Driving from Michigan to Florida by Car
Michigan to Florida is about 1,150 to 1,400 miles and 16 to 22 hours of driving, nearly all of it on I-75. Driving it yourself takes 2 days. A professional driver from Cross Country Driver does it in 1 to 1.5 days, door to door, for $950 to $1,600 base plus fuel and tolls at actual cost.
How long is the drive from Michigan to Florida?
About 16 to 22 hours behind the wheel, which is 2 days if you drive it yourself and 1 to 1.5 days with our drivers.
| Who drives | Distance | Driving time | Days on the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| You, in your own car | About 1,150 to 1,400 miles | 16 to 22 hours | 2 days |
| Cross Country Driver | About 1,150 to 1,400 miles | 16 to 22 hours | 1 to 1.5 days |
How many hours is it from Michigan to Florida by car?
About 16 to 22 hours of driving, not counting stops. Detroit to Tampa is about 17 to 19 hours behind the wheel; Detroit to Miami about 20 to 22.
How far is it from Michigan to Florida?
About 1,155 miles from Detroit to Orlando, 1,170 to Tampa, 1,290 to Fort Myers, 1,320 to Naples and 1,390 to Miami. Grand Rapids and Lansing add 50 to 100 miles; Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula add more.
Michigan to Florida: city-to-city miles and prices
Typical base prices for a professional driver between the largest cities in Michigan and Florida. These are ranges, not quotes; fuel and tolls are added at actual cost, and the same prices apply in the other direction.
| Route | Distance | Our delivery | Base price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit ↔ Orlando | ~1,155 mi | ~1 day | $950–$1,350 |
| Detroit ↔ Tampa | ~1,170 mi | ~1 day | $975–$1,375 |
| Grand Rapids ↔ Orlando | ~1,200 mi | ~1 day | $1,000–$1,400 |
| Lansing ↔ Sarasota | ~1,230 mi | 1–1.5 days | $1,025–$1,425 |
| Detroit ↔ Fort Myers | ~1,290 mi | 1–1.5 days | $1,050–$1,500 |
| Detroit ↔ Naples | ~1,320 mi | 1–1.5 days | $1,050–$1,525 |
| Detroit ↔ Miami | ~1,390 mi | ~1.5 days | $1,100–$1,600 |
Your exact price depends on the pickup and delivery addresses and the date. A pickup or delivery far from a major airport costs a little more, because the driver’s trip there and home takes longer.
Can you drive from Michigan to Florida?
Yes. The right route depends on where you start and finish and on the month.
I-75: the whole way
I-75 starts in Michigan and ends in South Florida, so most trips never leave it: Detroit, Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati, Lexington, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Atlanta and Macon, then into Florida past Lake City, Gainesville and Ocala. Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples are directly on it; for Orlando the driver takes Florida’s Turnpike from Wildwood; for Miami and Fort Lauderdale it crosses Alligator Alley.
From West Michigan
From Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo or Lansing, US-131 or I-69 joins I-75 or I-65 to the south. From Northern Michigan, I-75 runs straight down from Grayling and Gaylord.
Weather and seasons
In winter the risk is at the start: snow in Michigan and Ohio, and ice on Jellico Mountain on the Kentucky–Tennessee line, the steepest grade on the route. Atlanta traffic is the other delay, any time of year. Hurricane season in Florida runs June through November.
What the road is like
Flat and fast through Michigan and Ohio, rolling through Kentucky, mountainous between Jellico and Chattanooga, then flat again from Atlanta to Florida. The Atlanta Downtown Connector is one of the busiest stretches of interstate in the country.
Tolls
None from Michigan to the Florida line on I-75. In Florida, Florida’s Turnpike to Orlando and Alligator Alley to Fort Lauderdale are tolled, and most Florida tolls are cashless.
Michigan to Florida car shipping vs. hiring a driver
Driving yourself: roughly $175 to $275 in fuel and tolls (rough estimate, November 2026), hotels and meals for 2 days on the road, and the days off work.
Shipping by carrier: quoted at about $975 for Detroit to Miami (MoveBuddha city-pair estimate, checked November 2026), and snowbird-season carrier prices run higher. These are third-party figures, not our prices. Expect pickup and delivery windows of several days each, and carriers usually limit or ban personal items in the car. Shipping is usually cheaper and slower.
Hiring our driver: $950 to $1,600 base plus fuel and tolls at actual cost, delivered in 1 to 1.5 days, with a reasonable amount of personal items inside. Your car is never loaded onto a carrier, and it arrives on the delivery date planned with you.
Who hires a driver for Michigan to Florida
Michigan to Florida is one of the busiest snowbird routes in the country, and most of our trips run south in the fall and north in the spring. Retirees, seasonal residents and families moving south make up most of it, and many book the same trip every year.
We drive U-Haul, Penske and Budget trucks on this route too. See driving a U-Haul cross country, or get a U-Haul/Truck Quote.
How our Michigan to Florida service works
We pick up anywhere in Michigan, from Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Flint, Traverse City and the Upper Peninsula, and deliver anywhere in Florida: Orlando, The Villages, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples, the Palm Beaches, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Your driver inspects and photographs the car at pickup, drives about 1,000 miles a day with the trip GPS-monitored by our office, and walks the car with you at delivery.
One professional driver drives your car the whole way, never handed off. Our drivers are ex-long-haul truckers and former police officers, vetted with criminal, driving-record, drug and reference checks.
What the price includes
Your base price includes your driver’s travel home, usually a flight, and towing if you need a trailer or a second vehicle behind the one we drive. We give you a fuel and toll estimate up front; fuel and tolls are then charged at actual cost, with receipts. A deposit is due before pickup, and the rest after delivery. Cash or check is fine.
A typical schedule
- Day 1: Detroit to the Atlanta area, about 730 miles, through Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, past Atlanta before evening traffic where possible.
- Day 2: Atlanta to Tampa or Orlando, about 450 miles, or about 660 to Miami, delivered the same day.
The exact stops move with weather and traffic, and the driver rests properly each night: we do not run drivers through the night. Your driver will call you about eight hours before delivery.
If you drive it yourself
- Watch the forecast for Jellico Mountain in Tennessee from December to February.
- Plan to pass Atlanta outside rush hour; it can easily add an hour.
- Snowbird weeks in October, November, March and April are the busiest on I-75; leave midweek if you can.
- Bring a SunPass or set up toll-by-plate for Florida’s Turnpike and Alligator Alley.
- Check the National Hurricane Center from June through November.
- Check tires, fluids, lights and brakes before you leave.
Michigan to Florida questions
How many days does it take to drive from Michigan to Florida?
Two days if you drive it yourself, with one night on the road. A professional driver does it in 1 to 1.5 days: Detroit to Tampa is about 1,170 miles and 17 to 19 hours of driving.
What is the best route from Michigan to Florida?
I-75. It runs from Michigan to South Florida, through Toledo, Cincinnati, Knoxville and Atlanta. Drivers switch to Florida’s Turnpike for Orlando and to Alligator Alley for Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
How much does it cost to have someone drive my car from Michigan to Florida?
$950 to $1,600 base with Cross Country Driver, plus fuel and tolls at actual cost. Detroit to Orlando, about 1,155 miles, is typically $950 to $1,350.
Is it cheaper to ship a car from Michigan to Florida?
It can be. Detroit to Miami is quoted at about $975 by carrier (a third-party estimate, not our price), and snowbird season raises carrier prices and stretches pickup windows. A driver delivers in 1 to 1.5 days, with personal items allowed.
Do you drive snowbird cars every year?
Yes. Many customers book Michigan to Florida every fall and Florida to Michigan every spring. Book a few weeks ahead for the busy weeks.
Does one driver take the car the whole way?
Yes. One driver, never handed off, with photos at pickup and delivery and GPS monitoring in between.
Can I pack the car?
Yes. A reasonable amount of personal items can travel with the car.
Do you also go Florida to Michigan?
Yes, at the same pricing. Spring is our busiest time for it.
How do I get a price?
Request a Vehicle Quote online; it takes about a minute. The owner prices your trip personally and replies within one business day. Tell us the pickup address, the delivery address and roughly when you want the car moved.