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Trip from Palmetto, FL to Clearwater, FL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

59m

Distance

41.8 mi

67 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 55m ★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Manatee County, Florida, United States

Palmetto, FL

Wikimedia Commons

county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, United States

Clearwater, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking to travel from Palmetto to Clearwater, you are in for a quick 43.3-mile journey that typically takes about 52 minutes. This trip is best suited for a single-day excursion, as it is short enough to complete without an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via 10th Street West, 8th Avenue West, and Valencia Drive rather than sticking to major interstates. With a fuel budget of approximately $7, it is an affordable way to move between these two Florida locations. Because this route avoids highways entirely, it offers a more localized experience compared to typical high-speed transit.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Sunshine Skyway Bridge 19.5 mi 22m
US Highway 19 North 9.1 mi 12m
US 19 3.6 mi 4m
Gulf to Bay Boulevard 2.7 mi 5m
Court Street 1.5 mi 3m
U.S. Business 41 1.1 mi 1m
54th Avenue North 0.9 mi 1m
8th Avenue West 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Sunshine Skyway Bridge — 19.5 mi, about 22m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Palmetto, FL and Clearwater, FL.

1

Start on this road

56 ft · 6 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto 10th Street West

191 ft · 8 sec · 10th Street West
3

Turn right onto US 41 Business

0.8 mi · 1 min · 8th Avenue West
4

Continue on US 41 Business

501 ft · 9 sec · Valencia Drive
5

Enter roundabout onto US 41 Business

119 ft · 2 sec · U.S. Business 41
6

Continue on US 41 Business

1.0 mi · 1 min · U.S. Business 41
Use the straight lane.
7

Merge onto US 41

0.3 mi · 25 sec · Tamiami Trail
8

Turn straight onto US 19

2.4 mi · 3 min · US 19
Use the left lane.
9

Take the exit onto US 19

1.2 mi · 1 min · US 19
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 19 sec
11

Merge onto I 275; US 19

19 mi · 22 min · Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Exit 26B Toward 54th Avenue North Westbound Use the slight right lane.
13

Turn straight onto 54th Avenue North

0.9 mi · 1 min · 54th Avenue North
Use the straight lane.
14

Turn right onto US 19

0.6 mi · 1 min · 34th Street North
15

Continue on US 19

9.1 mi · 12 min · US Highway 19 North
Use the left lane.
16

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Toward FL 60: Seville Boulevard, Gulf To Bay Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Continue on US 19 Northbound Frontage Road

0.4 mi · 53 sec · US 19 Northbound Frontage Road
18

Continue on Northbound Frontage Road

0.2 mi · 25 sec · Northbound Frontage Road
19

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 19 sec
Use the left lane.
20

Continue on FL 60

2.7 mi · 5 min · Gulf to Bay Boulevard
21

Continue on FL 60

1.5 mi · 3 min · Court Street
Use the straight lane.
22

Turn right onto South Ft Harrison Avenue

0.2 mi · 39 sec · South Ft Harrison Avenue
Use the right lane.
23

Arrive at destination

North Fort Harrison Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

St. Petersburg, FL

21 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Largo, FL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 41.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

St. Petersburg, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.9 miles from Palmetto, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 37.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | 10th Street West

Turn right onto 10th Street West

Navigation decision point

5
0.9 mi into trip | ~2m in | US 41 Business / U.S. Business 41

Enter roundabout onto US 41 Business / U.S. Business 41

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

7
25.6 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward 54th Avenue North Westbound

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 26B Toward 54th Avenue North Westbound
7
36.5 mi into trip | ~48m in

Take the exit toward FL 60: Seville Boulevard, Gulf To Bay

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward FL 60: Seville Boulevard, Gulf To Bay
6
37.2 mi into trip | ~49m in

Take the exit

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

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.65 one way

$13.31 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $7.24 $14.48
premium $4.72 $7.77 $15.54
diesel $5.61 $9.23 $18.46

Estimated Tolls: $1.36

Sunshine Skyway Bridge (19.5 mi) $1.36

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$1

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.5 0 $4.39 $2.01
Efficient EV 10.5 0 $3.66 $1.67
EV Truck/SUV 16.7 0 $5.85 $2.68

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Apr 12, 2026

Origin

Palmetto, FL

Morning in Palmetto on Sunday

Local time

10:52 AM

EDT

Current temp

87°F

Sunny

E 7 to 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued April 12 at 2:27AM EDT until April 13 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Miami FL

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued April 12 at 2:22AM EDT until April 14 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Melbourne FL

Destination

Clearwater, FL

Morning in Clearwater on Sunday

Local time

10:52 AM

EDT

Current temp

85°F

Sunny

E 7 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued April 12 at 2:27AM EDT until April 13 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Miami FL

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued April 12 at 2:22AM EDT until April 14 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Melbourne FL

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

2 degrees cooler at arrival

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

Road read

59m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 rather than a monotonous interstate grind, as this route features zero highway miles. You will spend the entire 52 minutes navigating local surface streets, which requires more active attention than a typical highway cruise. Because the route is composed of smaller roads, there are no long, uninterrupted stretches to settle into. Instead, the character of the drive remains consistent and technical from start to finish. You should prepare for a steady pace that relies on navigating city infrastructure rather than cruising at high speeds.

31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.5 mi on Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 early in the drive near 10th Street West.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 15 decision points packed into just 41.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (10th Street West): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (US 41 Business / U.S. Business 41): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 25.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

74 ft -2 ft

Total Climb

160 ft

Total Descent

143 ft

Highest Point

74 ft

~38.4 mi in

Elevation Range

76 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Palmetto, FL and Clearwater, FL, road signs point toward 54Th Avenue North Westbound and Gulf To Bay.

54Th Avenue North Westbound

25.6 mi in | ~31m

Gulf To Bay

36.5 mi in | ~48m

About the Cities

Arriving in Clearwater, FL

Full guide →

Clearwater is a city in Pinellas County, a region in Florida. Perhaps most easily recognized as the headquarters city of the Church of Scientology, Clearwater also has miles of beautiful beaches and close proximity to other cities in the Tampa Bay area.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 59m. Total distance: 41.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

59m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 19.5 miles on Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.36 in tolls one way, starting with Sunshine Skyway Bridge. 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 Clearwater, 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: near the start (10th Street West): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (US 41 Business / U.S. Business 41): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 25.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Clearwater, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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