Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 3m
Distance
48.3 mi
78 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
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
Palmetto Estates, FL
Matt Fitz Gibaud
Fort Lauderdale to Palmetto Estates is 48.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 3 minutes via Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike and Florida's Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Florida, making it a straightforward local drive. With 80% of the route on highways, expect a relatively fast transit between these two points. This is a good option for a quick errand or to connect two parts of South Florida without a significant time commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike | 30 mi | 34m |
| Florida's Turnpike | 7.2 mi | 8m |
| East Broward Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| State Road 821 Access Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Port Everglades Expressway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Southwest 160th Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Southwest 112th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| SR 84 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Palmetto Estates, FL.
Start on SR 842
Take the ramp
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 595
Take the exit
Turn straight onto SR 84
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto Florida's Turnpike
Take the exit onto Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike
Take the exit
Continue on State Road 821 Access Road
Keep slight left at fork onto State Road 821 Access Road
Turn left onto SR 992
Turn right onto Southwest 112th Avenue
Turn left onto Southwest 160th Street
Turn left onto Southwest 104th Avenue
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 24.1 miles from Fort Lauderdale, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 45.1 — 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 SR 84 West: Florida's Turnpike
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike toward Florida's Turnpike Toll South, Homestead
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward SR 992: Southwest 117th Avenue, Southwest 152nd Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$7.69 one way
$15.38 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $8.36 | $16.73 |
| premium | $4.72 | $8.98 | $17.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.66 | $21.33 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.29
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$2
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.07 | $2.32 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.93 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.3 | 0 | $6.76 | $3.09 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday
Local time
6:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Morning in Palmetto Estates on Sunday
Local time
6:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
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
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
You'll spend about 80% of this 48.3-mile drive on highways. The longest stretch of continuous highway driving is 30 miles on the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike. Expect to transition from highway cruising to surface streets like East Broward Boulevard as you approach your destination. The high highway percentage suggests a route with fewer turns and potentially more merges as you navigate the Florida Turnpike system.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike and Florida's Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.3 miles you will encounter 16 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 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 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Palmetto Estates, FL, road signs point toward Florida's Turnpike South: Miami, Miami, Florida's Turnpike South, Florida's Turnpike Toll South and Homestead.
Florida's Turnpike South: Miami
Miami
Florida's Turnpike South
Florida's Turnpike Toll South
Homestead
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 1h 3m. Total distance: 48.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). 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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