Start with your actual starting point
Use the address you will leave from, whether that is your home, a hotel or somewhere else in South Florida. Map a separate journey to MIA and FLL rather than judging by the airport’s city name.
A nearby station, an easy lift or a workable parking arrangement may matter more than the distance between airports. Check access to the correct terminal, including walking, luggage and any assistance you need.
Understand the 20.9-mile comparison
FliteMaster’s catalog coordinates put MIA and FLL approximately 20.9 miles apart. These are straight-line distances between airports, not road mileage, train journeys or travel-time estimates.
Both airports are eligible in FliteMaster’s departure planner. Choosing one as your home-airport reference lets you explore nearby alternatives, but the radius starts at that selected home airport, not your house. Catalog eligibility does not establish a particular flight, airline or available fare.
Calculated from the OurAirports coordinate snapshot used by FliteMaster, retrieved October 18, 2026. The distance is rounded to one decimal place; the snapshot date is not a transport-service update.
Compare the complete rail-and-bus chain
For MIA, the airport identifies Metrorail, Tri-Rail and Metrobus connections at the Miami Intermodal Center. Include the MIA Mover connection when planning between the terminal area and those transport connections.
For FLL, Tri-Rail uses the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Station at Dania Beach, outside the terminal complex. Include the shuttle between that station and the airport rather than treating the train’s arrival as arrival at your terminal.
Count every change, wait and walk. Check the services for your travel day in both directions, especially for early departures or late returns.
Include the rental-car handoff
If you will return a rental car before flying, compare the journey to the rental facility and then onward to your terminal.
MIA’s Rental Car Center connects with the terminal area through the MIA Mover. At FLL, check the airport’s Rental Car Center instructions for the walking or shuttle connection that serves your terminal. Confirm the current instructions and your rental company’s return arrangements before setting your departure time.
Build one budget for the whole party
For each airport, add the ground journeys you will actually make: fuel, parking and tolls if driving, or transit tickets and quoted transfers if not. Count shared vehicle costs once and per-person charges for everyone who pays them.
Keep unknown amounts visible. If returning to a different airport, work out how you will collect a parked car or complete a rental return. Include any additional transfer or changed rental charge in that separate plan.
Recheck the return before choosing
A convenient outbound journey does not establish a convenient return. Check current schedules, service changes, pickup instructions and accessibility for both travel days.
When comparing flight quotes, hold the destination, dates, traveler count and cabin consistent, then review baggage, connections and terminal access. Choose the combination whose complete cost and effort work for you; a lower ticket price alone is not proof of savings.