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Trip from Wellington, 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 3m

Distance

45.1 mi

73 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 58m ★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 0m

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

village in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States

Wellington, FL

Wikimedia Commons

city ​​in Broward County, Florida, United States

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning to head south from Wellington to Fort Lauderdale, you are looking at a quick 45.1-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 3 minutes. This route is best suited as a simple day trip, allowing you to reach your destination easily without the need for an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via Florida's Turnpike, I-95, and Forest Hill Boulevard, making it a very straightforward transition between these two Florida locations. Budgeting roughly $8 for fuel covers the trip comfortably. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a change of scenery, the convenience of this short drive makes it a highly manageable trek for any traveler.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Florida's Turnpike 24.6 mi 27m
I 95 7.2 mi 8m
Forest Hill Boulevard 2.6 mi 5m
State Road 7 2.3 mi 3m
Lake Worth Road 1.8 mi 3m
West Broward Boulevard 1.8 mi 3m
Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard 1.4 mi 2m
North Andrews Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Florida's Turnpike — 24.6 mi, about 27m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Wellington, FL and Fort Lauderdale, FL.

1

Start on Montauk Drive

281 ft · 14 sec · Montauk Drive
2

Turn right onto Westhampton Circle

0.1 mi · 27 sec · Westhampton Circle
3

Turn right onto Forest Hill Boulevard

2.6 mi · 5 min · Forest Hill Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4

Turn right onto US 441; FL 7

2.3 mi · 3 min · State Road 7
Use the left / uturn lanes.
5

Turn left onto FL 802

1.8 mi · 3 min · Lake Worth Road
Use the left / uturn lanes.
6

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward Florida's Turnpike South: Miami
7

Merge onto Florida's Turnpike

25 mi · 27 min · Florida's Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 67 Toward Coconut Creek Parkway, Martin Luther King Boulevard Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork

251 ft · 15 sec
Toward East Martin Luther King Boulevard, Atlantic Boulevard
10

Turn left onto Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard

1.4 mi · 2 min · Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
11

Turn left onto Northwest 16th Avenue

0.1 mi · 25 sec · Northwest 16th Avenue
12

Turn right onto North Andrews Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · North Andrews Avenue
13

Turn left onto SR 814

497 ft · 16 sec · West Atlantic Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 58 sec
Toward I 95 South: Miami
15

Merge onto I 95

7.2 mi · 8 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 27 Toward SR 842: Broward Boulevard, Downtown Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Turn left onto SR 842

1.8 mi · 3 min · West Broward Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
18

Continue on SR 842

0.2 mi · 35 sec · East Broward Boulevard
Use the left lane.
19

Arrive at destination

SR 842

Where to Stop

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

city ​​in Broward County, Florida, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Pompano Beach, FL

23 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

Seminole Manor, FL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Kings Point, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22.5 miles from Wellington, 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 42.6 — 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 | Westhampton Circle

Turn right onto Westhampton Circle

Navigation decision point

6
2.7 mi into trip | ~5m in | US 441; FL 7 / State Road 7

Turn right onto US 441; FL 7 / State Road 7

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / uturn lanes.
8
32 mi into trip | ~41m 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
32.7 mi into trip | ~43m 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
42.6 mi into trip | ~57m 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

$7.18 one way

$14.36 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $7.81 $15.62
premium $4.72 $8.39 $16.77
diesel $5.61 $9.96 $19.92

Estimated Tolls: $1.72

Florida's Turnpike (24.6 mi) $1.72

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$2

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.5 0 $4.74 $2.16
Efficient EV 11.3 0 $3.95 $1.80
EV Truck/SUV 18 0 $6.31 $2.89

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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 Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Wellington, FL

Morning in Wellington on Sunday

Local time

7:40 AM

EDT

Current temp

78°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Morning in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday

Local time

7:40 AM

EDT

Current temp

80°F

Mostly Sunny

E 7 to 10 mph 4% chance 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

2 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 3m 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?

Expect a highway-focused experience, as 71% of this drive is spent on major thoroughfares. You will settle into a steady rhythm on the road, with your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 24.6 miles along Florida's Turnpike. The transition from the local streets of Wellington onto the high-speed lanes of the Turnpike and I-95 defines the character of the trip. It is a functional, efficient drive that prioritizes speed and directness over winding scenic detours. You will find that the road surface remains consistent as you move through the suburban landscape toward the coast.

71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.6 mi on Florida's Turnpike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 0.1 miles in near Westhampton Circle.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 45.1 miles you will encounter 16 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 (Westhampton Circle): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (US 441; FL 7 / State Road 7): Lane positioning matters here; at 32 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

40 ft 2 ft

Total Climb

27 ft

Total Descent

44 ft

Highest Point

40 ft

~12.9 mi in

Elevation Range

38 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Wellington, FL and Fort Lauderdale, FL, road signs point toward Florida's Turnpike South: Miami and Downtown.

Florida's Turnpike South: Miami

6.8 mi in | ~12m

Downtown

42.6 mi in | ~57m

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 3m. Total distance: 45.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 24.6 miles on Florida's Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.72 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 0.1 miles (Westhampton Circle): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (US 441; FL 7 / State Road 7): Lane positioning matters here; at 32 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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