Anyone driven from Key West to Orlando? How long?
 

We will be making the haul from Key West to Orlando on a Sunday in June. Has anyone done this before and how long did it take you? Mapquest says 6.5 hours, a Florida travel brochure I have says 8.5. Any advice on routes? We are hoping to do it all in one day. Thanks for any advice!

It's been a long time since we did the trip, but it was closer to 8-8½ hours, as I remember it (assuming no rest stops). It is almost 400 miles. The slow part was from Key West to Key Largo. Once you get on Florida's Turnpike, your speed picks up. Regarding the Turnpike, be prepared with plenty of small change, particularly quarters.

Try Randmcnally.com for another opinion on time & distance.

KW to Key Largo is always an adventure. Lots of two lane, lots of lights. This segment of the trip has high "event" risk. Any fender bender, brush fire, or worse can stop traffic for an extended period.

Construction from Key Largo to Florida City should be idle on a Sunday morning.

Mapquest is right that 6.5 is possible, experience says 6.5 is improbable.

Did that drive in September. They are right, the slowest part is from Key West to Key Largo. It took us right at 7 hours.

I live in the West Palm Beach area and would plan on 5hrs to KW from here heading South and 2.5-3 hrs to Orlando (depending on where in Orlando) heading North, so yep, 7.5 to 8 hours.

Kristine

Would add to plan to start from KW a before 2 pm - all those weekenders will be leaving the Keys to go home and it can get quite backed up heading out if you wait too long.

There is a boat from Key West to Naples, but I don't think it is a car ferry.