Origin
Lakeland, FL
Late night in Lakeland on Sunday
Local time
3:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lakeland, FL to Bartow, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
12.3 mi
20 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakeland, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Bartow, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lakeland to Bartow is 12.3 miles and takes about 19 minutes via Bartow Road, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Florida region, making it a simple connection between two nearby cities. Given its brief duration and minimal highway use, this drive is best suited for a quick trip or as part of a larger itinerary. Plan for a straightforward navigation experience with no major transitions in scenery or road type.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bartow Road | 10.7 mi | 16m |
| Broadway Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| East Lime Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Walnut Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Lake Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bartow Road
— 10.7 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lakeland, FL and Bartow, FL.
1
Start on East Walnut Street
279 ft
·
16 sec
·
East Walnut Street
2
Turn left onto South Lake Avenue
269 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Lake Avenue
3
Turn right onto East Lime Street
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
East Lime Street
4
Turn right onto US 98
11 mi
·
16 min
·
Bartow Road
Use the right lane.
5
Continue on US 98
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Broadway Avenue
6
Turn left onto Main Street
51 ft
·
1 sec
·
Main Street
7
Arrive at destination
Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 12.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Lake Avenue
Turn left onto South Lake Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Lime Street
Turn right onto East Lime Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 98 / Bartow Road
Turn right onto US 98 / Bartow Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
12.3 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Main Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.96 one way
$3.92 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $2.13 | $4.26 |
| premium | $4.72 | $2.29 | $4.57 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.72 | $5.43 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.29 | $0.59 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.08 | $0.49 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Bartow, FL
Late night in Bartow on Sunday
Local time
3:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
19m 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?
This route is entirely composed of surface roads, with no highway driving involved. You'll spend the full 12.3 miles on local streets, including a continuous stretch of 10.7 miles on Bartow Road. Expect to navigate through typical urban and suburban environments as you make your way between Lakeland and Bartow. The absence of highway sections means you'll be dealing with city traffic and intersections throughout.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.7 mi on Bartow Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Lake Avenue.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Lake Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Lime Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 98 / Bartow Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting 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.
Arriving in Bartow, FL
Full guide →Bartow is a historic, Southern town in Polk County, Florida. As county seat, there is a large difference in the number of people in the town during the day and the number of people who reside in Bartow.
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 19m. Total distance: 12.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m 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 10.7 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 0.1 miles (South Lake Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Lime Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 98 / Bartow Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bartow, 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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