Houston to Fort Lauderdale drive: Best stops, distance & time
The best road trip stops on the Houston to Fort Lauderdale drive are New Orleans, Destin and Orlando. The distance from Houston to Fort Lauderdale by car is 1,164 miles, with a 16h50m driving time.
Planning a Houston to Fort Lauderdale road trip itinerary
The Houston to Fort Lauderdale drive connects the biggest city in Texas to southeast Florida.
The top Houston attraction is unquestionably the NASA Space Center. This takes you behind the scenes of the Johnson Space Center. This includes the Mission Briefing Center, and a vast array of high tech exhibitions.
Other attractions include the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Children’s Museum,
For more Houston experiences, try hip hop party bike tours, foodie walks in the Montrose neighbourhood and quirky tours of Houston’s tunnel system.
Top Houston accommodation options include the superb value Club Quarters Houston Downtown and the upscale but boutique Magnolia.
Fort Lauderdale is a sleek coastal city of beaches and canals. For Fort Lauderdale experiences, try narrated 90 minute cruises on the Jungle Queen, Everglades airboat adventures and snorkelling tours on the Fort Lauderdale reefs.
Alternatively, try an evening boat cruise, renting a powerboat or parasailing.
Great beachfront Fort Lauderdale accommodation options include the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort and the Hotel Maren.
Houston to Fort Lauderdale distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Houston to Fort Lauderdale is 1,164 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 16 hours and 50 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-10, I-75, Florida’s Turnpike and the I-95.
The best stops on the Houston to Fort Lauderdale drive are New Orleans, Destin and Orlando.
For more suggestions, read the guides to individual sections of the journey:
Houston to Fort Lauderdale road trip attractions: New Orleans
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours and haunted pub crawls. There are also jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
For other attractions, try the National WWII Museum, the Vue Orleans observation deck and the urban enslavement tours at Hermann Grima House.
If looking for New Orleans accommodation, the pool and jazz bar-equipped Royal Sonesta in the French Quarter is a great option. The Virgin Hotel downtown has a huge sense of fun, too.
Best stops between Houston and Fort Lauderdale: Destin FL
Destin is a beach town on the Florida Panhandle, with white sand beaches and several golf courses. The Destin Harbor Boardwalk tends to be the centre of activity.
Top Destin experiences include a sunset tiki cruise, a Crab Island sandbar adventure, a dolphin-watching speedboat cruise and parasailing.
You can also try jetski rentals, the Maximum Magic show, Hydrojet sunset tours and banana boat rides.
If looking for Destin accommodation, the Comfort Inn and Suites offers good value. Meanwhile, the plush Henderson Beach Resort has private beach access.
Houston to Fort Lauderdale drive: Orlando
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. Then 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.
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