Origin
Highland City, FL
Morning in Highland City on Sunday
Local time
6:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Highland City, FL to Lakeland, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
11m
Distance
7 mi
11 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 11m
★
6 AM
0h 12m
8 AM
0h 14m
10 AM
0h 13m
12 PM
0h 12m
3 PM
0h 13m
5 PM
0h 14m
8 PM
0h 11m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Highland City, FL
Larry Milligan
Lakeland, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Highland City, FL to Lakeland, FL is 7 miles and takes about 11 minutes via Bartow Road, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the state of Florida, making it an easy local excursion. Given its brief duration and minimal highway driving, this route is ideal for a quick errand or a simple transfer between nearby towns. You'll primarily be navigating local streets, so expect a more community-oriented feel rather than a typical highway journey. It's a straightforward drive that requires little in the way of extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bartow Road | 6.6 mi | 10m |
| East Lime Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| East Walnut Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Lake Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bartow Road
— 6.6 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Highland City, FL and Lakeland, FL.
1
Start on US 98
6.6 mi
·
10 min
·
Bartow Road
2
Turn left onto East Lime Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Lime Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto South Lake Avenue
269 ft
·
13 sec
·
South Lake Avenue
4
Turn right onto East Walnut Street
279 ft
·
12 sec
·
East Walnut Street
5
Arrive at destination
East Walnut Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 6.6 and 7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
East Lime Street
Turn left onto East Lime Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
6.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
South Lake Avenue
Turn left onto South Lake Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
East Walnut Street
Turn right onto East Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.11 one way
$2.23 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $1.21 | $2.42 |
| premium | $4.72 | $1.30 | $2.60 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.55 | $3.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.74 | $0.34 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.61 | $0.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.98 | $0.45 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Lakeland, FL
Morning in Lakeland on Sunday
Local time
6:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Patchy Fog
SE 2 mph
0% chance
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
4 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
11m on the road
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.
What kind of drive is this?
This is a turn-heavy local drive, with 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.6 miles along Bartow Road. As you transition from Bartow Road to East Lime Street and then East Walnut Street, the route involves several turns characteristic of navigating through populated areas. You won't experience the monotony of long highway stretches; instead, anticipate a more engaging drive with frequent changes in direction. This profile means you'll be more aware of your surroundings and local traffic patterns throughout the 11-minute journey.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
5 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.6 mi on Bartow Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 6.6 miles in near East Lime Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Highland City, FL to Lakeland, FL is easy. At 11m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.6 miles (East Lime Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles (South Lake Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7 miles (East Walnut Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Lakeland, FL
Full guide →Lakeland is the largest city in Polk County, Florida. It is home to Florida Southern College, which has the largest collection of buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright at a single site in the world.
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 11m. Total distance: 7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
11m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.6 miles on Bartow Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 6.6 miles (East Lime Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles (South Lake Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7 miles (East Walnut Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lakeland, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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