Trip from Bal Harbour, FL to Tampa, FL

Drive Time

4h 18m

Distance

275.7 mi

444 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$46

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min
4 AM
4h 6m ★
6 AM
4h 19m
8 AM
4h 45m
10 AM
4h 28m
12 PM
4h 26m
3 PM
4h 30m
5 PM
4h 44m
8 PM
4h 11m

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

village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

Bal Harbour, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Tampa, FL, FL

Tampa, FL

Arian Fernandez

Trip Overview

The drive from Bal Harbour, FL to Tampa, FL covers 275.7 miles and takes about 4h 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Bal Cross Drive, Harbour Way, Collins Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $46.05 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

137.8 miles from Bal Harbour, FL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 9m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 18m drive with frequent turns across 275.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Bal Cross Drive is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 4h 18m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Bal Harbour, FL to Tampa, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Bal Cross Drive Unavailable Refreshing
Harbour Way Unavailable Refreshing
Collins Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
SR 856 West Unavailable Refreshing
Biscayne Boulevard Unavailable Refreshing
Ives Dairy Road Unavailable Refreshing
I 95 North Unavailable Refreshing
I 595 Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Bal Cross Drive — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bal Harbour, FL and Tampa, FL.

1

Start on Camden Drive

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Camden Drive
2

Turn left onto Bal Cross Drive

397 ft · 18 sec · Bal Cross Drive
3

Turn right onto Harbour Way

0.1 mi · 32 sec · Harbour Way
4

Turn left onto Collins Avenue

3.8 mi · 8 min · Collins Avenue
5

Take the ramp straight toward SR 856 West: William Lehman Causeway

1.9 mi · 3 min · SR 856 West: William Lehman Causeway
6

Turn right onto Biscayne Boulevard

0.4 mi · 48 sec · Biscayne Boulevard
7

Turn slight right

420 ft · 15 sec
8

Continue straight

0.2 mi · 33 sec
9

Continue on Ives Dairy Road

1.3 mi · 2 min · Ives Dairy Road
10

Take the ramp slight right toward I 95 North: West Palm Beach

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 95 North: West Palm Beach
11

Merge slight left

7.3 mi · 8 min
12

Take the exit slight right toward I 595: Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

0.2 mi · 30 sec · I 595: Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
13

Keep slight left to continue on I 595 West

0.9 mi · 1 min · I 595 West
14

Merge slight left onto Port Everglades Expressway

1.7 mi · 2 min · Port Everglades Expressway
15

Keep slight right to continue on Port Everglades Expressway

10 mi · 11 min · Port Everglades Expressway
16

Merge slight left

236 mi · 4 hr 13 min
17

Take the exit slight right toward FL 618 Toll West, Selmon Expressway West: Tampa, Port of Tampa

2.4 mi · 2 min · FL 618 Toll West, Selmon Expressway West: Tampa, Port of Tampa
18

Continue on Lee Roy Selmon Expressway

7.8 mi · 9 min · Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
19

Take the exit slight right toward FL 60: Kennedy Boulevard, Downtown - East

0.2 mi · 31 sec · FL 60: Kennedy Boulevard, Downtown - East
20

Turn straight onto East Kennedy Boulevard

0.4 mi · 1 min · East Kennedy Boulevard
21

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 137.8 miles from Bal Harbour, FL, or about 2h 9m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 15m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 137.8 miles or 2h 9m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 32m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Tampa, FL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Bal Harbour, FL so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Bal Harbour, FL

This is one driving day of about 275.7 miles and 4h 18m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Bal Harbour, FL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 137.8 mi from Bal Harbour, FL · 2h 9m into the drive

Downtown Cape Coral, FL, FL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Cape Coral, FL

138 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.

Popular next leg

Cape Coral, FL to Tampa, FL

132.3 mi · 2h 38m

Pacing Suggestions

Country Club, FL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Cape Coral, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 137.8 miles from Bal Harbour, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Tampa, FL

The final approach into Tampa, FL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Tampa, FL.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$46.05 one way

$92.11 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 97 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.60 $49.89 $99.77
premium $4.90 $53.14 $106.29
diesel $5.64 $61.25 $122.50

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$46

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$71–$96

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 96.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 82.7 1 $28.95 $13.23
Efficient EV 68.9 0 $24.12 $11.03
EV Truck/SUV 110.3 1 $38.60 $17.64

Gas CO2

96 kg

EV CO2

32 kg (67% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Bal Harbour, FL

Afternoon in Bal Harbour on Monday

Local time

12:44 PM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Tampa, FL

Afternoon in Tampa on Monday

Local time

12:44 PM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

5 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

4h 18m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Bal Harbour, FL to Tampa, FL covers 275.7 miles and takes about 4h 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Bal Cross Drive, Harbour Way, Collins Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 137.8 miles from Bal Harbour, FL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $46.05 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 18m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Bal Harbour, FL to Tampa, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Bal Harbour, FL to Tampa, FL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Tampa, FL to Bal Harbour, FL

Plan the drive back the other way.

274.9 mi 5h 9m

Explore more options from Bal Harbour, FL or browse trips ending in Tampa, FL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse FL road trips.

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