Drive or Fly: Miami Lakes, FL to St. Petersburg, FL?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for OPF–PIE. At 251 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 36m

Distance

251 mi

Total Cost

$82

CO2

101 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$47

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 47m

23m in the air

Air Distance

195 mi

Total Cost

$183

CO2

50 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Miami Lakes, FL → OPF 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 23m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PIE → St. Petersburg, FL 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $128) $128

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Miami Lakes, FL OPF — Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive

St. Petersburg, FL PIE — St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport 10 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OPF and PIE. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

7h 35m

6h 10m on road

Total Cost

$22

CO2

15 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Miami Lakes, FL → Miami Golden Glades (4MN) 30m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 370m

Arrival 10m

St. Petersburg (FL) (4SP) → St. Petersburg, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $22) $22

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From 4MN — Miami Golden Glades 0 mi, ~30m drive

To 4SP — St. Petersburg (FL) 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Bus
Door-to-door time	4h 36m	2h 47m	7h 35m
Total cost (1 person)	$82	$183	$22
Carbon footprint	101 kg CO₂	50 kg CO₂	15 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Jul 20, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Miami Lakes, FL to St. Petersburg, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.