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Trip from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Haines City, FL

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

4h 3m

Distance

198.8 mi

320 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$32

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min
4 AM
3h 50m ★
6 AM
4h 3m
8 AM
4h 29m
10 AM
4h 13m
12 PM
4h 10m
3 PM
4h 14m
5 PM
4h 28m
8 PM
3h 56m

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

city ​​in Broward County, Florida, United States

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Polk County, Florida, United States of America

Haines City, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Haines City, FL covers 198.8 miles and takes about 4h 3m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Northwest 9th Avenue, Powerline Road, South Powerline Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $31.64 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

1 planned break

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

Midpoint

99.4 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 1m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 3m drive with frequent turns across 198.8 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
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?

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.

Route Complexity 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Navigation is easy, but the length (4h 3m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots, so this is more about pacing than navigation skill.

Where does it get tricky?

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

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Northwest 9th Avenue
Powerline Road
South Powerline Road
South Pompano Parkway
West Atlantic Boulevard
Northwest 31st Avenue
Florida's Turnpike Toll
Orlando

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

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 Haines City, 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

125 mi · 2 hr 16 min · Florida's Turnpike
11

Take the exit slight right toward US 441, FL 60: Yeehaw Junction

0.7 mi · 1 min · US 441, FL 60: Yeehaw Junction
12

Keep slight right

246 ft · 6 sec
13

Merge slight left

46 mi · 59 min
14

Take the exit slight right toward US 27: Haines City, Avon Park

0.2 mi · 29 sec · US 27: Haines City, Avon Park
15

Keep slight right

200 ft · 8 sec
16

Merge slight left

4.5 mi · 6 min
17

Continue straight

4.1 mi · 5 min
18

Turn right onto Dundee Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Dundee Road
19

Continue on Main Street

509 ft · 18 sec · Main Street
20

Turn left onto Center Street

6.2 mi · 10 min · Center Street
21

At the end of the road, turn right onto Lily Avenue

502 ft · 14 sec · Lily Avenue
22

Continue on Stuart Avenue

512 ft · 19 sec · Stuart Avenue
23

Turn left onto North 14th Street

0.2 mi · 42 sec · North 14th Street
24

At the end of the road, turn right onto East Johnson Avenue

82 ft · 4 sec · East Johnson Avenue
25

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 99.4 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL, or about 2h 1m into the drive.

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 44 miles or 53m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 99.4 miles or 2h 1m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 19m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Haines City, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Fort Lauderdale, FL

This is one driving day of about 198.8 miles and 4h 3m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 44 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 99.4 mi from Fort Lauderdale, FL · 2h 1m into the drive

county seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Vero Beach, FL

99 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

Margate, FL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 44 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Vero Beach, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 99.4 miles from Fort Lauderdale, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Haines City, FL

The final approach into Haines City, 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 Haines City, FL.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$31.64 one way

$63.29 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 70 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $34.42 $68.84
premium $4.72 $36.97 $73.93
diesel $5.61 $43.89 $87.79

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$32

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$57–$82

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 69.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $21 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 59.6 0 $20.87 $9.54
Efficient EV 49.7 0 $17.40 $7.95
EV Truck/SUV 79.5 0 $27.83 $12.72

Gas CO2

70 kg

EV CO2

23 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Late night in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday

Local time

12:16 AM

EDT

Current temp

69°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Haines City, FL

Late night in Haines City on Thursday

Local time

12:16 AM

EDT

Current temp

61°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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

8 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

4h 3m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

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 Haines City, FL covers 198.8 miles and takes about 4h 3m 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.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 99.4 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 $31.64 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Navigation is easy, but the length (4h 3m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots, so this is more about pacing than navigation skill.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Haines City, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Haines City, FL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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