The drive from Hialeah, FL to Doctor Phillips, FL covers 228.7 miles and takes about 4h 22m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Florida's Turnpike, SR 9, I 4 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 214.5 miles on Florida's Turnpike.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $35.37 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
114.4 miles from Hialeah, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 12m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Florida's Turnpike
214.5 mi
3h 54m
SR 9
2.6 mi
4m
I 4
1.5 mi
1m
Northwest 42nd Avenue-37th Avenue Connector
1.4 mi
2m
Turkey Lake Road
1.3 mi
2m
Northwest 135th Street
1 mi
2m
West Sand Lake Road
0.8 mi
1m
East 8th Avenue
0.7 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Florida's Turnpike
— 214.5 mi, about 3h 54m
Traffic on I-4
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
8 AM
~5,483 veh/hr typical
Quietest
3 AM
~720 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 87 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hialeah, FL and Doctor Phillips, FL.
1
Start on East 39th Street
191 ft·9 sec·East 39th Street
2
Turn right onto East 2nd Avenue
0.1 mi·31 sec·East 2nd Avenue
3
Turn right onto East 41st Street
0.3 mi·43 sec·East 41st Street
4
Turn left onto East 4th Avenue
0.5 mi·59 sec·East 4th Avenue
5
Turn right onto SR 932
0.5 mi·56 sec·East 49th Street
6
Turn left onto SR 953
0.7 mi·1 min·East 8th Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto Northwest 42nd Avenue-37th Avenue Connector
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 24
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 225.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|East 41st Street
Turn right onto East 41st Street
Navigation decision point
6
2.1 mi into trip|~4m in|Northwest 42nd Avenue-37th Avenue Connector
Keep slight right at fork onto Northwest 42nd Avenue-37th Avenue Connector
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
4.8 mi into trip|~9m in|SR 9
Keep slight right at fork onto SR 9
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
223 mi into trip|~4h 10m in
Take the exit toward I 4: Orlando, Tampa
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 259
Toward I 4: Orlando, Tampa
7
225.4 mi into trip|~4h 14m in
Take the exit toward Universal
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 74B
Toward Universal
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$35.37 one way
$70.73 round trip
$3.93/gal25.4 MPG avg80 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.30
$38.73
$77.47
premium
$4.63
$41.65
$83.30
diesel
$5.60
$50.41
$100.83
Estimated Tolls: $15.02
Florida's Turnpike
(214.5 mi)$15.02
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
$35
Tolls
$15
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$75–$100
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 80 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
68.6
0
$24.01
$10.98
Efficient EV
57.2
0
$20.01
$9.15
EV Truck/SUV
91.5
1
$32.02
$14.64
Gas CO2
80 kg
EV CO2
27 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Sep 2, 2026
Origin
Hialeah, FL
Night
in Hialeah on Friday
Local time
10:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
NE 1 to 5 mph67% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Doctor Phillips, FL
Night
in Doctor Phillips on Friday
Local time
10:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
NE 0 to 5 mph20% chanceLive forecast
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
4 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
4h 22m on the road
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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Biscayne National Park
National Park
Within sight of Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. Evidence of 10,000 years of human history is here to...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
228.7 mi in 4h 22m, mostly highway — 214.5 mi of that is on Florida's Turnpike.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 214.5 mi on Florida's Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Florida's Turnpike and SR 9. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near East 41st Street.
Driving Effort9/10
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 24 significant decision points across 228.7 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 0.2 miles (East 41st Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.1 miles (Northwest 42nd Avenue-37th Avenue Connector): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles (SR 9): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 22m. Total distance: 228.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 214.5 miles on Florida's Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $15.02 in tolls one way, starting with Florida's Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Doctor Phillips, FL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (East 41st Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.1 miles (Northwest 42nd Avenue-37th Avenue Connector): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles (SR 9): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Biscayne National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.7 hours — manageable with a long break at Doctor Phillips, FL, but most travelers stay overnight.
