Drive Time
8h 50m
Distance
489.8 mi
788 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$82
one way
Photo: DΛVΞ GΛRCIΛ
The drive from Port Saint Lucie, FL to DeFuniak Springs, FL covers 489.8 miles and takes about 8h 50m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Southeast Airoso Boulevard, Southwest Port Saint Lucie Boulevard, Southwest Bayshore Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $81.82 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
244.9 miles from Port Saint Lucie, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 25m into the drive .
Expect a 8h 50m drive with frequent turns across 489.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 50m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Port Saint Lucie, FL to DeFuniak Springs, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Airoso Boulevard | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Southwest Port Saint Lucie Boulevard | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Southwest Bayshore Boulevard | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Florida's Turnpike Toll | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Orlando | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Florida's Turnpike | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 10 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 10 West | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Port Saint Lucie, FL and DeFuniak Springs, FL.
Start on Southwest Carter Avenue
Turn right onto Southeast Airoso Boulevard
Turn right onto Southwest Port Saint Lucie Boulevard
Turn left onto Southwest Bayshore Boulevard
Take the ramp straight toward Florida's Turnpike Toll
Keep slight right to continue on Orlando, Florida's Turnpike North
Merge slight left onto Florida's Turnpike
Keep slight left to continue on Florida's Turnpike
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward I 10: Jacksonville, Tallahassee
Keep slight left to continue on I 10 West: Tallahassee
Merge slight right
Take the exit slight right toward US 331: DeFuniak Springs, Freeport
Turn right onto US Highway 331 South
At the end of the road, turn right onto US Highway 90 East
Turn right onto South 9th Street
Arrive at your destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 108 miles or 1h 56m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 244.9 miles or 4h 25m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 244.9 miles or 4h 25m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 45m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near DeFuniak Springs, FL than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Port Saint Lucie, 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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Port Saint Lucie, FL
Aim for roughly 245 miles and 4.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into DeFuniak Springs, FL
Aim for roughly 245 miles and 4.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 244.9 mi from Port Saint Lucie, FL · 4h 25m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
245 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Gainesville, FLNight 1
245 mi · about 4.4h in
A practical overnight split lands near Gainesville, FL after about 245 miles or 4.4 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 108 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 244.9 miles from Port Saint Lucie, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 245 miles or 4.4 hours on the road.
The final approach into DeFuniak Springs, 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 DeFuniak Springs, FL.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach DeFuniak Springs, FL with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$81.82 one way
$163.64 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $88.63 | $177.25 |
| premium | $4.90 | $94.41 | $188.82 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $108.82 | $217.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$82
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$212–$322
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 171.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $51 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 146.9 | 1 | $51.43 | $23.51 |
| Efficient EV | 122.5 | 1 | $42.86 | $19.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 195.9 | 2 | $68.57 | $31.35 |
Gas CO2
171 kg
EV CO2
57 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Night in Port Saint Lucie on Saturday
Local time
9:36 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Evening in DeFuniak Springs on Saturday
Local time
8:36 PM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
60°F
Gainesville, FL
245 mi in
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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Return Trip
DeFuniak Springs, FL to Port Saint Lucie, FLPlan the drive back the other way.
Explore more options from Port Saint Lucie, FL or browse trips ending in DeFuniak Springs, FL.
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