Trip from Clearwater, FL to Panama City Beach, FL

Drive Time

7h 42m

Distance

337.2 mi

543 km

Drive Score

10/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$56

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 28 min

4 AM

7h 33m ★

6 AM

7h 42m

8 AM

8h 1m

10 AM

7h 49m

12 PM

7h 47m

3 PM

7h 50m

5 PM

8h 1m

8 PM

7h 37m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Clearwater, FL

Arian Fernandez

Panama City Beach, FL

Brent Singleton

Trip Overview

The drive from Clearwater, FL to Panama City Beach, FL covers 337.2 miles and takes about 7h 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on US 19, Blountstown Highway, Hampton Springs Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 177.5 miles on US 19. At current regular gas prices, budget about $56.33 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

2 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

168.6 miles from Clearwater, FL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 51m into the drive .

Drive Character

The drive from Clearwater, FL to Panama City Beach, FL covers 337.2 miles and takes about 7h 42m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

US 19 is the longest continuous segment at about 177.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near Fairmont Street.

Route Complexity 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

The route itself is not hard, but at 7h 42m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 14 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (Fairmont Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.2 miles (CR 576 / Sunset Point Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.9 miles (Countryside Boulevard): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 14 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

1.4 mi into trip | ~3m in | Fairmont Street

Enter roundabout onto Fairmont Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

2.2 mi into trip | ~4m in | CR 576 / Sunset Point Road

Turn right onto CR 576 / Sunset Point Road

Navigation decision point

5.9 mi into trip | ~11m in | Countryside Boulevard

Keep slight right at fork onto Countryside Boulevard

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

6.7 mi into trip | ~13m in | US 19 Northbound Frontage Road

Turn left onto US 19 Northbound Frontage Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

7.5 mi into trip | ~14m in | US 19

Merge onto US 19

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
US 19	177.5 mi	3h 59m
Blountstown Highway	49.2 mi	1h 7m
Hampton Springs Avenue	38.6 mi	49m
Bloxham Cutoff Road	30.8 mi	42m
US 231	22.5 mi	29m
East 23rd Street	5.4 mi	9m
Front Beach Road	2.6 mi	4m
Sunset Point Road	2.6 mi	4m

Longest stretch: US 19 — 177.5 mi, about 3h 59m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

Start on North Fort Harrison Avenue

1.1 mi · 2 min · North Fort Harrison Avenue

Turn right onto Marshall Street

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Marshall Street

Continue on Marshall Street

118 ft · 2 sec · Marshall Street

Continue on Fulton Avenue

0.1 mi · 12 sec · Fulton Avenue

Enter roundabout onto Fairmont Street

32 ft · 0 sec · Fairmont Street

Continue on Fairmont Street

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Fairmont Street

Continue on Douglas Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Douglas Avenue

Turn right onto CR 576

2.6 mi · 4 min · Sunset Point Road

Turn left onto CR 501

1.1 mi · 1 min · North Belcher Road

Keep slight right at fork onto Countryside Boulevard

0.8 mi · 1 min · Countryside Boulevard

Turn left onto US 19 Northbound Frontage Road

0.5 mi · 59 sec · US 19 Northbound Frontage Road

Use the straight / left lanes.

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 40 sec

Toward US 19 North

Merge onto US 19

178 mi · 3 hr 59 min · US 19

Use the straight / right lanes.

Turn left onto US 98

39 mi · 49 min · Hampton Springs Avenue

Turn right onto FL 267

31 mi · 42 min · Bloxham Cutoff Road

At end of road, turn left onto FL 20; FL 267

0.7 mi · 57 sec · Jackson Bluff Road

Continue on FL 20; FL 267

49 mi · 1 hr 7 min · Blountstown Highway

Turn left onto US 231

23 mi · 29 min · US 231

Turn right onto East 23rd Street

5.4 mi · 9 min · East 23rd Street

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 42 sec

Merge onto US 98

2.0 mi · 3 min · US 98

Continue on FL 30

2.6 mi · 4 min · Front Beach Road

Turn left onto South Thomas Drive

479 ft · 14 sec · South Thomas Drive

Turn right

59 ft · 4 sec

Arrive at 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.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 168.6 miles from Clearwater, FL, or about 3h 51m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 177.5 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 80 miles or 1h 52m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 168.6 miles or 3h 51m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 6h 17m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Clearwater, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Clearwater, FL

This is one driving day of about 337.2 miles and 7h 42m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Clearwater, FL.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on US 19 for about 177.5 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 168.6 mi from Clearwater, FL · 3h 51m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lake City, FL

169 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

St. Petersburg, FL

Fuel and coffee

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

Lake City, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 168.6 miles from Clearwater, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before US 19 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 177.5 miles.

Arriving in Panama City Beach, FL

The final approach into Panama City Beach, 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 Panama City Beach, FL.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$56.33 one way

$112.66 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 118 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.60	$61.01	$122.03
premium	$4.90	$65.00	$129.99
diesel	$5.64	$74.91	$149.83

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$56

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$81–$106

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 118 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $35 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	101.2	1	$35.41	$16.19
Efficient EV	84.3	0	$29.50	$13.49
EV Truck/SUV	134.9	1	$47.21	$21.58

Gas CO2

118 kg

EV CO2

39 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 2 hours ago

Origin

Clearwater, FL

Morning in Clearwater on Monday

Local time

11:28 AM

EDT

Current temp

83°F

Mostly Sunny

E 6 to 9 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 5:08AM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued April 13 at 3:09AM EDT until April 14 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Miami FL

Destination

Panama City Beach, FL

Morning in Panama City Beach on Monday

Local time

10:28 AM

CDT

Current temp

90°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

1 hour earlier

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

Temperature spread

7 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

7h 42m on the road

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Clearwater, FL to Panama City Beach, FL covers 337.2 miles and takes about 7h 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are US 19, Blountstown Highway, Hampton Springs Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 168.6 miles from Clearwater, FL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $56.33 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 7h 42m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 14 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

The route from Clearwater, FL to Panama City Beach, FL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Return Trip

Panama City Beach, FL to Clearwater, FL

Plan the drive back the other way.

337.6 mi 7h 41m

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Trip from Clearwater, FL to Panama City Beach, FL

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Drive Character

How Hard Is This Drive?

Critical Maneuvers

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Arriving in Panama City Beach, FL

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Clearwater, FL

Panama City Beach, FL

1 hour earlier

7 degrees warmer at arrival

7h 42m on the road

Frequently Asked Questions

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