Used to be a big speed traps

at Waldo and Lewtey (either side of Starke) but the federal government got after them and said they can't change the speed limit from 65 to 30 right at the town line and sit and give tickets out all day to fill the town's coffers. So now, the warnings are better, 65 to 50, then 50 to 40, then 40 to 30; it gives you lots of time to slow down. Been that way many times to get to I-95 and haven't seen one speed trap since all the new signs when up years ago. Still, when the speed limit sign says 30, you better do 30, not 35. They are small towns and you're through them in a few minutes. Truckers love this route, BTW. Little traffic and no traffic lights north of Ocala (except Starke).
Southbound on 301, once you get down to SR 326 (Oak Rd.), go west and hop on I-75 South to Belleview and avoid all the Ocala traffic.
Going north, others like to go (east) over to Altoona on CR 42 and go north on SR 19 to Palatka, then east, over the St. John's, to East Palatka and SR 207 to I-95 at Exit 311. But you have to navigate Jacksonville that way. Or take US 17 north out of Palatka and go around Jacksonville on the I-295 (West Side). That's much better.
Different strokes, for different folks.
Skip