The best day trips from Margate, FL sort themselves by drive time, and nearly everything worth doing sits inside a 40 minute radius. Ten minutes north gets you 20,000 butterflies and a 600 acre park. Three different beaches sit 20 to 35 minutes east. Airboat country is 40 minutes west. Only the Keys are far enough to argue for an overnight instead. This guide runs 17 trips in order of distance, with what each one is genuinely for, when to go, and where the parking problem is.
Margate's Four Drive Time Rings
Margate sits in the middle of Broward County, nine square miles of tree lined streets and about 30 miles of canals, 7.5 miles from the Atlantic and roughly 20 minutes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, according to the City of Margate. That central position is the entire reason day trips work here. You are never fighting your way out of a beach town or a downtown to get started.
Four rings organize the whole region. The first is the Coconut Creek cluster, under 15 minutes north, which holds more attractions per mile than anywhere else nearby. The second, 20 to 25 minutes out, covers the ocean at Pompano Beach and the region's big value retail. The third, 30 to 40 minutes, is where full day trips live: Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Hollywood, Delray Beach and the Everglades. The fourth ring, an hour and up, is Palm Beach County, Miami and the Keys.
Every time below is an off peak estimate. Atlantic Boulevard, Sample Road, State Road 7, Florida's Turnpike and the Sawgrass Expressway all slow down between 7 and 9 in the morning and again from 4 to 6:30, so add 15 to 20 minutes if you travel then. If you would rather stay put, the things to do in Margate guide covers what is inside the city limits.
Under Fifteen Minutes: The Coconut Creek Cluster
Butterfly World, Coconut Creek: About 10 Minutes
Butterfly World on West Sample Road keeps roughly 20,000 butterflies and birds in open air aviaries, along with a bug zoo, a research facility and hummingbird and lorikeet flights. The lorikeet feeding, cash only and a couple of dollars a cup, is the part children talk about afterwards. Come in the morning, when butterflies are most active and the light is best. In summer, call first: afternoon thunderstorms can shut the aviaries with no warning.
Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek: About 10 Minutes
Tradewinds Park runs to more than 600 acres and is probably the most activity packed park in Broward County. Stables offer guided tours and pony rides, and there is disc golf, fishing, playgrounds and a model steam train that runs on the third Saturday and Sunday of the month. Butterfly World sits inside the park, so the two combine into one trip. Plan a full day rather than an hour, because the two halves of the park are a real walk apart.
Fern Forest Nature Center, Coconut Creek: About 10 Minutes
Fern Forest Nature Center protects 247 acres of the Florida that development erased, with 34 fern species along the raised Cypress Creek boardwalk and an observation tower over the wetlands. Alligators, snakes and wading birds are all realistic sightings, and there is a reptile house at the nature center. The trails run about 2.2 miles and cost nothing. From June through September, go early and bring water, repellent and a hat.
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek: About 15 Minutes
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is open 24 hours a day, every day, with more than 80 live table games, a poker room, a sportsbook and a smoke free pavilion holding another 300 slots. Dining runs from a deli up to a steakhouse, and live music fills Legends Lounge and the outdoor stage. The gaming floor is 21 and over, so this is an adults trip rather than a family one. Ask for the smoke free pavilion if smoke bothers you.
Twenty to Twenty-Five Minutes: Beach, Bargains and the Rain Plan
Pompano Beach and the Pompano Beach Pier: About 20 Minutes
Pompano Beach is the nearest ocean to Margate, about nine miles straight east on Atlantic Boulevard, with a wide public beach, a fishing pier and a redeveloped fishing village of restaurants along the sand. Metered and garage parking near the pier fills by mid morning at weekends from January through April, so go on a weekday or arrive before 10 a.m. Households that go often keep boards, umbrellas, chairs and coolers together rather than in a hallway, which is what a 5×10 unit in Margate is sized for.
Quiet Waters Park, Deerfield Beach: About 20 Minutes
Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach is the county park families drive to for Splash Adventure, its water playground, plus cable water skiing, lakeside trails and campsites. County parking fees apply at weekends and on holidays, and Splash Adventure is seasonal, so confirm it is running before you load the car. It pairs naturally with the things to do in Margate with kids list if you want a shorter backup plan.
The Swap Shop, Lauderhill: About 20 Minutes
The Swap Shop on West Sunrise Boulevard is an 88 acre flea market with more than 1,000 vendors, a car collection on display and produce sellers, open 365 days a year including holidays. Weekends are busier and far better stocked than weekdays, when a good share of the booths sit empty. Designer brands and counterfeits are banned there, so do not make the drive looking for them. Bring cash and comfortable shoes.
Sawgrass Mills, Sunrise: About 25 Minutes
Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise is one of the largest outlet and value retail centers in the United States, roughly 13 miles southwest of Margate off the Sawgrass Expressway. Give it a full day if you actually intend to shop it, because a lap of the building is a workout. Weekday mornings are calm and December weekends are not. Furniture and homeware hauls are part of the appeal here, and a 10×10 storage unit holds about a one bedroom's worth if a delivery lands before the room is ready.
Xtreme Action Park, Fort Lauderdale: About 25 Minutes
Xtreme Action Park packs 200,000 square feet with a karting track running European electric karts at up to 45 mph, six bowling lanes, a roller rink, a high ropes course, laser tag and escape rooms. This is the single best bad weather option within half an hour of Margate, which matters in a city that sees about 61 inches of rain a year. Karting carries height and age minimums, so check them before you promise a younger child a turn. Weekend afternoons are the crush.
Thirty to Forty Minutes: The Full Day Trips
Fort Lauderdale Beach and Las Olas Boulevard: About 30 Minutes
Fort Lauderdale Beach sits about 14 miles southeast, with the A1A promenade along the sand and Las Olas Boulevard a few blocks inland for galleries, restaurants and bars. Beach parking is expensive and full by late morning in season. The hop on, hop off water taxi is the cheapest way to see the canal system without owning a boat, and it turns a beach afternoon into a proper sightseeing day.
Mizner Park and Sugar Sand Park, Boca Raton: About 30 Minutes
Boca Raton is about 14 miles north and works best as a two stop day. Sugar Sand Park holds the free Children's Science Explorium, a carousel, a big playground and the Willow Theatre, and the City of Boca Raton publishes hours that differ for each of them. Mizner Park handles lunch and open air shopping afterwards. Boca prices run noticeably above Margate, so set expectations before anyone orders.
Hollywood Beach Broadwalk: About 35 Minutes
The Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is a 2.5 mile paved promenade running along the sand, lined with cafes, ice cream stands and bike rentals, and it is the most walkable beachfront in Broward County. Take I-95 rather than US-1, which stops at every light. Parking garages a block back from the sand cost less than the lots on the water. Late afternoon beats midday, both for heat and for the crowd.
Everglades Holiday Park, Fort Lauderdale: About 40 Minutes
Everglades Holiday Park on Griffin Road runs roughly 60 minute airboat tours into the sawgrass, plus a live alligator presentation from the Gator Boys rescue team. It operates 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days, rain or shine, with the last boat leaving at 5 p.m. sharp and arrival recommended by 4:30. Take a morning tour: wildlife is more active and the open boat is punishing in afternoon heat.
Delray Beach and the Morikami Museum: About 40 Minutes
Delray Beach pairs a walkable Atlantic Avenue with the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, which is the most genuinely different day on this list. Morikami holds rotating exhibitions of Japanese art, the six historical gardens of Roji-en and a bonsai collection, and it closes Mondays and major holidays. The Cornell Cafe serves 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Yamato-kan building shuts through the summer because of the heat.
An Hour or More: The Trips That Argue for an Overnight
Rapids Water Park, Riviera Beach: About 55 Minutes
Rapids Water Park in Riviera Beach sits about 45 miles north and carries more than 40 slides and attractions, including the Mega Mayhem water coaster, a lazy river, a wave pool and two dedicated children's areas. A typical operating day runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the season continuing through November 2026. Height requirements apply on the bigger slides. Budget a full day plus close to two hours in the car, and leave before the park empties.
Miami, Wynwood to South Beach: About 60 to 75 Minutes
Miami is 40 to 45 miles south, and the drive time swings hard with traffic, which is the main thing to plan around. Pick one neighborhood rather than three: murals and galleries in Wynwood, Cuban food and cigar shops on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, or the Art Deco district and sand at South Beach. Parking in Wynwood and South Beach is genuinely difficult and expensive, so the Brightline train from Fort Lauderdale is worth pricing against a day of garages.
Key Largo and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park: About 1 Hour 50 Minutes
Key Largo is about 85 miles south and holds John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the closest reef snorkeling and glass bottom boat trips to Broward County. The drive runs roughly an hour and fifty minutes each way in normal conditions and considerably worse heading north on a Sunday afternoon. This is the one trip on the list that argues for an overnight rather than a same day return. Book boat trips before you drive, not after you arrive. Divers who go back often keep masks, fins and wetsuits in climate controlled storage in Margate rather than a garage, because neoprene and salt residue do not enjoy a South Florida summer.
Traffic, Parking and Hurricane Season Planning
Timing matters more than distance on almost every trip here. A 30 minute run to Fort Lauderdale Beach becomes 50 at 5 p.m. on a Friday, and left turns off State Road 7 and Atlantic Boulevard are the local frustration that eats the difference. Leave Margate before 9 a.m. or after 10 a.m. and most of the region opens up. Eat before you go, too, because Margate's restaurants are cheaper than anything at a beach or a mall.
Check Monday closures before committing. The Morikami Museum shuts on Mondays and major holidays, several county attractions run shorter shoulder season hours, and seasonal water features like Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters and the outdoor parks close for maintenance windows. Broward County parks charge for parking at weekends and on holidays, so keep a card handy at the gate.
Weather runs the calendar from June through October. Atlantic hurricane season officially runs June 1 to November 30, peaks on September 10, and concentrates most of its activity between mid August and mid October, according to the NOAA National Hurricane Center. Margate is inland and 13 feet above sea level, so surge is not the local threat, but wind, power cuts and canal flooding are. Plan outdoor trips for the morning in summer, keep the afternoon indoors, and consider travel insurance for a September or October visit. Ahead of a storm, the patio furniture, bikes and beach gear that live outside have to go somewhere, and a 5×5 locker is enough for most of it. The best time to visit Margate guide breaks the year down month by month.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is it from Fort Lauderdale to Margate, Florida?
Margate sits about 14 miles northwest of downtown Fort Lauderdale, which is roughly 30 minutes in normal traffic and closer to 45 during the evening rush. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is about 20 minutes away, per the City of Margate. Most visitors staying in Margate drive to the beach rather than the other way around.
Are Pompano Beach and Margate, FL the same?
No. Pompano Beach and Margate are separate Broward County cities about nine miles apart. Margate is inland, 7.5 miles from the Atlantic, with no beach of its own. Pompano Beach is the coastal city directly east along Atlantic Boulevard and is where most Margate residents go for the ocean, the pier and beachfront dining.
What to do in Margate for a day?
For a full day without leaving the area, start with Butterfly World and Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, about 10 minutes north, then break for lunch back in Margate. Spend the afternoon at Fern Forest Nature Center or drive 20 minutes east to Pompano Beach. That combination gives you gardens, a big park, a nature preserve and the ocean inside one tank of gas.
What are some good senior trips in Florida?
The gentlest day trips from Margate are the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Flamingo Gardens in Davie, and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, all of which involve short walks and plenty of shade or air conditioning. Margate's Northwest Focal Point Senior Center also organizes group day trips for adults 60 and over, which removes the driving and parking problem entirely.
Which month is the nicest in Florida?
February is the most comfortable month in Margate: an average high near 78F, a low near 61F and just under two inches of rain, the driest month of the year on NOAA's 30 year normals. April is a close second, with the clearest skies. The comfortable stretch runs November through May, and the worst of the heat and rain falls between June and September.
Storage for the Gear a Day Trip Habit Creates
Days out in South Florida quietly accumulate equipment: coolers, folding chairs, snorkel sets, bikes, beach carts and the clubs that come out twice a month. Value Store It's Margate facility rents month to month with no long term contract and is open seven days a week, so a Sunday drop off on the way home from the beach is realistic. The lineup starts small and scales up: a 10×5 unit takes bikes and paddles without swallowing the garage, and a 5×15 unit suits long gear like boards and fishing rods. When a move or a renovation is the reason, 10×15 units and 10×20 storage units hold a full household, and the 10×30 unit is the largest Margate offers for a big house or a small business's stock. If you are unsure what fits, the storage size guide sorts it out before you rent rather than after.
