Drive or Fly: Clearwater, FL to Bartow, FL?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for PIE–LAL. At 67 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 31m

Distance

67.9 mi

Total Cost

$50

CO2

27 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$15

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 38m

7m in the air

Air Distance

59 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

15 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clearwater, FL → PIE 12m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 7m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LAL → Bartow, FL 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Clearwater, FL PIE — St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport 8 mi, ~12m drive

Bartow, FL LAL — Lakeland Linder International Airport 13 mi, ~19m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PIE and LAL. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	1h 31m	2h 38m
Total cost (1 person)	$50	$122
Carbon footprint	27 kg CO₂	15 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

67.9 mi 1h 30m

via I 4, FL 570 Toll, FL 60

Shortest (+2 min)

63 mi 1h 32m

via FL 60, FL 618 Toll, Drew Street

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Clearwater, FL to Bartow, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.