The drive from Cape Coral, FL to Alturas, FL covers 107.4 miles and takes about 2h 36m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 17, North Tamiami Trail, Del Prado Boulevard North for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 66.2 miles on US 17.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.10 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
53.7 miles from Cape Coral, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 17m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 36m. Total distance: 107.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 2h 36m highway drive covering 107.4 miles, with most of the trip on US 17 and North Tamiami Trail. The longest continuous stretch is about 66.2 miles on US 17.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 27 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 17 is the longest continuous segment at about 66.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 17 and North Tamiami Trail. You will hit about 16 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Vincennes Boulevard.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 107.4 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: near the start (Vincennes Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (Vincennes Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 30.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0 mi into trip|~0m in|Vincennes Boulevard
Turn right onto Vincennes Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Vincennes Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto Vincennes Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
30.7 mi into trip|~46m in
Take the exit toward US 17: Punta Gorda, Arcadia
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 164
Toward US 17: Punta Gorda, Arcadia
5
31 mi into trip|~47m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 17 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward US 17 North
5
107.3 mi into trip|~2h 36m in|3rd Street
Turn left onto 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Cape Coral, FL to Alturas, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Arcadia along the way.
Arcadia
30.7 mi in|~46m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 17
66.2 mi
1h 30m
North Tamiami Trail
10.4 mi
12m
Del Prado Boulevard North
6.5 mi
10m
I 75
5.8 mi
6m
Del Prado Boulevard South
5.2 mi
10m
Homeland-Garfield Road
3.7 mi
6m
Alturas Babson Park Cutoff Road
2.6 mi
4m
80 Foot Road
2.5 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
US 17
— 66.2 mi, about 1h 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cape Coral, FL and Alturas, FL.
1
Start on this road
95 ft·7 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto Cape Coral Parkway East
125 ft·7 sec·Cape Coral Parkway East
3
Turn right onto Vincennes Boulevard
357 ft·13 sec·Vincennes Boulevard
Use the right lane.
4
Enter roundabout onto Vincennes Boulevard
61 ft·2 sec·Vincennes Boulevard
5
Continue on Vincennes Boulevard
0.5 mi·1 min·Vincennes Boulevard
6
Turn right onto Coronado Parkway
0.6 mi·1 min·Coronado Parkway
7
Turn left onto CR 867A
5.2 mi·10 min·Del Prado Boulevard South
8
Continue on CR 867A
6.5 mi·10 min·Del Prado Boulevard North
Use the left lane.
9
Turn left onto US 41
10 mi·12 min·North Tamiami Trail
Use the right lane.
10
Turn right onto CR 762
1.1 mi·2 min·Tuckers Grade
11
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·56 sec
Toward I 75 North: Tampa
12
Merge onto I 75
5.8 mi·6 min·I 75
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi·44 sec
Exit 164Toward US 17: Punta Gorda, Arcadia
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi·18 sec
Toward US 17 North
15
Merge onto US 17
38 mi·51 min·US 17
16
Continue on US 17
2.5 mi·2 min·US 17
17
Continue on US 17
1.1 mi·1 min·US 17
18
Continue on US 17
24 mi·34 min·US 17
19
Take the exit
156 ft·4 sec
20
Turn slight right onto CR 640
3.7 mi·6 min·Homeland-Garfield Road
21
Turn left onto CR 559
2.5 mi·4 min·80 Foot Road
22
Turn right onto Alturas Babson Park Cutoff Road
2.6 mi·4 min·Alturas Babson Park Cutoff Road
23
Turn left onto Perch Lake Road
0.9 mi·2 min·Perch Lake Road
24
Continue on Poinsettia Road
0.2 mi·41 sec·Poinsettia Road
25
Turn left onto 3rd Street
492 ft·15 sec·3rd Street
26
Turn right onto Central Avenue
41 ft·1 sec·Central Avenue
27
Arrive at destination
Central Avenue
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 53.7 miles from Cape Coral, FL, or about 1h 17m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 66.2 miles.
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 24 miles or 38m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 53.7 miles or 1h 17m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 4m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Alturas, FL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Cape Coral, 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 Cape Coral, FL
This is one driving day of about 107.4 miles and 2h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 24 miles from Cape Coral, 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.
The longest stretch is on US 17 for about 66.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 53.7 mi from Cape Coral, FL
· 1h 17m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.10 one way
$34.19 round trip
$4.04/gal25.4 MPG avg38 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.40
$18.60
$37.19
premium
$4.72
$19.97
$39.94
diesel
$5.61
$23.71
$47.43
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$17
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 37.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
32.2
0
$11.28
$5.16
Efficient EV
26.9
0
$9.40
$4.30
EV Truck/SUV
43
0
$15.04
$6.87
Gas CO2
38 kg
EV CO2
13 kg (66% 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 17, 2026
Origin
Cape Coral, FL
Morning
in Cape Coral on Friday
Local time
11:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Mostly Clear
NE 2 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Rip Current Statement
Rip Current Statement issued April 16 at 7:03PM EDT until April 17 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Miami FL
Rip Current Statement
Rip Current Statement issued April 16 at 3:00AM EDT until April 17 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Melbourne FL
Destination
Alturas, FL
Morning
in Alturas on Friday
Local time
11:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°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
2h 36m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Cape Coral, FL to Alturas, FL covers 107.4 miles and takes about 2h 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 17, North Tamiami Trail, Del Prado Boulevard North. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 53.7 miles from Cape Coral, FL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $17.10 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 107.4 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.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Vincennes Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (Vincennes Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 30.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Cape Coral, FL to Alturas, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Arcadia along the way.
