Origin
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Morning in Palm Beach Gardens on Sunday
Local time
9:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palm Beach Gardens, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
54.2 mi
87 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
DΛVΞ GΛRCIΛ
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning 57.7 miles, this quick journey from Palm Beach Gardens to Fort Lauderdale is a straightforward trip that typically takes about 1 hour and 8 minutes. Because the entire route stays within the state of Florida, you will find it manageable as a simple day trip, requiring no overnight stays. Budget approximately $10 for fuel to cover the distance comfortably. You will navigate primarily via Monterey Boulevard, General Drive, and Championship Drive rather than major interstates. It is an ideal option if you prefer a local, point-to-point transit over a long-haul highway trek.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Florida's Turnpike | 38.4 mi | 42m |
| I 95 | 7.2 mi | 8m |
| West Broward Boulevard | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Ryder Cup Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Championship Drive | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| North Andrews Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Jog Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Florida's Turnpike
— 38.4 mi, about 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palm Beach Gardens, FL and Fort Lauderdale, FL.
1
Start on Diamond Head Way
50 ft
·
7 sec
·
Diamond Head Way
2
Turn left onto Monterey Boulevard
441 ft
·
20 sec
·
Monterey Boulevard
3
Turn right onto General Drive
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
General Drive
4
Turn left onto Championship Drive
174 ft
·
8 sec
·
Championship Drive
5
Continue on Championship Drive
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Championship Drive
6
Turn left onto Ryder Cup Boulevard
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Ryder Cup Boulevard
7
Continue on North Jog Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Jog Road
8
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward Florida's Turnpike Toll
9
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
this road
Toward Florida's Turnpike North, Florida's Turnpike South
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward Florida's Turnpike Toll South, Miami
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto Florida's Turnpike
38 mi
·
42 min
·
Florida's Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 67
Toward Coconut Creek Parkway, Martin Luther King Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
251 ft
·
15 sec
Toward East Martin Luther King Boulevard, Atlantic Boulevard
14
Turn left onto Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
15
Turn left onto Northwest 16th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Northwest 16th Avenue
16
Turn right onto North Andrews Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Andrews Avenue
17
Turn left onto SR 814
497 ft
·
16 sec
·
West Atlantic Boulevard
Use the left lane.
18
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
Toward I 95 South: Miami
19
Merge onto I 95
7.2 mi
·
8 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 27
Toward SR 842: Broward Boulevard, Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Turn left onto SR 842
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
West Broward Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
22
Continue on SR 842
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
East Broward Boulevard
Use the left lane.
23
Arrive at destination
SR 842
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.1 miles from Palm Beach Gardens, 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 185 decision points cluster between mile 2.2 and 51.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Turn left toward Florida's Turnpike Toll
Navigation decision point
Toward Florida's Turnpike Toll
8
2.4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Florida's Turnpike Toll South, Miami
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Florida's Turnpike Toll South, Miami
8
41.1 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward Coconut Creek Parkway, Martin Luther King Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 67
Toward Coconut Creek Parkway, Martin Luther Kin...
6
41.8 mi into trip
|
~53m in
Keep slight left at fork toward East Martin Luther King Boulevard, Atlantic Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward East Martin Luther King Boulevard, Atlan...
8
51.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
Take the exit toward SR 842: Broward Boulevard, Downtown
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 27
Toward SR 842: Broward Boulevard, Downtown
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.63 one way
$17.25 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $9.38 | $18.77 |
| premium | $4.72 | $10.08 | $20.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.97 | $23.93 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.68
Florida's Turnpike
(38.4 mi)
$2.68
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$3
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 19 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.3 | 0 | $5.69 | $2.60 |
| Efficient EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.74 | $2.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.7 | 0 | $7.59 | $3.47 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Morning in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday
Local time
9:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°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
9 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
1h 13m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features a 0% highway share. You will navigate a series of surface roads that keep your attention engaged throughout the 57.7-mile stretch. Since there are no long, uninterrupted highway segments, the pace remains steady and rhythmic as you transition through the local infrastructure. Be prepared for frequent turns and intersection navigation, which define the personality of this drive. It is a practical, hands-on experience behind the wheel that requires more focus than an open-road cruise.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 38.4 mi on Florida's Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Florida's Turnpike and I 95. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54.2 miles you will encounter 18 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 2.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Full guide →Fort Lauderdale is a coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean in the US state of Florida. It is known as the "Venice of America" due to its expansive canal system. Situated in Broward County in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area, the city's population is over 180,000 (2021). The city is most famous for its beaches and boats, and while the city of Fort Lauderdale is relatively small in area, the term 'Fort Lauderdale' is often used to refer to the larger metropolis that has grown up around it. It is the county seat for Broward county, and is part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan area, which has over 6.1 million people (2019).
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 1h 13m. Total distance: 54.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 38.4 miles on Florida's Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.68 in tolls one way, starting with Florida's Turnpike. 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 Fort Lauderdale, 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 2.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.1 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 Fort Lauderdale, 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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