Tampa and Fort Lauderdale are roughly 190 miles (about 305–310 km) apart in a straight line, and about 265–270 miles by road, which usually means around a 4.5–5 hour drive depending on traffic and route.

Basic distance snapshot

  • Straight‑line distance: About 190 miles / 306 km.
  • Typical driving distance: Around 265–270 miles / 425–431 km.
  • Usual driving time: Roughly 4–5 hours by car in normal conditions.
  • Flight distance (TPA–FLL airports): About 197 miles / 317 km.

Driving vs flying

  • Driving:
    • Commonly done via I‑75 and I‑595 or via I‑4 and Florida’s Turnpike.
* Expect 4–5 hours depending on traffic, construction, and stops.
  • Flying:
    • Nonstop flight distance is about 316–317 km.
* Actual time city‑to‑city (check‑in, security, airport transfers) often ends up similar to or only a bit shorter than driving for this route.

Mini travel context

  • Both cities sit on opposite coasts of Florida—Tampa on the Gulf Coast and Fort Lauderdale on the Atlantic—so the trip effectively crosses the peninsula.
  • Many travelers treat the journey as a mini‑road trip, stopping in places like Sarasota or the greater Miami area along the way.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.