Origin
Clearwater, FL
Late night in Clearwater on Sunday
Local time
3:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clearwater, FL to Brandon, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
34.8 mi
56 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clearwater, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Brandon, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Clearwater to Brandon is a straightforward 34.8-mile journey that typically takes about 54 minutes to complete. Because this is a short, mixed-profile drive, it is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. You can expect to spend roughly $6 on fuel for the trek, making it a budget-friendly option for your schedule. The route utilizes a blend of local roads like Drew Street and major thoroughfares such as the Courtney Campbell Causeway and the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway. Whether you are heading out for business or a quick visit, this path efficiently connects these two Florida locations without requiring complex planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Courtney Campbell Causeway | 8.2 mi | 10m |
| Lee Roy Selmon Expressway | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Drew Street | 4.2 mi | 8m |
| I 275 | 4.2 mi | 5m |
| West Brandon Boulevard | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Adamo Drive | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Gulf to Bay Boulevard | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| FL 60 | 1.5 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Courtney Campbell Causeway
— 8.2 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clearwater, FL and Brandon, FL.
1
Start on North Fort Harrison Avenue
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Fort Harrison Avenue
2
Turn right onto Drew Street
4.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Drew Street
3
Take the ramp
198 ft
·
5 sec
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto Southbound Frontage Road
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Southbound Frontage Road
5
Continue on this road
376 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
6
Take the exit
233 ft
·
6 sec
Use the left lane.
7
Merge onto FL 60
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Gulf to Bay Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on FL 60
8.2 mi
·
10 min
·
Courtney Campbell Causeway
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on FL 60
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
FL 60
Use the straight lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto FL 60
0.7 mi
·
59 sec
·
FL 60
Toward FL 60 East, FL 616: Tampa International Airport, Spruce Street
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto FL 60
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Memorial Highway
Toward FL 60: Tampa, St. Petersburg
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 275 North: Tampa
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto I 275
4.2 mi
·
5 min
·
I 275
Toward I 275: Tampa
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
386 ft
·
9 sec
Exit 44
Toward Downtown East, Downtown West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward Downtown East, Scott Street
16
Continue on Scott Street
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Scott Street
17
Turn slight right onto North Orange Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
North Orange Avenue
Use the straight lane.
18
Turn sharp left onto East Cass Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
East Cass Street
Use the straight lane.
19
Turn right onto FL 45
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
North Nebraska Avenue
Use the right lane.
20
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
21
Merge onto FL 618 Toll
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 12
Toward 78th Street
Use the slight right lane.
23
Turn right onto South 78th Street
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
South 78th Street
24
Turn slight right
274 ft
·
15 sec
25
Turn straight onto FL 60
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Adamo Drive
Use the left lane.
26
Continue on FL 60
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
West Brandon Boulevard
Use the left lane.
27
Keep slight right at fork onto FL 60
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
West Brandon Boulevard
Use the left lane.
28
Continue on FL 60
98 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Brandon Boulevard
Use the left lane.
29
Arrive at destination
FL 60
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 34.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.4 miles from Clearwater, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 215 decision points cluster between mile 4.9 and 23.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
4.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
15.9 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
FL 60
Keep slight right at fork onto FL 60 toward FL 60 East, FL 616: Tampa International Airport, Spruce Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward FL 60 East, FL 616: Tampa International...
8
16.6 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
FL 60 / Memorial Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto FL 60 / Memorial Highway toward FL 60: Tampa, St. Petersburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward FL 60: Tampa, St. Petersburg
8
22.4 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward Downtown East, Downtown West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 44
Toward Downtown East, Downtown West
8
23.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
East Cass Street
Turn sharp left onto East Cass Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.54 one way
$11.08 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $6.03 | $12.05 |
| premium | $4.72 | $6.47 | $12.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.68 | $15.37 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.52
Selmon Expressway
(5.2 mi)
$0.52
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
| Efficient EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.04 | $1.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.23 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Brandon, FL
Late night in Brandon on Sunday
Local time
3:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
5 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
54m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a varied experience behind the wheel as you transition between local streets and high-speed transit corridors. Highway driving accounts for 31% of the total distance, providing a mix of urban navigation and faster stretches. You will encounter the longest uninterrupted segment of the trip during the 8.2-mile stretch across the Courtney Campbell Causeway, which offers a distinct change of pace from the rest of the drive. The personality of the road shifts as you leave the coastal environment of Clearwater and move toward the more suburban feel of Brandon. This combination of surface streets and expressway travel keeps the drive engaging without becoming overly monotonous.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.2 mi on Courtney Campbell Causeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 21 decision points packed into just 34.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.9 miles (FL 60): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.6 miles (FL 60 / Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Clearwater, FL to Brandon, FL, road signs begin pointing toward St. Petersburg along the way.
St. Petersburg
16.6 mi in
|
~26m
|
via FL 60
About the Cities
Starting in Clearwater, FL
Full guide →Clearwater is a city in Pinellas County, a region in Florida. Perhaps most easily recognized as the headquarters city of the Church of Scientology, Clearwater also has miles of beautiful beaches and close proximity to other cities in the Tampa Bay area.
Arriving in Brandon, FL
Full guide →Brandon is a commuter city to the east of Tampa near Florida's West Coast, near the junction of Interstate 4 and Interstate 75.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 34.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.2 miles on Courtney Campbell Causeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.52 in tolls one way, starting with Selmon Expressway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Brandon, FL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.9 miles (FL 60): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.6 miles (FL 60 / Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Brandon, FL before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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