Drive or Fly: Clearwater, FL to Haines City, 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 82 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 51m

Distance

82.7 mi

Total Cost

$53

CO2

33 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$18

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

9m in the air

Air Distance

73 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

19 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clearwater, FL → PIE 12m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LAL → Haines City, FL 39m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

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

Haines City, FL LAL — Lakeland Linder International Airport 26 mi, ~39m 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 51m	3h
Total cost (1 person)	$53	$123
Carbon footprint	33 kg CO₂	19 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 16, 2026.

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