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Trip from Palm Harbor, 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

39m

Distance

23.9 mi

39 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

unincorporated community in Pinellas County, Florida, United States

Palm Harbor, FL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Florida, United States

Tampa, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 28.4-mile drive from Palm Harbor to Tampa, Florida, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 40 minutes. Designed as a single-day adventure, it requires no overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $5, making it an economical option. You'll navigate primarily through local streets, with no highway segments, suggesting a more connected-to-the-ground travel experience. This route is ideal for those looking for a straightforward and budget-friendly excursion within the Florida region.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tampa Road 6.2 mi 10m
West Hillsborough Avenue 4.9 mi 7m
I 275 4.2 mi 5m
Memorial Highway 3.4 mi 5m
Nebraska Avenue 1.5 mi 2m
US Highway 19 0.8 mi 1m
Independence Parkway 0.6 mi 1m
Veterans Expressway 0.6 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Tampa Road — 6.2 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Palm Harbor, FL and Tampa, FL.

1

Start on Florida Avenue

71 ft · 5 sec · Florida Avenue
2

Turn right onto Omaha Street

357 ft · 14 sec · Omaha Street
3

Turn right onto CR 776

1.5 mi · 2 min · Nebraska Avenue
4

Turn right onto US 19

0.8 mi · 1 min · US Highway 19
5

Turn left onto CR 752

6.2 mi · 10 min · Tampa Road
Use the left lane.
6

Continue on FL 580

4.9 mi · 7 min · West Hillsborough Avenue
Use the left lane.
7

Turn right onto CR 576

1.9 mi · 3 min · Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
8

Turn slight right onto Independence Parkway

0.6 mi · 1 min · Independence Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min
10

Merge onto FL 589 Toll

0.6 mi · 51 sec · Veterans Expressway
Toward FL 60: Tampa, Saint Petersburg
11

Continue on FL 60

0.2 mi · 13 sec · Memorial Highway
Toward FL 60: Tampa, St. Petersburg
12

Keep slight left at fork onto FL 60

1.4 mi · 2 min · Memorial Highway
Toward FL 60: Tampa, St. Petersburg Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 45 sec
Toward I 275 North: Tampa Use the slight right lane.
14

Merge onto I 275

4.2 mi · 5 min · I 275
Toward I 275: Tampa Use the straight lane.
15

Take the exit

386 ft · 9 sec
Exit 44 Toward Downtown East, Downtown West Use the slight right lane.
16

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Toward Downtown West, Ashley Drive, Tampa Street Use the slight right lane.
17

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.
18

Turn slight right onto US 41 Business

0.2 mi · 54 sec · North Tampa Street
19

Turn left onto East Twiggs Street

282 ft · 12 sec · East Twiggs Street
20

Turn right onto North Franklin Street

0.1 mi · 31 sec · North Franklin Street
21

Turn right onto FL 60

174 ft · 4 sec · East Kennedy Boulevard
22

Arrive at destination

FL 60

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 17.3 and 23.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
17.3 mi into trip | ~28m in | FL 60 / Memorial Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto FL 60 / Memorial Highway toward FL 60: Tampa, St. Petersburg

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward FL 60: Tampa, St. Petersburg
6
18.6 mi into trip | ~30m in

Take the exit toward I 275 North: Tampa

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 275 North: Tampa
8
23 mi into trip | ~37m 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
23.1 mi into trip | ~37m 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
23.4 mi into trip | ~37m 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...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.80 one way

$7.61 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $4.14 $8.28
premium $4.72 $4.44 $8.89
diesel $5.61 $5.28 $10.55

Estimated Tolls: $0.05

Veterans Expressway (0.6 mi) $0.05

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$0

Total

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.2 0 $2.51 $1.15
Efficient EV 6 0 $2.09 $0.96
EV Truck/SUV 9.6 0 $3.35 $1.53

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Palm Harbor, FL

Late night in Palm Harbor on Sunday

Local time

5:55 AM

EDT

Current temp

65°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Tampa, FL

Late night in Tampa on Sunday

Local time

5:55 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.

Temperature spread

1 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

39m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, characterized by its lack of highway travel. With a 0% highway share, you'll be immersed in the local road network for the entire 28.4 miles. While there isn't a designated 'longest stretch' of uninterrupted driving, the constant engagement with local streets means you'll be navigating turns and intersections frequently. This drive offers a continuous connection to the landscape and community, rather than a high-speed transit experience.

Only 26% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.2 mi on Tampa Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 17.3 miles in near FL 60 / Memorial Highway.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 17.3 miles (FL 60 / Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Palm Harbor, FL and Tampa, FL, road signs point toward Saint Petersburg and St. Petersburg.

Saint Petersburg

16.5 mi in | ~27m | via FL 589 Toll

St. Petersburg

17.1 mi in | ~28m | via FL 60

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 23.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 6.2 miles on Tampa Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.05 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans Expressway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

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 17.3 miles (FL 60 / Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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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