Charlotte to Orlando road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

Planning a Charlotte to Orlando road trip itinerary

The Charlotte to Orlando drive takes you from the biggest city in North Carolina to the theme park capital of Florida.

Charlotte is the biggest city in North Carolina. Major attractions include the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the thrill-packed Carowinds amusement park and the Billy Graham Library. Another popular option is the Sea Life aquarium.

For top Charlotte activities, try historical city tours by golf cart, Segway tours through the Uptown neighbourhood and after dark ghost tours.

Well-reviewed and central Charlotte accommodation options include the AC by Marriott and the Hyatt House.

Orlando is known worldwide as the home of Disney World, but there’s far more to it than Mickey and Co. You can get crazy selfies at the Museum of Illusions or WonderWorks, learn how chocolate is made at Chocolate Kingdom and ride the Wheel at ICON Park or Orlando StarFlyer. Alternatively, visit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, play adventure golf at Pirates’ Cove and say hi to the stingrays at Sea Life.

In the evenings, there’s the Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show, Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn To Life and the Outta Control magic comedy show.

Other Orlando experiences include glow-in-the-dark kayaking, foodie walking tours and kayaking through Cypress forest.

The secret to getting Orlando accommodation deals is flexibility. There are hundreds of hotels, and you’ll likely be driving everywhere anyway. So hunt down the cheapest rates, and don’t get too hung up on exact location.

Charlotte to Orlando distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Charlotte to Orlando is 525 miles. This makes for a driving time of around seven hours and 52 minutes. The quickest route heads along the I-77, I-26, I-95 and I-4.

The best stops to add to a Charlotte to Orlando road trip itinerary are Columbia SC, Savannah GA and Jacksonville FL.

For more suggestions, check out the guides to the Savannah to Jacksonville drive and Jacksonville to Orlando drive.

Charlotte to Orlando road trip attractions: Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the capital city of South Carolina. Top attractions include the South Carolina State Museum, which looks at the rich history of the state. It does so in a surprisingly fun way, with a digital planetarium and 4D theater.

But the city’s real appeal is in the numerous parks along the Broad River. These include the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.

Augusta GA to Orlando drive: Savannah, Georgia

Savannah has a timewarp handsomeness about it. Parks are lined by mossy oak trees, 19th century buildings ooze history and riverboats glide along the rivers.

Great activities in Savannah include the Ghosts and Gravestones trolley tourriverboat cruises and a true crime pub crawl.

Best stops between Augusta GA and Orlando: Jacksonville, Florida

Top Jacksonville experiences include Amelia Island kayak tours, guided art and architecture tours by electric bike and electric skateboard rides along Fernandina Beach.

For cultural attractions, head to the Cummer Museum, where the strength tends to be the rotating temporary exhibitions.

Highly-rated Jacksonville accommodation options include the charming Riverdale Inn B&B and the conveniently downtown Hyatt Regency.

Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Photo by HenningE/ Pixabay.

More Charlotte road trips

Anderson SC to Charlotte | Charlotte to Asheville | Charlotte to Atlanta | Augusta GA to Charlotte | Baltimore to Charlotte | Boston to Charlotte | Charlotte to Charleston | Charlotte to Chicago | Columbia SC to Charlotte NC | Charlotte to Durham NC | Charlotte to Greenville | Houston to Charlotte | Jacksonville to Charlotte| Charlotte to Memphis | Charlotte to Myrtle Beach | Charlotte to Nashville | Charlotte to New Orleans | New York City to Charlotte | Philadelphia to Charlotte |Charlotte to Pittsburgh | Charlotte to Raleigh | Richmond VA to Charlotte | Charlotte to Tampa | Washington DC to Charlotte | Charlotte to Wilmington NC.

More Orlando road trips

Albany GA to Orlando | Asheville to Orlando | Atlanta to Orlando | Augusta to Orlando | Austin to Orlando | Baton Rouge to Orlando | Orlando to Daytona Beach | Orlando to Destin | Gainesville to Orlando | Houston to Orlando | Huntsville AL to Orlando | Jacksonville to Orlando | Lakeland to Orlando | Macon GA to Orlando | Memphis to Orlando | Nashville to Orlando | New Orleans to Orlando | Orlando to Palm Coast | Panama City to Orlando | Pensacola to Orlando | Ocala to Orlando | Orlando to St Augustine | Tallahassee to Orlando | Orlando to Tampa | Valdosta to Orlando.