Origin
Lutz, FL
Morning in Lutz on Tuesday
Local time
9:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
87°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lutz, FL to Clearwater, FL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
35.1 mi
56 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lutz, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Clearwater, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 35.1-mile drive from Lutz to Clearwater, Florida, will take you about 53 minutes to complete. It's easily manageable as a day trip, so no overnight stays are needed. You'll primarily be on Veterans Expressway and FL 60, with a significant portion on FL 589 Toll Express Lane, making it a highway-focused experience. Budget around $6 for fuel for this short jaunt. Given that both locations are within Florida, you won't be crossing state lines, but you'll experience a typical Florida drive as you head towards the coast.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Expressway | 9.6 mi | 12m |
| FL 60 | 9.1 mi | 12m |
| FL 589 Toll Express Lane | 5.3 mi | 6m |
| Gulf to Bay Boulevard | 4.7 mi | 9m |
| North Dale Mabry Highway | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| West Lutz Lake Fern Road | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Court Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| South Ft Harrison Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Veterans Expressway
— 9.6 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lutz, FL and Clearwater, FL.
1
Start on US 41
296 ft
·
5 sec
·
US 41
2
Continue on US 41
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
US 41
3
Turn right onto West Lutz Lake Fern Road
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
West Lutz Lake Fern Road
4
Continue on West Lutz Lake Fern Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Lutz Lake Fern Road
5
Turn left onto FL 597
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
North Dale Mabry Highway
6
Turn right onto FL 568 Toll
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Veterans Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto FL 589 Toll
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Veterans Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto FL 589 Toll
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
FL 589 Toll Express Lane
9
Merge onto FL 589 Toll
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Veterans Expressway
Toward Tampa:St. Petersburg
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 2A
Toward FL 60 West: Clearwater
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on FL 60
9.1 mi
·
12 min
·
FL 60
Toward Clearwater
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on FL 60
4.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Gulf to Bay Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
13
Continue on FL 60
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Court Street
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn right onto South Ft Harrison Avenue
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Ft Harrison Avenue
Use the right lane.
15
Arrive at destination
North Fort Harrison Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.5 miles from Lutz, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 4.1 and 34.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
4.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
FL 568 Toll / Veterans Expressway
Turn right onto FL 568 Toll / Veterans Expressway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
FL 589 Toll / Veterans Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto FL 589 Toll / Veterans Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
12.8 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
FL 589 Toll / FL 589 Toll Express Lane
Keep slight left at fork onto FL 589 Toll / FL 589 Toll Express Lane
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
7
19 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward FL 60 West: Clearwater
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 2A
Toward FL 60 West: Clearwater
5
34.8 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
South Ft Harrison Avenue
Turn right onto South Ft Harrison Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.59 one way
$11.17 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $6.08 | $12.16 |
| premium | $4.72 | $6.53 | $13.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.75 | $15.50 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.77
Veterans Expressway
(9.6 mi)
$0.77
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.69 | $1.68 |
| Efficient EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.07 | $1.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14 | 0 | $4.91 | $2.25 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Clearwater, FL
Morning in Clearwater on Tuesday
Local time
9:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
79°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
8 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
53m 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 highway-focused drive for this trip, with 69% of the journey utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.6 miles on Veterans Expressway. While the route is predominantly highway, it offers a consistent pace without many complex turns or sudden changes in road type. This means you can settle into a rhythm, making it a predictable and efficient way to get from Lutz to Clearwater.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.6 mi on Veterans Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Veterans Expressway and FL 60. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.1 miles in near FL 568 Toll / Veterans Expressway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 35.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.1 miles (FL 568 Toll / Veterans Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles (FL 589 Toll / Veterans Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles (FL 589 Toll / FL 589 Toll Express Lane): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Lutz, FL to Clearwater, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Tampa:st. Petersburg along the way.
Tampa:st. Petersburg
18.1 mi in
|
~25m
|
via FL 589 Toll
About the Cities
Arriving in Clearwater, FL
Full guide →Founded 1891
Clearwater is a city in Pinellas County, a region in Florida. Perhaps most easily recognized as the headquarters city of the Church of Scientology, Clearwater also has miles of beautiful beaches and close proximity to other cities in the Tampa Bay area.
Top landmarks
- • Belleview-Biltmore Hotel — hotel in Clearwater, United States of America
- • Donald Roebling Estate — historic residential estate in Clearwater, within Pinellas County, FL
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 53m. Total distance: 35.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.6 miles on Veterans Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.77 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans Expressway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Clearwater, 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 4.1 miles (FL 568 Toll / Veterans Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles (FL 589 Toll / Veterans Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles (FL 589 Toll / FL 589 Toll Express Lane): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Clearwater, 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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