Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 7m
Distance
272 mi
438 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$43
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Carrollwood, FL
DΛVΞ GΛRCIΛ
Fort Lauderdale to Carrollwood is 272 miles and takes about 5 hours 7 minutes via I 75, with a fuel budget near $43 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Florida, taking you from the southern part of the state up through the center. Expect a highway-focused experience for most of the journey. With a recommended one-day trip, you can anticipate a straightforward drive, making it a convenient option if you're looking to cover ground efficiently without needing an overnight stop.
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
136 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 31m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 75 | 236 mi | 4h 13m |
| Port Everglades Expressway | 11.5 mi | 13m |
| Lee Roy Selmon Expressway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| I 275 | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| West Busch Boulevard | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| East Broward Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Orange Grove Drive | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Carrollwood Drive | 0.9 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Carrollwood, FL.
Start on SR 842
Take the ramp
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 595
Keep slight right at fork onto I 595
Merge onto I 75
Take the exit
Continue on FL 618 Toll
Take the exit
Merge onto I 4
Take the exit
Merge onto I 275
Take the exit
Continue on North Lamar Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto East Waters Avenue
Turn right onto US 41 Business
Turn left onto FL 580
Turn right onto Orange Grove Road
Continue on Orange Grove Drive
Turn right onto Carrollwood Drive
Continue on Carrollwood Drive
Arrive at destination
For this 5-hour drive, leaving Fort Lauderdale in the morning is your best bet to maximize daylight. The longest stretch without a major exit is 236 miles on I 75, so plan your fuel stops accordingly, perhaps before you embark on that segment. While only one stop is listed, consider a brief rest break around the halfway point to stay refreshed. The $43 fuel cost is an estimate, so keeping an eye on gas prices as you travel is always a good idea.
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 60 miles or 1h 9m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 136 miles or 2h 31m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 5m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Carrollwood, FL than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Fort Lauderdale, 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL
This is one driving day of about 272 miles and 5h 7m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
136 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 60 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 136 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 75 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 236 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 1.8 and 267.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork toward I 595: Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 595 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward FL 618 Toll West, Selmon Expressway West: Tampa, Port of Tampa
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 4 West: Tampa International Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Bird Street, Waters Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$43.30 one way
$86.59 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $47.10 | $94.19 |
| premium | $4.72 | $50.58 | $101.15 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $60.05 | $120.11 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.56
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$43
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$69–$94
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 95.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 81.6 | 1 | $28.56 | $13.06 |
| Efficient EV | 68 | 0 | $23.80 | $10.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 108.8 | 1 | $38.08 | $17.41 |
Gas CO2
95 kg
EV CO2
32 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Morning in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday
Local time
6:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Carrollwood on Sunday
Local time
6:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
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 Memorial
In May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto’s army of soldiers, hired mercenaries, craftsmen, and clergy made landfall in Tampa Bay. They were met with fierce resistance of indigenous people protecting...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with a 95% highway share. You'll spend the majority of your time on I 75, which makes up the longest uninterrupted stretch of 236 miles. The drive begins on the Port Everglades Expressway and Lee Roy Selmon Expressway before merging onto I 75. Expect consistent, high-speed driving for most of the journey, offering a direct path with minimal deviations.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 75 and Port Everglades Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 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 18 significant decision points across 272 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 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 252.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Carrollwood, FL, road signs point toward Selmon Expressway West: Tampa and Port Of Tampa.
Selmon Expressway West: Tampa
Port Of Tampa
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 7m. Total distance: 272 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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Return Trip
Carrollwood, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FLPlan the drive back the other way.
Explore more options from Fort Lauderdale, FL or browse trips ending in Carrollwood, FL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse FL road trips.
