The best day trips from Margate, FL sort themselves by drive time, and nearly everything worth doing sits inside a 40-minute radius. A 10-minute drive north gets you about 20,000 butterflies and birds and a 625-acre park. Three different beaches sit 20 to 35 minutes away. 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, about 9 square miles of tree-lined streets and 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’re 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 from 7 to 9 a.m. and again from 4 to 6:30 p.m., so add 15 to 20 minutes if you travel then. If you’d rather stay put, the things to do in Margate guide covers what’s inside the city limits.
Under 15 Minutes: The Coconut Creek Cluster
Butterfly World, Coconut Creek: About 10 Minutes
Butterfly World on West Sample Road keeps about 20,000 butterflies and birds in open-air aviaries, along with hummingbird and lorikeet areas. The lorikeet feeding, cash only at $2 a cup, is the part children talk about afterward. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with final entry at 4 p.m. Come in the morning, when butterflies are most active, and in summer get your walk in before the afternoon storms build.
Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek: About 10 Minutes
Tradewinds Park runs to about 625 acres and is probably the most activity-packed regional park in Broward County. The north side of Sample Road holds the stables and the county’s educational farm, where farm tours, pony rides, the museum and the north playground have all been closed since July 2025 for long-term construction, though trail rides still run (Broward County Parks). A live steam model railroad runs there on the third Saturday and Sunday of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The next dates are September 19 and 20, October 17 and 18, and November 21 and 22, 2026, per the Tradewinds & Atlantic Railroad schedule. The south side has disc golf, a fishing lake and Butterfly World, so the two combine into one trip. The gate is free on weekdays and $3 per vehicle on weekends and County holidays (Broward County Parks). Plan a full day, because the two halves of the park sit on opposite sides of a busy road.
Fern Forest Nature Center, Coconut Creek: About 10 Minutes
Fern Forest Nature Center protects 244 acres of the Florida that development erased, with more than 30 fern species, a half-mile wheelchair-accessible boardwalk along Cypress Creek and a 1-mile Prairie Overlook Trail that climbs to an observation platform, according to Florida Hikes. Wading birds and turtles are realistic sightings. It’s open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and charges nothing, because Broward County’s gate fee applies at its regional parks and not at its nature centers (Broward County Parks). 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 more than 300 slots and eight more table games. Live music fills Legends Lounge, and bigger acts play The Stage at Coco. The gaming floor is for adults, so this is a grown-ups’ trip rather than a family one. Ask for the smoke-free pavilion if smoke bothers you.
20 to 25 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 9 miles straight east on Atlantic Boulevard, with a wide public beach, the Fisher Family Pier and a cluster of restaurants along the sand. Parking near the pier fills by midmorning on 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 is a 430-acre Broward County regional park with Ski Rixen’s cable water skiing, 7 miles of mountain bike trails, tent camping, fishing lakes and Splash Adventure, its seasonal water playground. The gate is free on weekdays and $3 per vehicle on weekends and County holidays (Broward County Parks). Splash Adventure runs a seasonal schedule that ends in summer, so confirm it’s open 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. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday only: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Weekends are busier and better stocked than weekdays. Designer brands and counterfeits are banned, so don’t make the drive looking for them. Bring cash and comfortable shoes.
Sawgrass Mills, Sunrise: About 25 Minutes
Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, off the Sawgrass Expressway, is what Simon calls the largest outlet and value retail destination in the United States. 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 aren’t. Furniture and home goods hauls are part of the appeal, and a 10×10 storage unit holds a one-bedroom apartment’s worth if a delivery lands before the room is ready.
Xtreme Action Park, Fort Lauderdale: About 25 Minutes
Xtreme Action Park packs more than 200,000 square feet with an indoor track running gas-powered European race karts, six full-size bowling lanes, a 12,000-square-foot roller rink, a ropes course and laser tag. It’s the single best bad-weather option within half an hour of Margate, which matters in a city that averages about 56 inches of rain a year, per HistoricalClimate. Karting carries height and age minimums, so check them before you promise a younger child a turn. Weekend afternoons are the crush.
30 to 40 Minutes: The Full Day Trips
Fort Lauderdale Beach and Las Olas Boulevard: About 30 Minutes
Fort Lauderdale Beach puts the A1A promenade along the sand, with Las Olas Boulevard 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 an easy 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 works best as a two-stop day. Sugar Sand Park holds the free Children’s Science Explorium, a science 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 afterward. Boca prices run noticeably above Margate’s, so set expectations before anyone orders.
Hollywood Beach Broadwalk: About 35 Minutes
The Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is a 2.5-mile paved promenade along the sand, lined with cafes, ice cream stands and bike rentals, and it’s one of the most walkable beachfronts 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 opens at 9 a.m. seven days a week, rain or shine, and the last boat leaves at 5 p.m. 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, the most genuinely different day on this list. Morikami holds rotating exhibitions of Japanese art, the six gardens of Roji-en and a bonsai collection. It’s open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays and major holidays. The Cornell Café serves 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. but is closed September 22 to 30, 2026, and the historic Yamato-kan building closes for the summer because of the heat.
About an Hour or More: The Longest Drives
Rapids Water Park, Riviera Beach: About 55 Minutes
Rapids Water Park in Riviera Beach carries more than 40 slides and attractions, including the Mega Mayhem water coaster, a lazy river, a wave pool and two dedicated kids’ play areas. It’s open weekends only through November, and hours vary by date, so check the park calendar before you go. Height requirements apply on the bigger slides. Budget a full day plus close to two hours in the car.
Miami, Wynwood to South Beach: About 60 to 75 Minutes
The drive to Miami 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 difficult and expensive, so Brightline from its Fort Lauderdale station is worth pricing against a day of garages.
Key Largo and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park: About 2 Hours
Key Largo holds John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, known for reef snorkeling and glass-bottom boat trips. The drive runs about two hours 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 don’t 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 7 a.m. or after 9 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 closing days before committing. The Morikami Museum shuts on Mondays and major holidays, the Swap Shop is closed Monday and Tuesday, and seasonal water features like Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters keep limited dates. Broward County’s regional parks, Quiet Waters and Tradewinds among them, charge $3 per vehicle at the gate on weekends and County holidays and nothing on weekdays, so keep a card handy.
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 isn’t the local threat, but wind, power outages 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 cushions, beach bags and small gear that live outside have to go somewhere, and a 5×5 locker, about the size of a small closet, takes boxes and seasonal gear. 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. 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, about 20 minutes away, and it’s 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 78°F, a low near 61°F and just under 2 inches of rain, the driest month of the year on NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals. April is a close second, with skies almost as clear. 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 holds the contents of one room, bikes and paddles included, and a 5×15 unit takes the contents of two rooms, with space for long gear like boards and fishing rods. When a move or a renovation is the reason, 10×15 units hold a two-bedroom apartment and 10×20 storage units a three-bedroom home, and the 10×30 unit, the largest Margate offers, fits a four-bedroom home or a small business’s stock. If you’re unsure what fits, the storage size guide sorts it out before you rent rather than after.
