Origin
Lake Forest, FL
Late night in Lake Forest on Saturday
Local time
12:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake Forest, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
13 mi
21 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Forest, FL
Matt Fitz Gibaud
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Lake Forest, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FL covers 13 miles and takes about 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 95, West Broward Boulevard, West Hallandale Beach Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.2 miles on I 95. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.07 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 13 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 20m highway drive covering 13 miles, with most of the trip on I 95 and West Broward Boulevard. The longest continuous stretch is about 8.2 miles on I 95.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 95 is the longest continuous segment at about 8.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and West Broward Boulevard. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near SR 858 / West Hallandale Beach Boulevard.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 13 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (SR 858 / West Hallandale Beach Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
SR 858 / West Hallandale Beach Boulevard
Turn right onto SR 858 / West Hallandale Beach Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left toward I 95 North: West Palm Beach
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 95 North: West Palm Beach
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 95
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
10.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward SR 842: Broward Boulevard, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 27
Toward SR 842: Broward Boulevard, Downtown
7
11 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward SR 842 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward SR 842 East
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Lake Forest, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
Downtown
10.1 mi in
|
~13m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| West Broward Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| West Hallandale Beach Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Southwest 40th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Broward Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 8.2 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Forest, FL and Fort Lauderdale, FL.
1
Start on Southwest 40th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Southwest 40th Avenue
2
Turn right onto SR 858
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
West Hallandale Beach Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 95 North: West Palm Beach
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 95
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 27
Toward SR 842: Broward Boulevard, Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
465 ft
·
11 sec
Toward SR 842 East
Use the right lane.
7
Turn right onto SR 842
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
West Broward Boulevard
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on SR 842
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
East Broward Boulevard
Use the left lane.
9
Arrive at destination
SR 842
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.07 one way
$4.14 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $2.25 | $4.50 |
| premium | $4.72 | $2.42 | $4.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.87 | $5.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.14 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.82 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Late night in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday
Local time
12:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Mostly Sunny
E 7 to 10 mph
4% chance
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
2 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
20m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Lake Forest, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FL covers 13 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 95, West Broward Boulevard, West Hallandale Beach Boulevard. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.5 miles from Lake Forest, FL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.07 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.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 13 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (SR 858 / West Hallandale Beach Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Lake Forest, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
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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