Trip.ovh Logo
Trip.ovh

Drive or Fly: Cooper City, FL to Lakeland, 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 FLL–LAL. At 217 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 22m

Distance

217.9 mi

Total Cost

$83

CO2

88 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$48
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 42m

21m in the air

Air Distance

172 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

44 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cooper City, FL → FLL 11m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 21m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
LAL → Lakeland, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Cooper City, FL FLL — Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport 8 mi, ~11m drive
Lakeland, FL LAL — Lakeland Linder International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FLL 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
− May need a rental car at destination
− Luggage fees and restrictions
− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

6h 55m

5h 54m on rail

Total Cost

$36

CO2

10 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cooper City, FL → Hollywood Amtrak Station 11m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 354m
Arrival 10m
Lakeland Amtrak Station → Lakeland, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $36) $36

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From Hollywood Amtrak Station 7 mi, ~11m drive
To Lakeland Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets
+ Walk around freely during the trip
+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route
+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying
− Limited schedule — about 2 trips per week
− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
− Need transportation to/from station
− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 25m

4h 40m on road

Total Cost

$20

CO2

10 kg

Route

Greyhound US0761S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cooper City, FL → Hollywood Sheridan Trirail Station (HOL6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 280m
Arrival 10m
Lakeland Gow B Fields Park & Ride (LKD6) → Lakeland, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From HOL6 — Hollywood Sheridan Trirail Station 7 mi, ~10m drive
To LKD6 — Lakeland Gow B Fields Park & Ride 3 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option
+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board
+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route
+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying
− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week
− Travel time longer than driving
− Need transportation to/from station
− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

Drive Fly Train Bus
Door-to-door time 4h 22m 2h 42m 6h 55m 5h 25m
Total cost (1 person) $83 $182 $36 $20
Carbon footprint 88 kg CO2 44 kg CO2 10 kg CO2 10 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
Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated
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 12, 2026.

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