Origin
Starke, FL
Late night in Starke on Sunday
Local time
3:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Starke, FL to Gainesville, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
25.6 mi
41 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Starke, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a straightforward way to travel from Starke to Gainesville, this 25.6-mile trip is an ideal candidate for a quick day drive. Expect to spend about 33 minutes behind the wheel, making it a very manageable connection between these two Florida locations. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, it is an incredibly budget-friendly excursion. Because the duration is so short, you certainly won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay. This route is best viewed as a simple transit between regions rather than a complex road trip, giving you maximum flexibility for your daily schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Waldo Road | 12.1 mi | 16m |
| US 301 | 9.1 mi | 11m |
| Temple Avenue | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| East University Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Northeast Waldo Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Kennard Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Thompson Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West Call Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Waldo Road
— 12.1 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Starke, FL and Gainesville, FL.
1
Start on FL 230
294 ft
·
14 sec
·
West Call Street
2
Turn right onto South Thompson Street
258 ft
·
11 sec
·
South Thompson Street
3
Enter roundabout onto South Thompson Street
102 ft
·
4 sec
·
South Thompson Street
4
Continue on South Thompson Street
0.2 mi
·
55 sec
·
South Thompson Street
5
Turn left onto US 301
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Temple Avenue
6
At end of road, turn left onto US 301
9.1 mi
·
11 min
·
US 301
Use the left lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto FL 24
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Kennard Street
8
Continue on FL 24
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Waldo Road
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on FL 24
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Northeast Waldo Road
10
Continue on FL 24
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Waldo Road
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto FL 20; FL 24; FL 26
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
East University Avenue
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto CR 329
115 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Main Street
13
Arrive at destination
CR 329
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 24.8 — 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
|
South Thompson Street
Turn right onto South Thompson Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Thompson Street
Enter roundabout onto South Thompson Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 301
At end of road, turn left onto US 301
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
11.6 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
FL 24 / Kennard Street
Keep slight right at fork onto FL 24 / Kennard Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
24.8 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
FL 20; FL 24; FL 26 / East University Avenue
Turn right onto FL 20; FL 24; FL 26 / East University Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.07 one way
$8.15 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $4.43 | $8.87 |
| premium | $4.72 | $4.76 | $9.52 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.65 | $11.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.58 | $1.64 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Gainesville, FL
Late night in Gainesville on Sunday
Local time
3:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°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
25 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
37m 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?
Prepare for a turn-heavy, local driving experience that keeps you off the major interstates entirely. Since the highway share for this trip is 0%, you will be navigating through local streets like South Thompson Street, Temple Avenue, and Kennard Street rather than high-speed lanes. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 0 miles on South Thompson Street, meaning you should stay alert for frequent turns and intersection changes. This is a purely local-road journey that requires your full attention, as it lacks the monotony of a highway grind. It is a practical, hands-on drive that rewards those who prefer surface roads over the acceleration of a freeway.
35% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.1 mi on Waldo Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Thompson Street.
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 25.6 miles you will encounter 8 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 (South Thompson Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Thompson Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.6 miles (US 301): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Starke, FL
Full guide →Starke is a town in North Central Florida with a population of about 6,000, between Gainesville and Jacksonville.
Arriving in Gainesville, FL
Full guide →Gainesville is in North Central Florida. It is home to the University of Florida, and Santa Fe College.
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 37m. Total distance: 25.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.1 miles on Waldo Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Gainesville, 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 (South Thompson Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Thompson Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.6 miles (US 301): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Gainesville, 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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