Origin
Lakeland, FL
Late night in Lakeland on Sunday
Local time
3:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lakeland, FL to Brandon, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
26.6 mi
43 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakeland, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Brandon, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lakeland to Brandon is 26.6 miles and takes about 40m via West State Road 60, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Florida, connecting two communities in the central part of the state. Expect a local feel for most of the journey, with a relatively low percentage of highway driving. Given its brevity, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing ample time for your destination activities without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West State Road 60 | 8.3 mi | 11m |
| New Tampa Highway | 7.2 mi | 10m |
| James L Redman Parkway | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| FL 60 | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Park Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| George Jenkins Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| East Alexander Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| East Lemon Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
West State Road 60
— 8.3 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lakeland, FL and Brandon, FL.
1
Start on East Walnut Street
422 ft
·
19 sec
·
East Walnut Street
2
At end of road, turn right onto Lake Morton Drive
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Lake Morton Drive
3
Turn right onto South Iowa Avenue
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
South Iowa Avenue
4
Continue on East Lemon Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Lemon Street
5
At end of road, turn right onto Lake Beulah Drive
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Lake Beulah Drive
6
Enter roundabout onto Sloan Avenue
105 ft
·
1 sec
·
Sloan Avenue
7
Continue on Sloan Avenue
489 ft
·
14 sec
·
Sloan Avenue
8
Turn left onto George Jenkins Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
George Jenkins Boulevard
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on US 92
7.2 mi
·
10 min
·
New Tampa Highway
10
Turn left onto FL 553
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Park Road
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on Jim Johnson Road
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
·
Jim Johnson Road
12
Turn right onto East Alexander Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East Alexander Street
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn left onto FL 39
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
James L Redman Parkway
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto FL 60
8.3 mi
·
11 min
·
West State Road 60
Use the straight lane.
15
Continue on FL 60
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
FL 60
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
16
Arrive at destination
FL 60
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 16.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lake Morton Drive
At end of road, turn right onto Lake Morton Drive
Navigation decision point
6
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Sloan Avenue
Enter roundabout onto Sloan Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
George Jenkins Boulevard
Turn left onto George Jenkins Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
11.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
East Alexander Street
Turn right onto East Alexander Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
16.5 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
FL 60 / West State Road 60
Turn right onto FL 60 / West State Road 60
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.23 one way
$8.47 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $4.61 | $9.21 |
| premium | $4.72 | $4.95 | $9.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.87 | $11.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.33 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.72 | $1.70 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Brandon, FL
Late night in Brandon on Sunday
Local time
3:45 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
40m 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 best described as a turn-heavy local drive, with only 20% of the journey on highways. You'll navigate through communities primarily using West State Road 60, New Tampa Highway, and James L Redman Parkway. The longest stretch without a significant turn or change in road type is 8.3 miles on West State Road 60. Be prepared for frequent intersections and changes in speed limits as you transition between different local road segments.
Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.3 mi on West State Road 60.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Lake Morton Drive.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 26.6 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (Lake Morton Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (Sloan Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.5 miles (George Jenkins Boulevard): 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 Brandon, FL
Full guide →Brandon is a commuter city to the east of Tampa near Florida's West Coast, near the junction of Interstate 4 and Interstate 75.
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 40m. Total distance: 26.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.3 miles on West State Road 60. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Brandon, FL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 (Lake Morton Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (Sloan Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.5 miles (George Jenkins Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Brandon, 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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