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Trip from Clearwater, FL to Highland City, FL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 23m

Distance

62.8 mi

101 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 17m ★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m

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

county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, United States

Clearwater, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Highland City, FL, FL

Highland City, FL

Larry Milligan

Trip Overview

The drive from Clearwater, FL to Highland City, FL covers 62.8 miles and takes about 1h 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Drew Street, Southbound Frontage Road, Gulf to Bay Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.00 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Drew Street
Southbound Frontage Road
Gulf to Bay Boulevard
Courtney Campbell Causeway
FL 60 East
Memorial Highway
I 275 North
I 275

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Drew Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clearwater, FL and Highland City, FL.

1

Start on North Fort Harrison Avenue

0.2 mi · 27 sec · North Fort Harrison Avenue
2

Turn right onto Drew Street

4.2 mi · 8 min · Drew Street
3

Take the ramp slight right

197 ft · 5 sec
4

Merge slight left onto Southbound Frontage Road

0.4 mi · 49 sec · Southbound Frontage Road
5

Continue straight

377 ft · 8 sec
6

Take the exit left

233 ft · 6 sec
7

Merge slight right onto Gulf to Bay Boulevard

1.9 mi · 3 min · Gulf to Bay Boulevard
8

Continue on Courtney Campbell Causeway

8.2 mi · 10 min · Courtney Campbell Causeway
9

Continue straight

0.8 mi · 1 min
10

Keep slight right to continue on FL 60 East, FL 616: Tampa International Airport, Spruce Street

0.7 mi · 59 sec · FL 60 East, FL 616: Tampa International Airport, Spruce Street
11

Keep slight left to continue on Memorial Highway

1.4 mi · 2 min · Memorial Highway
12

Take the exit slight right toward I 275 North: Tampa

0.3 mi · 46 sec · I 275 North: Tampa
13

Merge slight left onto I 275: Tampa

5.2 mi · 7 min · I 275: Tampa
14

Take the exit slight right toward I 4 East: Orlando

0.5 mi · 42 sec · I 4 East: Orlando
15

Continue straight

26 mi · 28 min
16

Take the exit slight right toward FL 570 Toll East: Lakeland, Winter Haven

0.4 mi · 55 sec · FL 570 Toll East: Lakeland, Winter Haven
17

Continue on Polk Parkway

9.4 mi · 10 min · Polk Parkway
18

Take the exit slight right toward US 98: Lakeland, Bartow

0.4 mi · 57 sec · US 98: Lakeland, Bartow
19

Turn right onto Bartow Road

2.8 mi · 4 min · Bartow Road
20

Continue on Bartow Road

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Bartow Road
21

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

city in Florida, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Tampa, FL

31 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Safety Harbor, FL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Tampa, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 31.4 miles from Clearwater, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.00 one way

$19.99 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $10.87 $21.75
premium $4.72 $11.68 $23.35
diesel $5.61 $13.87 $27.73

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 22 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 18.8 0 $6.59 $3.01
Efficient EV 15.7 0 $5.49 $2.51
EV Truck/SUV 25.1 0 $8.79 $4.02

Gas CO2

22 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (68% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Clearwater, FL

Afternoon in Clearwater on Saturday

Local time

4:19 PM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Highland City, FL

Afternoon in Highland City on Saturday

Local time

4:19 PM

EDT

Current temp

62°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

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

1h 23m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

62.8 mi in 1h 23m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: Drew Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Clearwater, FL to Highland City, FL is easy. At 1h 23m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

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

About the Cities

Starting in Clearwater, FL

Full guide →

Clearwater is a city in Pinellas County, a region in Florida. Perhaps most easily recognized as the headquarters city of the Church of Scientology, Clearwater also has miles of beautiful beaches and close proximity to other cities in the Tampa Bay area.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 23m. Total distance: 62.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

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

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Highland City, FL before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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