Origin
Clearwater, FL
Morning in Clearwater on Sunday
Local time
6:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clearwater, FL to Lakeland Highlands, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
59.4 mi
96 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 27m
5 PM
1h 34m
8 PM
1h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clearwater, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Lakeland Highlands, FL
Matt Fitz Gibaud
Trip Overview
Clearwater, FL to Lakeland Highlands, FL is 59.4 miles and takes about 1h 21m via I 4 and Polk Parkway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Florida, transitioning from the coastal influences around Clearwater to the more inland areas as you approach Lakeland Highlands. Expect a largely highway-focused experience, making it a straightforward trip for getting from point A to point B. It's a short enough distance that you can easily complete it in a single day, offering flexibility in your departure time. Consider this route for its directness and efficiency.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 4 | 25.8 mi | 28m |
| Courtney Campbell Causeway | 8.2 mi | 10m |
| Polk Parkway | 5.9 mi | 6m |
| I 275 | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| Drew Street | 4.2 mi | 8m |
| Gulf to Bay Boulevard | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| FL 60 | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Memorial Highway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 4
— 25.8 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clearwater, FL and Lakeland Highlands, 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
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
I 275
Toward I 275: Tampa
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 45B
Toward I 4 East: Orlando
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 4
26 mi
·
28 min
·
I 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Exit 27
Toward FL 570 Toll East: Lakeland, Winter Haven
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on FL 570 Toll
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Polk Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
323 ft
·
7 sec
Exit 7
Toward FL 37: South Florida Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
this road
Exit 7
Toward FL 37: South Florida Avenue
20
Turn right onto FL 37
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Florida Avenue
Use the right lane.
21
Turn left onto East Highland Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Highland Drive
Use the left lane.
22
Turn sharp right onto CR 37A
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Cleveland Heights Boulevard
23
Continue on CR 37A
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Scott Lake Road
24
Arrive at destination
CR 37A
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.7 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 4.9 and 49.6 — 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
7
23.3 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward I 4 East: Orlando
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 45B
Toward I 4 East: Orlando
8
49.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Take the exit toward FL 570 Toll East: Lakeland, Winter Haven
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 27
Toward FL 570 Toll East: Lakeland, Winter Haven
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.45 one way
$18.91 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $10.29 | $20.57 |
| premium | $4.72 | $11.05 | $22.09 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.11 | $26.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.24 | $2.85 |
| Efficient EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.20 | $2.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.8 | 0 | $8.32 | $3.80 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Lakeland Highlands, FL
Morning in Lakeland Highlands on Sunday
Local time
6:12 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
1h 21m 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?
This is a highway-focused drive, with 64% of the journey utilizing major expressways. You'll spend a significant portion of your time on I 4, including a longest stretch of 25.8 miles without needing to exit. The route incorporates segments of the Courtney Campbell Causeway and the Polk Parkway, offering a mix of high-speed travel. Expect a consistent pace for most of the drive, characterized by efficient travel between these two Florida locations. The road profile suggests a drive where maintaining speed is generally possible.
64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.8 mi on I 4.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 4 and Courtney Campbell Causeway. 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
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 59.4 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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.
Between Clearwater, FL and Lakeland Highlands, FL, road signs point toward St. Petersburg and Winter Haven.
St. Petersburg
16.6 mi in
|
~26m
|
via FL 60
Winter Haven
49.6 mi in
|
~1h 5m
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.
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 1h 21m. Total distance: 59.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.8 miles on I 4. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Lakeland Highlands, 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 Lakeland Highlands, 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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