Origin
Carrollwood, FL
Late night in Carrollwood on Friday
Local time
2:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carrollwood, FL to Clearwater, FL
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
41m
Distance
24.6 mi
40 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carrollwood, FL
DΛVΞ GΛRCIΛ
Clearwater, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Carrollwood, FL to Clearwater, FL covers 24.6 miles and takes about 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on FL 60, Gulf to Bay Boulevard, Veterans Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.1 miles on FL 60. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.92 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 24.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Carrollwood, FL to Clearwater, FL covers 24.6 miles and takes about 41m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
FL 60 is the longest continuous segment at about 9.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Lake Carroll Way.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 24.6 miles you will encounter 7 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: at 0.6 miles (Lake Carroll Way): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (West Linebaugh Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (FL 589 Toll / Veterans Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Lake Carroll Way
Turn right onto Lake Carroll Way
Navigation decision point
4
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
West Linebaugh Avenue
Turn right onto West Linebaugh Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
4.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
FL 589 Toll / Veterans Expressway
Merge onto FL 589 Toll / Veterans Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
8.6 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward FL 60 West: Clearwater
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 2A
Toward FL 60 West: Clearwater
5
24.4 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
South Ft Harrison Avenue
Turn right onto South Ft Harrison Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| FL 60 | 9.1 mi | 12m |
| Gulf to Bay Boulevard | 4.7 mi | 9m |
| Veterans Expressway | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| West Linebaugh Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Court Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Lake Carroll Way | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Carrollwood Drive | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Anderson Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
FL 60
— 9.1 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carrollwood, FL and Clearwater, FL.
1
Start on Carrollwood Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Carrollwood Drive
2
Continue on Carrollwood Drive
468 ft
·
16 sec
·
Carrollwood Drive
3
Turn right onto Lake Carroll Way
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Carroll Way
4
Continue on Lake Carroll Way
161 ft
·
4 sec
·
Lake Carroll Way
5
Turn straight onto FL 597
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
North Dale Mabry Highway
6
Turn right onto West Linebaugh Avenue
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
West Linebaugh Avenue
7
Turn left onto Anderson Road
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Anderson Road
8
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward FL 589 Toll South: Tampa
9
Merge onto FL 589 Toll
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Veterans Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 2A
Toward FL 60 West: Clearwater
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on FL 60
9.1 mi
·
12 min
·
FL 60
Toward Clearwater
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on FL 60
4.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Gulf to Bay Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
13
Continue on FL 60
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Court Street
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn right onto South Ft Harrison Avenue
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Ft Harrison Avenue
Use the right lane.
15
Arrive at destination
North Fort Harrison Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.92 one way
$7.83 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $4.26 | $8.52 |
| premium | $4.72 | $4.57 | $9.15 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.43 | $10.86 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.33
Veterans Expressway
(4.1 mi)
$0.33
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.15 | $0.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.44 | $1.57 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Clearwater, FL
Late night in Clearwater on Friday
Local time
2:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
3 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
41m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Carrollwood, FL to Clearwater, FL covers 24.6 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are FL 60, Gulf to Bay Boulevard, Veterans Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.3 miles from Carrollwood, FL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.92 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.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 24.6 miles you will encounter 7 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: at 0.6 miles (Lake Carroll Way): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (West Linebaugh Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (FL 589 Toll / Veterans Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Carrollwood, FL to Clearwater, FL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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