Winter Haven FL to Tampa drive: Distance, time & best stops

The best road trip stops on the Winter Haven FL to Tampa drive are Lakeland FL, the Bing Rooming House Museum and Dinosaur World. The distance from Winter Haven to Tampa by car is 49 miles, with a 54m driving time.

Finding the best things to do between Winter Haven and Tampa

The Winter Haven to Tampa drive connects two Florida vacation hotspots.

Winter Haven is on Florida’s Chain of Lakes. There are several lakeside parks to enjoy here, but most visitors will come for the theme parks. The Legoland Florida Resort and adjoining Peppa Pig Theme Park are here.

Other Winter Haven Experiences include a pub crawl by boat, an internationally-flavoured food tour and a wildlife watching tour on board a pontoon boat.

Consistently well-reviewed Winter Haven hotels include the Courtyard by Marriott and the Best Western Plus Winter Haven Inn.

Tampa is justifiably one of the most popular holiday destinations in Florida. It’s home to top attractions such as the Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa, the Adventure Island water park and Busch Gardens theme park.

Other great Tampa experiences include historic Ybor City food walking tours, seeing the highlights in a street legal golf cart and a Haunted Tampa tour that combines ghosts and pubs.

Also on offer are Segway tours, history cruises, dolphin-watching and celebrity homes tours.

Tampa accommodation is best booked in advance – look for deals here.

Winter Haven to Tampa distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Winter Haven to Tampa is 49 miles. That makes for a driving time is 54 minutes.

The best stops to add to a Winter Haven to Tampa road trip itinerary are Lakeland FL, the Bing Rooming House Museum and Dinosaur World.

Winter Haven to Tampa road trip attractions: Lakeland FL

Lakeland is a somewhat overlooked Florida City which is, as the name suggests, based around a series of lakes. Of these, Lake Mirror is the most popular, with a promenade and amphitheatre. It also has Hollis Garden, an impressive botanical garden, at the southern end. For something less sculpted, the Circle B Bar Reserve is a former cattle ranch that is now a great place to see alligators.

The city is also home to Florida Southern University, which has the world’s largest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.

Good Lakeland hotel choices include the spacious SpringHill Suites and the affordable, pool-equipped Travelodge.

Winter Haven to Tampa drive: Bing Rooming House Museum

The Bing Rooming House Museum in Plant City FL is an attempt to preserve African-American heritage from an African-American perspective. It focuses on the segregation era, using artifacts, written documents and oral histories to tell the stories.

During the segregation era, the museum building was a hotel for people of color.

Best stops between Winter Haven and Tampa: Dinosaur World

Dinosaur World to the west of Plant City is not exactly Jurassic Park. But it does bring hundreds of life-size dinosaur models together in one place. The idea is that you get to see them in a natural setting, walking along the trails and boardwalks. There are also interactive exhibits, a dinosaur-themed playground and a massive gift shop on site.