Origin
Lakeland Highlands, FL
Late night in Lakeland Highlands on Saturday
Local time
1:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lakeland Highlands, 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 12m
Distance
59.1 mi
95 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakeland Highlands, FL
Matt Fitz Gibaud
Clearwater, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Lakeland Highlands, FL to Clearwater, FL covers 59.1 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Lake Miriam Drive, West Pipkin Road, Harden Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.41 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 12m. Total distance: 59.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m 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 12m drive with frequent turns across 59.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Lake Miriam Drive 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 Lakeland Highlands, FL to Clearwater, FL is easy. At 1h 12m 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 Lakeland Highlands, FL to Clearwater, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Miriam Drive | — | — |
| West Pipkin Road | — | — |
| Harden Boulevard | — | — |
| Parkway Frontage Road North | — | — |
| FL 570 West | — | — |
| Polk Parkway | — | — |
| I 4 West | — | — |
| I 275 South | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Lake Miriam Drive
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lakeland Highlands, FL and Clearwater, FL.
1
Start on Scott Lake Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Scott Lake Road
2
Turn left onto Lake Miriam Drive
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Miriam Drive
3
Continue on West Pipkin Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Pipkin Road
4
Turn right onto Harden Boulevard
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Harden Boulevard
5
Turn left onto Parkway Frontage Road North
358 ft
·
8 sec
·
Parkway Frontage Road North
6
Take the ramp straight toward FL 570 West Toll: Polk Parkway West
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
FL 570 West Toll: Polk Parkway West
7
Merge slight left onto Polk Parkway
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Polk Parkway
8
Keep slight left to continue on I 4 West: Tampa
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
I 4 West: Tampa
9
Merge slight right
26 mi
·
28 min
10
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
11
Merge slight left
4.8 mi
·
6 min
12
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
13
Merge slight left onto Memorial Highway
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
Memorial Highway
14
Keep slight left to continue on Veterans Expressway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Veterans Expressway
15
Take the exit slight right toward FL 60 West: Clearwater
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
FL 60 West: Clearwater
16
Continue on FL 60: Clearwater
9.3 mi
·
12 min
·
FL 60: Clearwater
17
Continue on Gulf to Bay Boulevard
4.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Gulf to Bay Boulevard
18
Continue on Court Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Court Street
19
Turn right onto South Ft Harrison Avenue
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
South Ft Harrison Avenue
20
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 29.6 mi from Lakeland Highlands, FL · 36m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.6 miles from Lakeland Highlands, 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
$9.41 one way
$18.81 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $10.23 | $20.47 |
| premium | $4.72 | $10.99 | $21.98 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.05 | $26.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.7 | 0 | $6.21 | $2.84 |
| Efficient EV | 14.8 | 0 | $5.17 | $2.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.6 | 0 | $8.27 | $3.78 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Destination
Clearwater, FL
Late night in Clearwater on Saturday
Local time
1:11 AM
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 12m 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 Lakeland Highlands, FL to Clearwater, FL covers 59.1 miles and takes about 1h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Lake Miriam Drive, West Pipkin Road, Harden Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 29.6 miles from Lakeland Highlands, FL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.41 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 Lakeland Highlands, FL to Clearwater, FL is easy. At 1h 12m 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 Lakeland Highlands, FL to Clearwater, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Lakeland Highlands, 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.
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