Origin
Highland City, FL
Night in Highland City on Friday
Local time
11:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Highland City, FL to Clearwater, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
62.7 mi
101 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Highland City, FL
Larry Milligan
Clearwater, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Highland City, FL to Clearwater, FL covers 62.7 miles and takes about 1h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on FL 570, Polk Parkway, I 4 West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.98 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 62.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m 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 13m drive with frequent turns across 62.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
FL 570 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 Highland City, FL to Clearwater, FL is easy. At 1h 13m 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 Highland City, FL to Clearwater, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| FL 570 | — | — |
| Polk Parkway | — | — |
| I 4 West | — | — |
| I 275 South | — | — |
| FL 60 West | — | — |
| Memorial Highway | — | — |
| Veterans Expressway | — | — |
| FL 60 | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
FL 570
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Highland City, FL and Clearwater, FL.
1
Start on Bartow Road
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Bartow Road
2
Take the ramp slight right toward FL 570 Toll West: Polk Parkway West
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
FL 570 Toll West: Polk Parkway West
3
Merge slight left onto Polk Parkway
9.9 mi
·
11 min
·
Polk Parkway
4
Keep slight left to continue on I 4 West: Tampa
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
I 4 West: Tampa
5
Merge slight right
26 mi
·
28 min
6
Keep slight left to continue on I 275 South: Tampa International Airport, Saint Petersburg
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
I 275 South: Tampa International Airport, Saint Petersburg
7
Merge slight left
4.8 mi
·
6 min
8
Take the exit slight right toward FL 60 West: Tampa International Airport, Clearwater
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
FL 60 West: Tampa International Airport, Clearwater
9
Merge slight left onto Memorial Highway
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
Memorial Highway
10
Keep slight left to continue on Veterans Expressway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Veterans Expressway
11
Take the exit slight right toward FL 60 West: Clearwater
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
FL 60 West: Clearwater
12
Continue on FL 60: Clearwater
9.3 mi
·
12 min
·
FL 60: Clearwater
13
Continue on Gulf to Bay Boulevard
4.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Gulf to Bay Boulevard
14
Continue on Court Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Court Street
15
Turn right onto South Ft Harrison Avenue
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
South Ft Harrison Avenue
16
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 31.4 mi from Highland City, FL · 36m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.4 miles from Highland City, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Clearwater, FL
The final approach into Clearwater, 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
$9.98 one way
$19.96 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $10.86 | $21.71 |
| premium | $4.72 | $11.66 | $23.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.84 | $27.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.58 | $3.01 |
| Efficient EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.49 | $2.51 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.1 | 0 | $8.78 | $4.01 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Clearwater, FL
Night in Clearwater on Friday
Local time
11:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
67°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 13m 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 Highland City, FL to Clearwater, FL covers 62.7 miles and takes about 1h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are FL 570, Polk Parkway, I 4 West. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 31.4 miles from Highland City, FL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.98 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 Highland City, FL to Clearwater, FL is easy. At 1h 13m 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 Highland City, FL to Clearwater, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Highland City, FL to Clearwater, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Clearwater, FL
More trips to Clearwater, FL
Explore more options from Highland City, FL or browse trips ending in Clearwater, FL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse FL road trips.