Origin
Clearwater, FL
Morning in Clearwater on Saturday
Local time
7:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clearwater, FL to Lakeland Highlands, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
59.4 mi
96 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 27m
5 PM
1h 34m
8 PM
1h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clearwater, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Lakeland Highlands, FL
Matt Fitz Gibaud
Trip Overview
The drive from Clearwater, FL to Lakeland Highlands, FL covers 59.4 miles and takes about 1h 21m 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 turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.45 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 21m. Total distance: 59.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m 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
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 21m drive with frequent turns across 59.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Drew Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 Lakeland Highlands, FL is easy. At 1h 21m 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 Lakeland Highlands, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
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 Lakeland Highlands, 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
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Polk Parkway
18
Take the exit slight right toward FL 37: South Florida Avenue
322 ft
·
8 sec
·
FL 37: South Florida Avenue
19
Continue on FL 37: South Florida Avenue
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
FL 37: South Florida Avenue
20
Turn right onto South Florida Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Florida Avenue
21
Turn left onto East Highland Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Highland Drive
22
Turn sharp right onto Cleveland Heights Boulevard
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Cleveland Heights Boulevard
23
Continue on Scott Lake Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Scott Lake Road
24
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 29.7 mi from Clearwater, FL · 40m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.7 miles from Clearwater, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Lakeland Highlands, FL
The final approach into Lakeland Highlands, FL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.45 one way
$18.91 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $10.29 | $20.57 |
| premium | $4.72 | $11.05 | $22.09 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.11 | $26.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.24 | $2.85 |
| Efficient EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.20 | $2.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.8 | 0 | $8.32 | $3.80 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Lakeland Highlands, FL
Morning in Lakeland Highlands on Saturday
Local time
7:00 AM
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 21m 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 Clearwater, FL to Lakeland Highlands, FL covers 59.4 miles and takes about 1h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Drew Street, Southbound Frontage Road, Gulf to Bay Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 29.7 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 $9.45 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.
The drive from Clearwater, FL to Lakeland Highlands, FL is easy. At 1h 21m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Clearwater, FL to Lakeland Highlands, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Clearwater, FL to Lakeland Highlands, FL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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