Driving from Pennsylvania to Florida by Car
Pennsylvania to Florida is about 950 to 1,200 miles and 14 to 19 hours of driving. Driving it yourself takes 2 days. A professional driver from Cross Country Driver does it in about 1 day, door to door, for $900 to $1,400 base plus fuel and tolls at actual cost.
How long is the drive from Pennsylvania to Florida?
About 14 to 19 hours behind the wheel, which is 2 days if you drive it yourself and about 1 day with our drivers.
| Who drives | Distance | Driving time | Days on the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| You, in your own car | About 950 to 1,200 miles | 14 to 19 hours | 2 days |
| Cross Country Driver | About 950 to 1,200 miles | 14 to 19 hours | About 1 day |
How many hours is it from Pennsylvania to Florida by car?
About 14 to 19 hours of driving, not counting stops. Philadelphia to Orlando is about 15 hours behind the wheel; Philadelphia to Miami is about 18.
How far is it from Pennsylvania to Florida?
About 1,000 miles from Philadelphia to Orlando, 1,070 to Tampa and 1,200 to Miami. From Pittsburgh it is about 990 miles to Orlando, and from Harrisburg about 935.
Pennsylvania to Florida: city-to-city miles and prices
Typical base prices for a professional driver between the largest cities in Pennsylvania 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg ↔ Orlando | ~935 mi | ~1 day | $900–$1,100 |
| Pittsburgh ↔ Orlando | ~990 mi | ~1 day | $900–$1,150 |
| Philadelphia ↔ Orlando | ~1,000 mi | ~1 day | $900–$1,175 |
| Pittsburgh ↔ Tampa | ~1,040 mi | ~1 day | $900–$1,225 |
| Philadelphia ↔ Tampa | ~1,070 mi | ~1 day | $900–$1,250 |
| Philadelphia ↔ Fort Myers | ~1,170 mi | ~1 day | $975–$1,375 |
| Philadelphia ↔ Miami | ~1,200 mi | 1–1.5 days | $1,000–$1,400 |
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 Pennsylvania to Florida?
Yes. The right route depends on where you start and finish and on the month.
I-95: from Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania
I-95 runs from Philadelphia through Delaware, Baltimore, the Washington area, Richmond, the Carolinas and Savannah to Jacksonville, then down Florida’s east coast to Daytona, West Palm Beach and Miami. For Orlando, drivers take I-4 from Daytona; for Tampa, I-4 across the state.
I-81 and I-77: from Central and Western Pennsylvania
From Harrisburg, Lancaster or the Lehigh Valley, I-81 south through the Shenandoah Valley avoids the I-95 traffic around Washington. From Pittsburgh, I-79 and I-77 through West Virginia and Charlotte, then I-26 and I-95 or I-75, is the usual line.
Weather and seasons
Leaving Pennsylvania between December and March, the risk is snow and ice in the first few hours, especially on I-81, I-79 and the West Virginia mountains. Hurricane season in Florida runs June through November. Snowbird season packs I-95 heading south in October and November and north in April and May.
What the road is like
The I-95 corridor is busy the whole way to Virginia, and the Washington area is the slowest stretch. I-81 and I-77 trade traffic for mountain grades. South of the Carolinas it is flat and fast.
Tolls
On I-95: the Delaware toll plaza, the Maryland I-95 toll and Baltimore tunnel tolls. On I-77: the West Virginia Turnpike. In Florida: Florida’s Turnpike and the Orlando and Miami expressways, most of them cashless. The Pennsylvania Turnpike adds tolls if your trip starts on it.
Pennsylvania to Florida car shipping vs. hiring a driver
Driving yourself: roughly $150 to $250 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 $800 to $1,200 between Pennsylvania and Florida cities (MoveBuddha city-pair estimates, checked November 2026). 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: $900 to $1,400 base plus fuel and tolls at actual cost, delivered in about 1 day, 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 Pennsylvania to Florida
Pennsylvania to Florida is a classic snowbird route, and most trips run south: retirees heading to Florida for the winter, families relocating, and students. In spring, the same cars come back north. We see more Pennsylvania to Florida requests than the reverse.
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 Pennsylvania to Florida service works
We pick up anywhere in Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia and its suburbs to the Lehigh Valley, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Scranton, Erie and Pittsburgh, and deliver anywhere in Florida: Jacksonville, Orlando, The Villages, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and everywhere between. 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
- Morning: Philadelphia south on I-95 through Delaware, Baltimore and the Washington area.
- Afternoon: Virginia and the Carolinas, about 450 miles of I-95.
- Evening into the next morning: Savannah, Jacksonville and on to Orlando or Tampa, with a proper night’s rest on the way.
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
- Leave early to clear Philadelphia and pass the Washington area before rush hour.
- Check the forecast for I-81 and the West Virginia mountains in winter.
- Snowbird weeks in October, November, April and May are the busiest on I-95; leave midweek if you can.
- Set up toll-by-plate or bring an E-ZPass; Florida accepts it on most toll roads.
- Check the National Hurricane Center from June through November.
- Check tires, fluids, lights and brakes before you leave.
Pennsylvania to Florida questions
How many days does it take to drive from Pennsylvania to Florida?
Two days if you drive it yourself, with one night on the road. A professional driver does it in about 1 day: Philadelphia to Orlando is about 1,000 miles and 15 hours of driving.
What is the best route from Pennsylvania to Florida?
I-95 from Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. I-81 from Harrisburg and Central Pennsylvania if you want to avoid Washington traffic. I-79 and I-77 from Pittsburgh.
How much does it cost to have someone drive my car from Pennsylvania to Florida?
$900 to $1,400 base with Cross Country Driver, plus fuel and tolls at actual cost. Philadelphia to Orlando, about 1,000 miles, is typically $900 to $1,175.
Is it cheaper to ship a car from Pennsylvania to Florida?
It can be. Carrier shipping is quoted at about $800 to $1,200 between Pennsylvania and Florida cities (third-party estimates, not our prices), and snowbird season raises carrier prices and stretches pickup windows. A driver delivers in about a day, with personal items allowed.
Do you drive snowbird cars every year?
Yes. Many of our customers book the same trip every fall and spring. Book a few weeks ahead for October, November, April and May.
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 Pennsylvania?
Yes. It is the same trip in spring for most snowbirds, at the same pricing.
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.