Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
3h 20m
Distance
166 mi
267 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$26
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palm Bay, FL
Hetvi Patel
Palmetto, FL
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Palm Bay, FL to Palmetto, FL covers 166 miles and takes about 3h 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 4, New Haven Avenue, I 75 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 51.8 miles on I 4. At current regular gas prices, budget about $25.67 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
83 miles from Palm Bay, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 45m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 4 | 51.8 mi | 56m |
| New Haven Avenue | 37 mi | 44m |
| I 75 | 31.9 mi | 34m |
| Southern Connector Extension | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| Florida's Turnpike | 5.5 mi | 5m |
| Central Florida GreeneWay | 5.2 mi | 5m |
| Palm Bay Road Northeast | 4 mi | 7m |
| Tamiami Trail | 3.6 mi | 4m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 46 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~5,224 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~493 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 97 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Palm Bay, FL and Palmetto, FL.
Start on Palm Bay Road Northeast
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Continue on US 192
Continue on US 192; US 441
Continue on US 192; US 441
Continue on US 192; US 441
Continue on US 192; US 441
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto Florida's Turnpike
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto FL 417 Toll
Keep slight left at fork onto FL 417 Toll
Merge onto I 4
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 75
Take the exit
Continue on I 275
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto US 41
Turn straight onto US 41 Business
Enter roundabout onto US 41 Business
Continue on US 41 Business
Continue on US 41 Business
Turn left onto 11th Street West
Turn right onto 7th Avenue West
Turn right onto 10th Street West
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 37 miles or 48m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 83 miles or 1h 45m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Palmetto, FL than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Palm Bay, FL so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Palm Bay, FL
This is one driving day of about 166 miles and 3h 20m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
83 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.
A short stop after about 37 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 83 miles from Palm Bay, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 8 and 160.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward US 192: West Melbourne, Melbourne
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward FL 417 Toll: Tampa, Daytona Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward FL 417 Toll South: Tampa, Disney World
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 75: Ocala, Naples
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward US 41: Palmetto, Bradenton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$25.67 one way
$51.34 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.30 | $28.12 | $56.23 |
| premium | $4.63 | $30.23 | $60.47 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $36.59 | $73.18 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.38
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$26
Tolls
$0
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$51–$76
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 58.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $17 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 49.8 | 0 | $17.43 | $7.97 |
| Efficient EV | 41.5 | 0 | $14.53 | $6.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 66.4 | 0 | $23.24 | $10.62 |
Gas CO2
58 kg
EV CO2
19 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Palm Bay on Sunday
Local time
4:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Late night in Palmetto on Sunday
Local time
4:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Partly Cloudy
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Memorial
In May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto’s army of soldiers, hired mercenaries, craftsmen, and clergy made landfall in Tampa Bay. They were met with fierce resistance of indigenous people protecting...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
166 mi in 3h 20m — 56% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 4.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 23 significant decision points across 166 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 59.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 59.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
125 ft
Total Descent
129 ft
Highest Point
142 ft
~94.9 mi in
Elevation Range
128 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Palm Bay, FL and Palmetto, FL, road signs point toward Ocala, Miami, Florida's Turnpike Toll, Florida's Turnpike North: Ocala, Daytona Beach and Disney World - among others.
Ocala
Miami
Florida's Turnpike Toll
Florida's Turnpike North: Ocala
Daytona Beach
Disney World
Naples
Founded 1960
Palm Bay is the largest city in Brevard County, with a population of over 115,000 in 2019. It is the core of the Palm Bay Metropolitan Area.
Founded 1897
Palmetto is a city in Manatee County. Destinations in nearby Ellenton are also included within this article.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 20m. Total distance: 166 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Palm Bay, FL or browse trips ending in Palmetto, FL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse FL road trips.
