Drive Time
9h 59m
Distance
494.3 mi
796 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$83
one way
The drive from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Apalachicola, FL covers 494.3 miles and takes about 9h 59m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Florida's Turnpike, Young Boulevard, Hampton Springs Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 240.6 miles on Florida's Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $82.57 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
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
247.2 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 36m into the drive .
This is a 9h 59m highway drive covering 494.3 miles, with most of the trip on Florida's Turnpike and Young Boulevard. The longest continuous stretch is about 240.6 miles on Florida's Turnpike.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Florida's Turnpike and Young Boulevard. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Northwest 9th Avenue.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 494.3 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Northwest 9th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 250.5 miles (Florida's Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn right onto Northwest 9th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward Orlando, Florida's Turnpike North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto Florida's Turnpike toward I 75 North: Ocala
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward US 27 North: Williston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 98 / Hampton Springs Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
On the drive from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Apalachicola, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Williston along the way.
Williston
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Florida's Turnpike | 240.6 mi | 4h 20m |
| Young Boulevard | 66.5 mi | 1h 25m |
| Hampton Springs Avenue | 54.4 mi | 1h 11m |
| US 27 | 48 mi | 1h 1m |
| US 319 | 32.5 mi | 49m |
| I 75 | 24.6 mi | 26m |
| Sopchoppy Highway | 17 mi | 24m |
| Northwest 9th Avenue | 2.9 mi | 5m |
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Apalachicola, FL.
Start on SR 842
Turn right onto Northwest 9th Avenue
Continue on SR 845
Continue on SR 845
Continue on SR 845
Turn left onto SR 814
Turn right onto Northwest 31st Avenue
Continue on this road
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto Florida's Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto Florida's Turnpike
Merge onto I 75
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto US 27
Turn right onto US 19; US 98; US 27 Alternate
Continue on US 19; US 98; US 27 Alternate
Turn left onto US 98
Turn slight right onto US 319
Keep slight left at fork onto US 319
Keep slight right at fork onto US 319
Turn left onto Avenue C
Turn right onto 5th Street
Arrive at destination
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.
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 109 miles or 2h 6m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 247.2 miles or 4h 36m 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 247.2 miles or 4h 36m
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 8h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Apalachicola, FL than in the middle of the route.
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 247 miles and 5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Apalachicola, FL
Aim for roughly 247 miles and 5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 247.2 mi from Fort Lauderdale, FL · 4h 36m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
247 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 Gainesville, FLNight 1
247 mi · about 5h in
A practical overnight split lands near Gainesville, FL after about 247 miles or 5 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 109 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 247.2 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Florida's Turnpike if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 240.6 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 247 miles or 5 hours on the road.
The final approach into Apalachicola, 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 Apalachicola, FL.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Apalachicola, FL with some flexibility left in the schedule.
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.
Regular Gas
$82.57 one way
$165.14 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $89.44 | $178.88 |
| premium | $4.90 | $95.28 | $190.56 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $109.82 | $219.63 |
Estimated Tolls: $16.83
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$83
Tolls
$17
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$229–$339
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 172.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $52 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 148.3 | 1 | $51.90 | $23.73 |
| Efficient EV | 123.6 | 1 | $43.25 | $19.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 197.7 | 2 | $69.20 | $31.64 |
Gas CO2
173 kg
EV CO2
58 kg (66% 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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Evening in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday
Local time
8:12 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Evening in Apalachicola on Saturday
Local time
8:12 PM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
60°F
Gainesville, FL
247 mi in
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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