eternal youth.