Origin
Lakeland, FL
Morning in Lakeland on Sunday
Local time
6:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lakeland, FL to Lake Wales, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
28.5 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakeland, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Lake Wales, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 28.5-mile drive from Lakeland to Lake Wales in Florida is easily manageable as a day trip, taking only about 42 minutes. The route primarily utilizes FL 60 and Bartow Road, with a highway share of 52%, offering a mixed driving experience. With an estimated fuel cost of just $5, this is a very budget-friendly excursion. You'll be traveling within the same region of Florida, so no significant environmental shifts are expected. This is a straightforward journey perfect for a quick relocation or an easy addition to a larger itinerary.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| FL 60 | 14.8 mi | 18m |
| Bartow Road | 10.7 mi | 16m |
| West Central Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Broadway Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Van Fleet Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Lime Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| US 27 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Scenic Highway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
FL 60
— 14.8 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lakeland, FL and Lake Wales, 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
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway Avenue
6
Turn left onto US 98; FL 60
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Fleet Drive
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on FL 60
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
FL 60
8
Continue on FL 60
11 mi
·
13 min
·
FL 60
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on FL 60
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
FL 60
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward US 27: Haines City, Avon Park
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
280 ft
·
11 sec
12
Turn left onto US 27
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
US 27
13
Turn right onto West Central Avenue
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
West Central Avenue
14
Turn left onto FL 17
284 ft
·
11 sec
·
North Scenic Highway
15
Turn right onto East Stuart Avenue
113 ft
·
5 sec
·
East Stuart Avenue
16
Turn right
226 ft
·
16 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 28.5 — 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
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.
7
27.1 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward US 27: Haines City, Avon Park
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.
Toward US 27: Haines City, Avon Park
5
27.3 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
28.5 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
East Stuart Avenue
Turn right onto East Stuart Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.54 one way
$9.07 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $4.93 | $9.87 |
| premium | $4.72 | $5.30 | $10.60 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.29 | $12.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.99 | $1.37 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.99 | $1.82 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Lake Wales, FL
Morning in Lake Wales on Sunday
Local time
6:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
1 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
42m 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?
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with about half of the journey on highways. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 14.8 miles along FL 60. As you transition from FL 60 to Bartow Road and then West Central Avenue, the character of the drive will likely change, moving from potentially faster highway speeds to more local road conditions. This blend means you'll experience varying traffic patterns and speed limits throughout the 42-minute trip.
52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.8 mi on FL 60.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Lake Avenue.
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 28.5 miles you will encounter 11 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 (South Lake Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 98 / Bartow Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
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 42m. Total distance: 28.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.8 miles on FL 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 Lake Wales, 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 (South Lake Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 98 / Bartow Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lake Wales, 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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