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Trip from Tampa, FL to Desoto Lakes, FL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 8m

Distance

55.2 mi

89 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 3m ★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 5m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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city in Florida, United States

Tampa, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Desoto Lakes, FL, FL

Desoto Lakes, FL

Matt Fitz Gibaud

Trip Overview

The drive from Tampa, FL to Desoto Lakes, FL covers 55.2 miles and takes about 1h 8m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 75, Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, University Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 41.8 miles on I 75. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.61 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 75 41.8 mi 44m
Lee Roy Selmon Expressway 7.8 mi 9m
University Parkway 1.7 mi 2m
Longwood Run Boulevard 0.7 mi 1m
East Jackson Street 0.5 mi 1m
42nd Street 0.3 mi 1m
DeSoto Road 0.3 mi <1m
Habana Drive 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 75 — 41.8 mi, about 44m

Traffic on I-75

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 18 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~5,601 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~477 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

11.7×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 97 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Tampa, FL and Desoto Lakes, FL.

1

Start on FL 60

118 ft · 10 sec · East Kennedy Boulevard
2

Turn left onto US 41 Business

296 ft · 12 sec · North Tampa Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
3

Turn left onto US 41 Business; FL 60

0.5 mi · 1 min · East Jackson Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
4

Keep slight left at fork onto East Jackson Street

69 ft · 3 sec · East Jackson Street
5

Turn left onto North Nebraska Avenue

404 ft · 9 sec · North Nebraska Avenue
6

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Toward FL 618 Toll East: Brandon
7

Merge onto FL 618 Toll

7.8 mi · 9 min · Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 33 sec
Exit 15A Toward I 75 South: Naples
9

Merge onto I 75

42 mi · 44 min · I 75
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Exit 213 Toward CR 610: Sarasota, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
11

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Toward CR 610 West: Sarasota, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Use the right lane.
12

Turn straight onto University Parkway

1.7 mi · 2 min · University Parkway
Use the left lane.
13

Turn left onto Longwood Run Boulevard

0.7 mi · 1 min · Longwood Run Boulevard
14

Continue on DeSoto Road

0.3 mi · 46 sec · DeSoto Road
15

Turn left onto San Jose Drive

0.3 mi · 1 min · San Jose Drive
16

Turn right onto Tampico Drive

225 ft · 15 sec · Tampico Drive
17

Turn left onto Habana Drive

0.3 mi · 1 min · Habana Drive
18

Turn right onto 47th Street

176 ft · 13 sec · 47th Street
19

Turn left onto Hauri Road

0.2 mi · 56 sec · Hauri Road
20

Turn right onto 42nd Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · 42nd Street
21

Arrive at destination

42nd Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ruskin, FL

28 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

Riverview, FL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ruskin, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 27.6 miles from Tampa, 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 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 51.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 41 Business / North Tampa Street

Turn left onto US 41 Business / North Tampa Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 41 Business; FL 60 / East Jackson Street

Turn left onto US 41 Business; FL 60 / East Jackson Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
6
8.7 mi into trip | ~11m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 75 South: Naples

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 15A Toward I 75 South: Naples
6
50.9 mi into trip | ~57m in

Take the exit toward CR 610: Sarasota, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 213 Toward CR 610: Sarasota, Sarasota-Bradenton Int...
9
51.2 mi into trip | ~57m in

Keep slight right at fork toward CR 610 West: Sarasota, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward CR 610 West: Sarasota, Sarasota-Bradento...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.61 one way

$17.22 round trip

$3.96/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $9.42 $18.85
premium $4.65 $10.10 $20.21
diesel $5.97 $12.97 $25.94

Estimated Tolls: $0.78

Selmon Expressway (7.8 mi) $0.78

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$1

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.6 0 $5.80 $2.65
Efficient EV 13.8 0 $4.83 $2.21
EV Truck/SUV 22.1 0 $7.73 $3.53

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.

Forecast as of Aug 29, 2026

Origin

Tampa, FL

Morning in Tampa on Wednesday

Local time

11:58 AM

EDT

Current temp

93°F

Mostly Sunny then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

SSE 6 mph 51% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued August 29 at 3:48AM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

Destination

Desoto Lakes, FL

Morning in Desoto Lakes on Wednesday

Local time

11:58 AM

EDT

Current temp

94°F

Mostly Sunny then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

SSE 6 mph 41% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued August 29 at 3:48AM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

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

1 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

1h 8m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

55.2 mi in 1h 8m, mostly highway — 41.8 mi of that is on I 75.

93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 41.8 mi on I 75.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 75 and Lee Roy Selmon Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 41 Business / North Tampa Street.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.2 miles you will encounter 17 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: near the start (US 41 Business / North Tampa Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (US 41 Business; FL 60 / East Jackson Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

49 ft 13 ft

Total Climb

92 ft

Total Descent

74 ft

Highest Point

49 ft

~7.9 mi in

Elevation Range

36 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Tampa, FL and Desoto Lakes, FL, road signs point toward Cr 610: Sarasota, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and Cr 610 West: Sarasota.

Cr 610: Sarasota

50.9 mi in | ~57m

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

50.9 mi in | ~57m

Cr 610 West: Sarasota

51.2 mi in | ~57m

About the Cities

Starting in Tampa, FL

Full guide →

Founded 1823

The city of Tampa is the county seat of Hillsborough County and the largest city on Florida's West Coast.

Top landmarks

  • • Busch Gardens Tampa — African-themed animal theme park in Tampa, Florida
  • • Union Station — main railway station in Tampa, Florida, United States
  • • Falcon's Fury — drop tower attraction located at the Busch Gardens Tampa amusement park

Arriving in Desoto Lakes, FL

Full guide →

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 8m. Total distance: 55.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 41.8 miles on I 75. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.78 in tolls one way, starting with Selmon 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 Desoto Lakes, 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: near the start (US 41 Business / North Tampa Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (US 41 Business; FL 60 / East Jackson Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Yes — De Soto National Memorial. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Desoto Lakes, 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, 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.

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