Origin
Highland City, FL
Evening in Highland City on Friday
Local time
5:47 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Highland City, FL to Tampa, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
41.3 mi
66 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Highland City, FL
Larry Milligan
Tampa, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Highland City, FL to Tampa, FL covers 41.3 miles and takes about 43m 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 $6.57 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 41.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m 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 43m drive with frequent turns across 41.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 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 Tampa, FL is easy. At 43m 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 Tampa, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| FL 570 | — | — |
| Polk Parkway | — | — |
| I 4 West | — | — |
| FL 618 | — | — |
| Downtown | — | — |
| Lee Roy Selmon Expressway | — | — |
| FL 60 | — | — |
| East Kennedy Boulevard | — | — |
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 Tampa, 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
24 mi
·
26 min
6
Take the exit slight left toward FL 618 Toll: Port of Tampa, West Selmon Expressway Toll
0.7 mi
·
59 sec
·
FL 618 Toll: Port of Tampa, West Selmon Expressway Toll
7
Keep slight right to continue on Downtown, West Selmonm Expressway Toll
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Downtown, West Selmonm Expressway Toll
8
Keep slight left to continue on Downtown, West Selmon Expressway Toll
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Downtown, West Selmon Expressway Toll
9
Merge slight left onto Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
10
Take the exit slight right toward FL 60: Kennedy Boulevard, Downtown - East
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
FL 60: Kennedy Boulevard, Downtown - East
11
Turn straight onto East Kennedy Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Kennedy Boulevard
12
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.57 one way
$13.15 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $7.15 | $14.30 |
| premium | $4.72 | $7.68 | $15.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.12 | $18.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.34 | $1.98 |
| Efficient EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.61 | $1.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.78 | $2.64 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Tampa, FL
Evening in Tampa on Friday
Local time
5:47 PM
EDT
Current temp
66°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
4 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
43m 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 Tampa, FL covers 41.3 miles and takes about 43m 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 20.7 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 $6.57 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 Tampa, FL is easy. At 43m 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 Tampa, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Highland City, FL to Tampa, 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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