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Trip from Cape Coral, FL to DeFuniak Springs, FL

Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology

Drive Time

9h 29m

Distance

516.1 mi

831 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$82

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 26 min
4 AM
9h 21m ★
6 AM
9h 30m
8 AM
9h 47m
10 AM
9h 36m
12 PM
9h 34m
3 PM
9h 37m
5 PM
9h 46m
8 PM
9h 25m

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

city in Lee County, Florida, United States

Cape Coral, FL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Walton County, Florida, United States

DeFuniak Springs, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Cape Coral, FL to DeFuniak Springs, FL covers 516.1 miles and takes about 9h 29m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on Cape Coral Parkway East, Vincennes Boulevard, Coronado Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $82.15 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Best split across 2 days

Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.

Break Rhythm

2 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

258 miles from Cape Coral, FL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 44m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

9h 29m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

Scenic Drive

Long-distance drive route profile.

Drive Character

At 516.1 miles and 9h 29m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Cape Coral Parkway East and Vincennes Boulevard.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Cape Coral Parkway East is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

At 9h 29m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 29m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

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

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Cape Coral Parkway East
Vincennes Boulevard
Coronado Parkway
Del Prado Boulevard South
Del Prado Boulevard North
North Tamiami Trail
Tuckers Grade
I 75 North

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Cape Coral Parkway East — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cape Coral, FL and DeFuniak Springs, FL.

1

Start on the route

95 ft · 7 sec · the route
2

Turn right onto Cape Coral Parkway East

125 ft · 7 sec · Cape Coral Parkway East
3

Turn right onto Vincennes Boulevard

358 ft · 13 sec · Vincennes Boulevard
4

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Vincennes Boulevard

62 ft · 2 sec · Vincennes Boulevard
5

Exit the roundabout onto 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 Del Prado Boulevard South

5.2 mi · 10 min · Del Prado Boulevard South
8

Continue on Del Prado Boulevard North

6.5 mi · 10 min · Del Prado Boulevard North
9

Turn left onto North Tamiami Trail

10 mi · 12 min · North Tamiami Trail
10

Turn right onto Tuckers Grade

1.1 mi · 2 min · Tuckers Grade
11

Take the ramp slight left toward I 75 North: Tampa

0.4 mi · 56 sec · I 75 North: Tampa
12

Merge slight left

277 mi · 4 hr 57 min
13

Take the exit slight right toward I 10: Jacksonville, Tallahassee

0.2 mi · 16 sec · I 10: Jacksonville, Tallahassee
14

Keep slight left to continue on I 10 West: Tallahassee

0.3 mi · 30 sec · I 10 West: Tallahassee
15

Merge slight right

211 mi · 3 hr 46 min
16

Take the exit slight right toward US 331: DeFuniak Springs, Freeport

0.3 mi · 39 sec · US 331: DeFuniak Springs, Freeport
17

Turn right onto US Highway 331 South

2.0 mi · 3 min · US Highway 331 South
18

At the end of the road, turn right onto US Highway 90 East

0.3 mi · 43 sec · US Highway 90 East
19

Turn right onto South 9th Street

125 ft · 6 sec · South 9th Street
20

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 258 miles from Cape Coral, FL, or about 4h 44m into the drive.

Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.

Departure

Before you leave

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

First stop

Around 114 miles or 2h 5m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 258 miles or 4h 44m in

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

Overnight split

Day 1 wrap after about 258 miles or 4h 44m

Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 8h 23m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near DeFuniak Springs, 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.

+

Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.

+

Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Cape Coral, FL

Aim for roughly 258 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into DeFuniak Springs, FL

Aim for roughly 258 miles and 4.7 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 114 miles from Cape Coral, FL.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 258 mi from Cape Coral, FL · 4h 44m into the drive

Downtown Apollo Beach, FL, FL

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

Apollo Beach, FL

170 mi into the route

Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch

This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

Gainesville, FL

341 mi into the route

Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start

This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.

Find hotels in Gainesville, FL

Popular next leg

Gainesville, FL to DeFuniak Springs, FL

267.1 mi · 4h 56m

Overnight Options

Night 1

Lakeland, FL

258 mi · about 4.7h in

A practical overnight split lands near Lakeland, FL after about 258 miles or 4.7 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Punta Gorda, FL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 114 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lakeland, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 258 miles from Cape Coral, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 258 miles or 4.7 hours on the road.

Arriving in DeFuniak Springs, FL

The final approach into DeFuniak Springs, 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 DeFuniak Springs, FL.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach DeFuniak Springs, FL with some flexibility left in the schedule.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$82.15 one way

$164.30 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 181 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $89.36 $178.73
premium $4.72 $95.97 $191.93
diesel $5.61 $113.95 $227.90

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$82

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$212–$322

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 180.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $54 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 154.8 1 $54.19 $24.77
Efficient EV 129 1 $45.16 $20.64
EV Truck/SUV 206.4 2 $72.25 $33.03

Gas CO2

181 kg

EV CO2

60 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 as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Cape Coral, FL

Late night in Cape Coral on Friday

Local time

2:01 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

DeFuniak Springs, FL

Late night in DeFuniak Springs on Friday

Local time

1:01 AM

CDT

Current temp

81°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.

For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.

Time zone

1 hour earlier

The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.

Temperature spread

15 degrees warmer at arrival

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

Road read

9h 29m on the road

This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.

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 DeFuniak Springs, FL covers 516.1 miles and takes about 9h 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Cape Coral Parkway East, Vincennes Boulevard, Coronado Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 258 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 258 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 $82.15 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 29m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Cape Coral, FL to DeFuniak Springs, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Cape Coral, FL to DeFuniak Springs, FL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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