Origin
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Late night in Fort Lauderdale on Monday
Local time
3:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Valparaiso, FL
Drive Time
11h 8m
Distance
604.9 mi
974 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$101
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
10h 59m
★
6 AM
11h 9m
8 AM
11h 29m
10 AM
11h 16m
12 PM
11h 14m
3 PM
11h 17m
5 PM
11h 28m
8 PM
11h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Kelly
Trip Overview
The drive from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Valparaiso, FL covers 604.9 miles and takes about 11h 8m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Northwest 9th Avenue, Powerline Road, South Powerline Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $101.05 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
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
302.5 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 34m into the drive .
Drive Character
At 604.9 miles and 11h 8m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Northwest 9th Avenue and Powerline Road.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Northwest 9th Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
At 11h 8m, 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.
Route Complexity
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 11h 8m, 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL to Valparaiso, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest 9th Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Powerline Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South Powerline Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South Pompano Parkway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| West Atlantic Boulevard | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Northwest 31st Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Florida's Turnpike Toll | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Orlando | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
Northwest 9th Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Valparaiso, FL.
1
Start on East Broward Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Broward Boulevard
2
Turn right onto Northwest 9th Avenue
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Northwest 9th Avenue
3
Continue on Powerline Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Powerline Road
4
Continue on South Powerline Road
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
South Powerline Road
5
Continue on South Pompano Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Pompano Parkway
6
Turn left onto West Atlantic Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Atlantic Boulevard
7
Turn right onto Northwest 31st Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Northwest 31st Avenue
8
Continue on Florida's Turnpike Toll, Miami, Orlando
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Florida's Turnpike Toll, Miami, Orlando
9
Keep slight right to continue on Orlando, Florida's Turnpike North
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Orlando, Florida's Turnpike North
10
Merge slight left onto Florida's Turnpike
240 mi
·
4 hr 20 min
·
Florida's Turnpike
11
Keep slight left to continue on Florida's Turnpike
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Florida's Turnpike
12
Merge slight left
107 mi
·
1 hr 54 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
226 mi
·
4 hr 2 min
16
Take the exit slight right toward FL 285: Niceville, Eglin AFB
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
FL 285: Niceville, Eglin AFB
17
Turn left
18 mi
·
23 min
18
Turn right onto East John Sims Parkway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East John Sims Parkway
19
Continue on John Sims Parkway
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
John Sims Parkway
20
Keep slight right
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
21
Turn left onto Aurora Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Aurora Street
22
Turn left onto Valparaiso Parkway
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Valparaiso Parkway
23
Turn right onto Nordberg Avenue
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Nordberg Avenue
24
Turn right onto Lincoln Avenue
128 ft
·
6 sec
·
Lincoln Avenue
25
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 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 302.5 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL, or about 5h 34m 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 133 miles or 2h 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 302.5 miles or 5h 34m 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 302.5 miles or 5h 34m
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 10h 2m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Valparaiso, FL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Fort Lauderdale, 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL
Aim for roughly 302 miles and 5.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Valparaiso, FL
Aim for roughly 302 miles and 5.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 133 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 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 302.5 mi from Fort Lauderdale, FL · 5h 34m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
200 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
399 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 Lake City, FLOvernight Options
Night 1
302 mi · about 5.6h in
A practical overnight split lands near Orlando, FL after about 302 miles or 5.6 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 133 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 302.5 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 302 miles or 5.6 hours on the road.
Final-third reset
Rest stopPlan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.
Arriving in Valparaiso, FL
The final approach into Valparaiso, 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 Valparaiso, FL.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Valparaiso, 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
$101.05 one way
$202.09 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
212 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $109.45 | $218.91 |
| premium | $4.90 | $116.60 | $233.20 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $134.39 | $268.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$101
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$231–$341
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 211.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $64 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 181.5 | 2 | $63.51 | $29.04 |
| Efficient EV | 151.2 | 1 | $52.93 | $24.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 242 | 3 | $84.69 | $38.71 |
Gas CO2
212 kg
EV CO2
71 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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
Valparaiso, FL
Late night in Valparaiso on Monday
Local time
2:04 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°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
6 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
11h 8m 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL to Valparaiso, FL covers 604.9 miles and takes about 11h 8m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Northwest 9th Avenue, Powerline Road, South Powerline Road. 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 302 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 302.5 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $101.05 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 3 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 11h 8m, 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL to Valparaiso, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Valparaiso, FL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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