Origin
Port Charlotte, FL
Morning in Port Charlotte on Sunday
Local time
10:31 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Port Charlotte, FL to Cape Coral, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
34.1 mi
55 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Port Charlotte, FL
Jose Valverde
Cape Coral, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel between Port Charlotte and Cape Coral, you are looking at a straightforward 36.9-mile journey. Expect to spend about 53 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Budget roughly $6 for fuel to cover the distance between these two Florida locations. Because you will be navigating local roads rather than long-haul interstates, the pace is steady and manageable. This trip is perfect for those who prefer avoiding the stress of high-speed highway traffic. Given the short duration, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure time around your own schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tamiami Trail | 20.4 mi | 29m |
| Del Prado Boulevard North | 6.5 mi | 10m |
| Del Prado Boulevard South | 6.2 mi | 12m |
| Cross Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Cape Coral Parkway East | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tamiami Trail
— 20.4 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Port Charlotte, FL and Cape Coral, FL.
1
Start on US 41
121 ft
·
9 sec
·
Tamiami Trail
2
Continue on US 41
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Tamiami Trail
3
Continue on US 41
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Cross Street
4
Keep slight left at fork
217 ft
·
3 sec
5
Enter roundabout
38 ft
·
0 sec
6
Continue
193 ft
·
3 sec
7
Turn straight onto US 41
229 ft
·
5 sec
·
Cross Street
8
Continue on US 41
17 mi
·
22 min
·
Tamiami Trail
Use the right lane.
9
Turn right onto CR 867A
6.5 mi
·
10 min
·
Del Prado Boulevard North
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on CR 867A
6.2 mi
·
12 min
·
Del Prado Boulevard South
11
Turn right onto Cape Coral Parkway East
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Cape Coral Parkway East
Use the right lane.
12
Turn right
200 ft
·
14 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17 miles from Port Charlotte, 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 55 decision points cluster between mile 4.3 and 34.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
4.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
4.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
21.1 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
CR 867A / Del Prado Boulevard North
Turn right onto CR 867A / Del Prado Boulevard North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
33.7 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
Cape Coral Parkway East
Turn right onto Cape Coral Parkway East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
3
34.1 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.43 one way
$10.86 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $5.90 | $11.81 |
| premium | $4.72 | $6.34 | $12.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.53 | $15.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 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 | 10.2 | 0 | $3.58 | $1.64 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.77 | $2.18 |
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
Cape Coral, FL
Morning in Cape Coral on Sunday
Local time
10:31 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°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
15 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
55m 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?
This trip is defined as a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate haul. You will not be spending any time on major highways, as the route relies entirely on local roads like Tamiami Trail and Cross Street. Since the highway share is 0%, be prepared for more frequent stops and transitions compared to a typical freeway commute. The longest stretch you will encounter is 0 miles on Tamiami Trail, which reinforces the stop-and-go nature of the drive. Expect to stay alert at intersections as you maneuver through these regional roads throughout the entire 53-minute duration.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.4 mi on Tamiami Trail.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 4.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 55m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 4.3 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 21.1 miles (CR 867A / Del Prado Boulevard North): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Port Charlotte, FL
Full guide →Port Charlotte is a city in Southwest Florida roughly 30 miles north of Fort Myers and 40 miles south of Sarasota on the gulf coast of Florida. Nestled in Charlotte Harbor, visitors can take cruises through the harbor, play a round of mini-golf or swim in the harbor.
Arriving in Cape Coral, FL
Full guide →Cape Coral is a city in Southwest Florida. Visitors are drawn by its beaches, nature trails and sea kayaking opportunities on Black Island in Lovers Key State Park.
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 55m. Total distance: 34.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.4 miles on Tamiami Trail. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 4.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 4.3 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 21.1 miles (CR 867A / Del Prado Boulevard North): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cape Coral, 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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