Origin
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Late night in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday
Local time
12:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Bal Harbour, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
20.5 mi
33 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Bal Harbour, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 20.5-mile drive from Fort Lauderdale to Bal Harbour, Florida, will take you approximately 34 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. With a fuel cost estimated at around $3, this route is very budget-friendly. You'll spend about half the drive, 46%, on highways, primarily I-95, transitioning to Collins Avenue and the William Lehman Causeway. The overall feel is a mixed drive, offering a convenient connection within the Florida region. Given its brevity, no overnight stay is necessary, allowing for a flexible schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 9.5 mi | 10m |
| Collins Avenue | 3.9 mi | 9m |
| William Lehman Causeway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| East Broward Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Ives Dairy Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Biscayne Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Camden Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Harbour Way | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 9.5 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Bal Harbour, FL.
1
Start on SR 842
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
East Broward Boulevard
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward I 95 South: Miami
3
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 South: Miami
Use the slight left lane.
4
Merge onto I 95
9.5 mi
·
10 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Exit 16
Toward Northeast 203rd Street, Ives Dairy Road
Use the slight right lane.
6
Turn left onto Ives Dairy Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Ives Dairy Road
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto US 1
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Biscayne Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Turn left onto SR 856
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
William Lehman Causeway
Use the left lane.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward SR A1A South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn straight onto SR A1A
3.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Collins Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Harbour Way
175 ft
·
7 sec
·
Harbour Way
12
Keep slight right at fork onto Harbour Way
520 ft
·
29 sec
·
Harbour Way
13
Turn left onto Bal Cross Drive
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Bal Cross Drive
14
Turn right onto Camden Drive
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Camden Drive
15
Arrive at destination
Camden Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 20.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South: Miami
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 95 South: Miami
5
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 95
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
12.1 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Northeast 203rd Street, Ives Dairy Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 16
Toward Northeast 203rd Street, Ives Dairy Road
6
16 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward SR A1A South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward SR A1A South
5
20.1 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
Harbour Way
Keep slight right at fork onto Harbour Way
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.26 one way
$6.53 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $3.55 | $7.10 |
| premium | $4.72 | $3.81 | $7.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.53 | $9.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.15 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.79 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Bal Harbour, FL
Late night in Bal Harbour on Sunday
Local time
12:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°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
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
34m 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?
Your journey begins with a significant portion on I-95, representing about 46% of the total distance. Expect a 9.5-mile stretch on this interstate before you transition to more local roads. The route evolves as you leave the main highway, incorporating Collins Avenue and the William Lehman Causeway. This mixed profile means you'll experience both faster highway speeds and the more stop-and-go environment of surface streets as you approach your destination. It's a drive that changes pace as you progress.
46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.5 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 1.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 20.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL to Bal Harbour, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Sr A1A South along the way.
Sr A1A South
16 mi in
|
~23m
About the Cities
Starting in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Full guide →Fort Lauderdale is a coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean in the US state of Florida. It is known as the "Venice of America" due to its expansive canal system. Situated in Broward County in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area, the city's population is over 180,000 (2021). The city is most famous for its beaches and boats, and while the city of Fort Lauderdale is relatively small in area, the term 'Fort Lauderdale' is often used to refer to the larger metropolis that has grown up around it. It is the county seat for Broward county, and is part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan area, which has over 6.1 million people (2019).
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 34m. Total distance: 20.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.5 miles on I 95. 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 Bal Harbour, 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 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Biscayne National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bal Harbour, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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