Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 40m
Distance
236.1 mi
380 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$37
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clearwater, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Palm Valley, FL
DΛVΞ GΛRCIΛ
The drive from Clearwater, FL to Palm Valley, FL covers 236.1 miles and takes about 4h 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 4, I 95, Courtney Campbell Causeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 131 miles on I 4. At current regular gas prices, budget about $36.51 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
118.1 miles from Clearwater, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 22m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 4 | 131 mi | 2h 27m |
| I 95 | 66.3 mi | 1h 11m |
| Courtney Campbell Causeway | 8.2 mi | 10m |
| I 275 | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| Palm Valley Road | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| County Road 210 West | 4.6 mi | 7m |
| Drew Street | 4.2 mi | 8m |
| Nocatee Parkway | 2.6 mi | 3m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 96 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,447 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~527 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Clearwater, FL and Palm Valley, FL.
Start on North Fort Harrison Avenue
Turn right onto Drew Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto Southbound Frontage Road
Continue on this road
Take the exit
Merge onto FL 60
Continue on FL 60
Continue on FL 60
Keep slight right at fork onto FL 60
Keep slight left at fork onto FL 60
Take the exit
Merge onto I 275
Take the exit
Continue on I 4
Keep slight left at fork onto I 4
Keep slight right at fork onto I 4
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Turn right onto CR 210
Take the ramp
Merge onto Nocatee Parkway
Continue on CR 210
Enter roundabout onto CR 210
Continue on CR 210
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 52 miles or 1h 7m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 118.1 miles or 2h 22m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 47m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Palm Valley, FL than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Clearwater, FL so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Clearwater, FL
This is one driving day of about 236.1 miles and 4h 40m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
118 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.
A short stop after about 52 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 118.1 miles from Clearwater, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 4 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 131 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 4.9 and 223.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
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
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
Take the exit toward I 4 East: Orlando
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CR 210: Ponte Vedra Beach, Green Cove Springs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$36.51 one way
$73.02 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.30 | $39.99 | $79.98 |
| premium | $4.63 | $43.00 | $86.00 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $52.04 | $104.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 82.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 70.8 | 0 | $24.79 | $11.33 |
| Efficient EV | 59 | 0 | $20.66 | $9.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 94.4 | 1 | $33.05 | $15.11 |
Gas CO2
83 kg
EV CO2
28 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Clearwater on Sunday
Local time
12:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Palm Valley on Sunday
Local time
12:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Mostly Cloudy
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Monument
Fort Matanzas National Monument preserves the fortified coquina watchtower, completed in 1742, which defended the southern approach to the Spanish military settlement of St. Augustine. It also protect...
National Monument
Built by the Spanish in St. Augustine to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United Stat...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
236.1 mi in 4h 40m, mostly highway — 131 mi of that is on I 4.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 4 and I 95. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.9 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 21 significant decision points across 236.1 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
181 ft
Total Descent
204 ft
Highest Point
140 ft
~67.5 mi in
Elevation Range
134 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Clearwater, FL and Palm Valley, FL, road signs point toward St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Cr 210: Ponte Vedra Beach and Green Cove Springs.
St. Petersburg
Jacksonville
Cr 210: Ponte Vedra Beach
Green Cove Springs
Founded 1891
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.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 40m. Total distance: 236.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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