Come Monday, Florida’s historic State Road A1A could have a new name: Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. Two bills passed in the Florida Legislature over the weekend were unanimously approved by the state Senate honoring the music legend, who passed away last year at the age of 76.
The first of the two bills would rename portions of the 340-mile stretch of highway, which runs south from Jimmy’s former home in Key West north to Fernandina Beach near Jacksonville. Parts of A1A in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe Counties would bear the name Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway, which, ironically, was the name of his fifth studio album.
The second bill approved a new Buffett-inspired Florida license plate design with the word “Margaritaville,” named after his most popular song and his chain of restaurants, stores, and hotels. All proceeds from the license plates would go toward a charity founded by Jimmy called Singing for Change, which helps victims of hurricanes.
“Margaritaville is just what Florida is all about,” Republican state Senator Gayle Harrell told the Associated Press. “No one represents the open sun, beaches, and music more than Jimmy Buffett and Margaritaville.”
Republican Chuck Clemons originally filed the bill in October of 2023 following Jimmy’s death, and now it looks like it could come to fruition if the bills are approved in the Florida House of Representatives. Residents are even pushing to rename the Key West International Airport after Buffett – which may soon be located off of Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway.
