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Trip from San Carlos Park, FL to Orlando, FL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

3h 21m

Distance

172.4 mi

277 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$27

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 36 min
4 AM
3h 9m ★
6 AM
3h 21m
8 AM
3h 45m
10 AM
3h 30m
12 PM
3h 27m
3 PM
3h 31m
5 PM
3h 44m
8 PM
3h 14m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown San Carlos Park, FL, FL

San Carlos Park, FL

DΛVΞ GΛRCIΛ

city in and county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States

Orlando, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from San Carlos Park, FL to Orlando, FL covers 172.4 miles and takes about 3h 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on San Carlos Boulevard, Three Oaks Parkway, Alico Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $27.44 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

86.2 miles from San Carlos Park, FL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 40m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
San Carlos Boulevard
Three Oaks Parkway
Alico Road
I 75
I 75 North
FL 80
Palm Beach Boulevard
Babcock Ranch Road

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: San Carlos Boulevard — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between San Carlos Park, FL and Orlando, FL.

1

Start on Tampa Road

0.2 mi · 52 sec · Tampa Road
2

At the end of the road, turn right onto San Carlos Boulevard

0.5 mi · 1 min · San Carlos Boulevard
3

Turn left onto Three Oaks Parkway

1.7 mi · 2 min · Three Oaks Parkway
4

Turn right onto Alico Road

102 ft · 2 sec · Alico Road
5

Take the ramp slight right toward I 75: Tampa, Naples

0.1 mi · 18 sec · I 75: Tampa, Naples
6

Keep slight left to continue on I 75 North: Tampa

1.6 mi · 2 min · I 75 North: Tampa
7

Keep slight left to continue on I 75 North: Tampa

1.6 mi · 2 min · I 75 North: Tampa
8

Merge slight left

10 mi · 11 min
9

Take the exit slight right toward FL 80: Fort Myers, La Belle

0.4 mi · 46 sec · FL 80: Fort Myers, La Belle
10

Turn right onto Palm Beach Boulevard

2.6 mi · 4 min · Palm Beach Boulevard
11

Turn left onto Babcock Ranch Road

36 mi · 46 min · Babcock Ranch Road
12

Turn left

1.0 mi · 1 min
13

Turn straight onto East Hickory Street

0.3 mi · 31 sec · East Hickory Street
14

Turn right onto North Mills Avenue

0.9 mi · 2 min · North Mills Avenue
15

Turn left onto Dickhaut Street

233 ft · 12 sec · Dickhaut Street
16

Turn sharp right onto Brevard Avenue

15 mi · 17 min · Brevard Avenue
17

Continue straight

2.5 mi · 2 min
18

Continue straight

1.1 mi · 1 min
19

Continue straight

46 mi · 1 hr 9 min
20

Turn left onto Pomelo Street

0.1 mi · 13 sec · Pomelo Street
21

Continue on North Buena Vista Drive

6.1 mi · 9 min · North Buena Vista Drive
22

Take the ramp straight

0.5 mi · 1 min
23

Merge slight left

13 mi · 14 min
24

Keep slight left

13 mi · 16 min
25

Keep slight right

6.3 mi · 7 min
26

Take the exit slight right toward Kaley Avenue, Michigan Street

0.3 mi · 43 sec · Kaley Avenue, Michigan Street
27

Keep slight right

0.1 mi · 14 sec
28

Turn slight right onto West Kaley Street

266 ft · 15 sec · West Kaley Street
29

Turn left onto South Division Avenue

1.2 mi · 3 min · South Division Avenue
30

Turn right onto West South Street

0.3 mi · 52 sec · West South Street
31

Turn slight right

102 ft · 4 sec
32

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 86.2 miles from San Carlos Park, FL, or about 1h 40m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 38 miles or 44m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 86.2 miles or 1h 40m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 44m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Orlando, FL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving San Carlos Park, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from San Carlos Park, FL

This is one driving day of about 172.4 miles and 3h 21m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 38 miles from San Carlos Park, FL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

county seat of Polk County, Florida, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bartow, FL

86 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

Charlotte Harbor, FL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bartow, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 86.2 miles from San Carlos Park, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$27.44 one way

$54.88 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 60 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $29.85 $59.70
premium $4.72 $32.06 $64.11
diesel $5.61 $38.06 $76.13

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$27

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$52–$77

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 60.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $18 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 51.7 0 $18.10 $8.28
Efficient EV 43.1 0 $15.08 $6.90
EV Truck/SUV 69 0 $24.14 $11.03

Gas CO2

60 kg

EV CO2

20 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

San Carlos Park, FL

Afternoon in San Carlos Park on Saturday

Local time

3:28 PM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Orlando, FL

Afternoon in Orlando on Saturday

Local time

3:28 PM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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.

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

3h 21m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

172.4 mi in 3h 21m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
32 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: San Carlos Boulevard.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

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 San Carlos Park, FL to Orlando, FL is easy. At 3h 21m 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 San Carlos Park, FL to Orlando, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

About the Cities

Arriving in Orlando, FL

Full guide →

For the broader urban area including suburbs and other nearby destinations, please see the Greater Orlando article. Orlando deserves its reputation as the theme park capital of the world, with an estimated 52 million visitors a year. The city is best known for its theme parks Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, but it holds a lot to offer besides those two amusement meccas. Countless hotels and restaurants cater to business conventions and other events hosted by organizations from all over the country. Outside the theme park districts and hotels, however, lies much more to be explored, including downtown, areas of untouched wilderness, world-class museums and theaters, and old towns with dining and nightlife. At the center of the state of Florida, in Orange County, Orlando is about an hour from each coast.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 21m. Total distance: 172.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

3h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.

Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Carlos Park, FL to Orlando, FL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Possible but tiring. At 3.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.7 hours — manageable with a long break at Orlando, FL, but most travelers stay overnight.

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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