Origin
Indian Rocks Beach, FL
Morning in Indian Rocks Beach on Sunday
Local time
7:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Indian Rocks Beach, FL to Tampa, FL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
26.9 mi
43 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Indian Rocks Beach, FL
Brent Singleton
Tampa, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Indian Rocks Beach to Tampa is 26.9 miles and takes about 43 minutes via I 275 and Ulmerton Road, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip between two locations within Florida. The drive primarily consists of mixed road types, offering a practical transition from coastal Florida to the urban environment of Tampa. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick excursion without requiring extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 275 | 11.7 mi | 15m |
| Ulmerton Road | 11.5 mi | 19m |
| Walsingham Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Gulf Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| 5th Avenue North | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Tampa Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Franklin Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Indian Rocks Causeway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 275
— 11.7 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Indian Rocks Beach, FL and Tampa, FL.
1
Start on Central Avenue
168 ft
·
19 sec
·
Central Avenue
2
Turn left onto FL 699
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Gulf Boulevard
3
Turn right onto FL 688
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
5th Avenue North
4
Continue on FL 688
461 ft
·
11 sec
·
Indian Rocks Causeway
5
Continue on FL 688
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Walsingham Road
6
Continue on FL 688
11 mi
·
17 min
·
Ulmerton Road
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp onto FL 688
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Ulmerton Road
Toward I 275 North: Tampa
8
Merge onto I 275
12 mi
·
15 min
·
I 275
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
386 ft
·
9 sec
Exit 44
Toward Downtown East, Downtown West
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward Downtown West, Ashley Drive, Tampa Street
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward Tampa Street, Seaport Aquarium, Amalie Arena, Harbour Island, Convention Center
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
12
Turn slight right onto US 41 Business
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
North Tampa Street
13
Turn left onto East Twiggs Street
282 ft
·
12 sec
·
East Twiggs Street
14
Turn right onto North Franklin Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
North Franklin Street
15
Turn right onto FL 60
174 ft
·
4 sec
·
East Kennedy Boulevard
16
Arrive at destination
FL 60
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 14.3 and 26.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
14.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
I 275
Merge onto I 275
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
26 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward Downtown East, Downtown West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 44
Toward Downtown East, Downtown West
9
26.1 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Downtown West, Ashley Drive, Tampa Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Downtown West, Ashley Drive, Tampa Stree...
9
26.4 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Tampa Street, Seaport Aquarium, Amalie Arena, Harbour Island, Convention Center
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward Tampa Street, Seaport Aquarium, Amalie A...
5
26.7 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
East Twiggs Street
Turn left onto East Twiggs Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.28 one way
$8.56 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $4.66 | $9.32 |
| premium | $4.72 | $5.00 | $10.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.94 | $11.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Tampa, FL
Morning in Tampa on Sunday
Local time
7:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
43m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 44% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on I 275, including one continuous segment of 11.7 miles, which provides a faster-paced driving experience. The remainder of the drive utilizes local roads like Ulmerton Road and Walsingham Road, offering a different pace and perspective. Expect the character of the drive to shift from highway speeds to more typical urban and suburban traffic as you approach Tampa.
44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.7 mi on I 275.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 14.3 miles in near I 275.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 26.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 14.3 miles (I 275): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 26.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.7 miles on I 275. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Tampa, FL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 14.3 miles (I 275): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Tampa, FL before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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