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Trip from Lakeland, FL to Temple Terrace, FL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

43m

Distance

32.7 mi

53 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 40m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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city in Polk County, Florida, United States

Lakeland, FL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States

Temple Terrace, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Lakeland, FL to Temple Terrace, FL covers 32.7 miles and takes about 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 4, North 56th Street, Kathleen Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.7 miles on I 4. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.06 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 4 22.7 mi 24m
North 56th Street 2.5 mi 4m
Kathleen Road 2.4 mi 4m
US 92 2.4 mi 3m
Sikes Boulevard 0.5 mi <1m
East Lime Street 0.4 mi <1m
Bullard Parkway 0.2 mi <1m
Ridgedale Road 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 4 — 22.7 mi, about 24m

Traffic on I-4

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~4,480 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~567 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

7.9×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 44 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 Lakeland, FL and Temple Terrace, 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

0.2 mi · 30 sec · Lake Morton Drive
3

Turn right onto South Massachusetts Avenue

236 ft · 13 sec · South Massachusetts Avenue
4

Turn left onto East Lime Street

0.4 mi · 56 sec · East Lime Street
5

Turn right onto FL 563

0.5 mi · 57 sec · Sikes Boulevard
Use the right lane.
6

Continue on FL 539

2.4 mi · 4 min · Kathleen Road
Use the left lane.
7

Turn left

0.4 mi · 59 sec
8

Merge onto I 4

23 mi · 24 min · I 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 7 Toward US 92 West: Hillsborough Avenue, Busch Gardens Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn straight onto US 92

2.4 mi · 3 min · US 92
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11

Turn right onto FL 583

2.5 mi · 4 min · North 56th Street
Use the right lane.
12

Turn right onto Bullard Parkway

0.2 mi · 29 sec · Bullard Parkway
13

Turn left onto Ridgedale Road

0.2 mi · 37 sec · Ridgedale Road
Use the left lane.
14

Arrive at destination

Ridgedale Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 32.5 — 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

5
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in | FL 563 / Sikes Boulevard

Turn right onto FL 563 / Sikes Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
4.1 mi into trip | ~8m in | I 4

Merge onto I 4

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
26.8 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward US 92 West: Hillsborough Avenue, Busch Gardens

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 7 Toward US 92 West: Hillsborough Avenue, Busch G...
7
32.5 mi into trip | ~42m in | Ridgedale Road

Turn left onto Ridgedale Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.06 one way

$10.11 round trip

$3.93/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.30 $5.54 $11.08
premium $4.63 $5.96 $11.91
diesel $5.60 $7.21 $14.42

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.8 0 $3.43 $1.57
Efficient EV 8.2 0 $2.86 $1.31
EV Truck/SUV 13.1 0 $4.58 $2.09

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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.

Forecast as of Sep 3, 2026

Origin

Lakeland, FL

Late night in Lakeland on Sunday

Local time

2:16 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Mostly Cloudy

E 5 mph 11% chance Live forecast

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued September 3 at 12:33AM EDT until September 3 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued September 2 at 3:03AM EDT until September 3 at 4:00AM EDT by NWS Melbourne FL

Destination

Temple Terrace, FL

Late night in Temple Terrace on Sunday

Local time

2:16 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms

ENE 5 mph 16% chance Live forecast

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued September 3 at 12:33AM EDT until September 3 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued September 2 at 3:03AM EDT until September 3 at 4:00AM EDT by NWS Melbourne FL

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

43m 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?

32.7 mi in 43m, mostly highway — 22.7 mi of that is on I 4.

78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.7 mi on I 4.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 4 and North 56th Street. 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 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 32.7 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 (Lake Morton Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (FL 563 / Sikes Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (I 4): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

228 ft 27 ft

Total Climb

121 ft

Total Descent

257 ft

Highest Point

228 ft

~2.3 mi in

Elevation Range

201 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Lakeland, FL to Temple Terrace, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Busch Gardens along the way.

Busch Gardens

26.8 mi in | ~32m

About the Cities

Starting in Lakeland, FL

Full guide →

Founded 1875

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.

Top landmarks

  • • Child of the Sun — Florida
  • • Polk Theatre — movie theater and theater in Lakeland, Florida
  • • Beacon Hill-Alta Vista Residential District — historic district in Florida, United States

Arriving in Temple Terrace, FL

Full guide →

Founded 1920

Top landmarks

  • • Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club

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 43m. Total distance: 32.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

43m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 22.7 miles on I 4. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Temple Terrace, 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 0.7 miles (FL 563 / Sikes Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (I 4): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Temple Terrace, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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