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Trip from Saint Pete 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

31.2 mi

50 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

6 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
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.

coastal city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States

Saint Pete Beach, FL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Florida, United States

Tampa, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Saint Pete Beach to Tampa is a quick, straightforward journey covering 31.5 miles. You can comfortably complete this trip in about 37 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. Budgeting roughly $5 for fuel should cover your needs for this short hop across the Florida landscape. Since the entire route stays within the state, you won't experience significant regional shifts, but you will transition from the coastal environment of the beach to the urban center of Tampa. This drive is highly efficient, allowing you to move between these two hubs without the need for an overnight stay or complex planning.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 275 25.4 mi 31m
Pinellas Bayway 3.5 mi 6m
Gulf Boulevard 1.1 mi 2m
North Tampa Street 0.2 mi <1m
North Franklin Street 0.1 mi <1m
East Twiggs Street <0.1 mi <1m
East Kennedy Boulevard <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 275 — 25.4 mi, about 31m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Saint Pete Beach, FL and Tampa, FL.

1

Start on FL 699

1.1 mi · 2 min · Gulf Boulevard
2

Turn left onto FL 682

3.5 mi · 6 min · Pinellas Bayway
Use the straight lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 54 sec
Toward I 275 North: Tampa
4

Merge onto I 275

25 mi · 31 min · I 275
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

386 ft · 9 sec
Exit 44 Toward Downtown East, Downtown West Use the slight right lane.
6

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Toward Downtown West, Ashley Drive, Tampa Street Use the slight right lane.
7

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.
8

Turn slight right onto US 41 Business

0.2 mi · 54 sec · North Tampa Street
9

Turn left onto East Twiggs Street

282 ft · 12 sec · East Twiggs Street
10

Turn right onto North Franklin Street

0.1 mi · 31 sec · North Franklin Street
11

Turn right onto FL 60

174 ft · 4 sec · East Kennedy Boulevard
12

Arrive at destination

FL 60

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 30.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in | FL 682 / Pinellas Bayway

Turn left onto FL 682 / Pinellas Bayway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
5 mi into trip | ~9m in | I 275

Merge onto I 275

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
30.3 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
30.4 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
30.6 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...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.97 one way

$9.93 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $5.40 $10.80
premium $4.72 $5.80 $11.60
diesel $5.61 $6.89 $13.78

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.4 0 $3.28 $1.50
Efficient EV 7.8 0 $2.73 $1.25
EV Truck/SUV 12.5 0 $4.37 $2.00

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 Mar 8, 2022

Origin

Saint Pete Beach, FL

Afternoon in Saint Pete Beach on Sunday

Local time

2:07 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Tampa, FL

Afternoon in Tampa on Sunday

Local time

2:07 PM

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

3 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

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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. You will navigate a series of roads starting with the Pinellas Bayway, moving through I-275 North, and finishing via Downtown East. Because the highway share is 0%, you won't encounter long, mindless stretches of open road; in fact, the longest uninterrupted stretch is 0 miles on the Pinellas Bayway. The route changes character as you progress from the quieter beach surroundings into the more structured grid of the city. Be prepared for a dynamic experience behind the wheel where the road surface and traffic patterns shift frequently.

81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.4 mi on I 275.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 275 and Pinellas Bayway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near FL 682 / Pinellas Bayway.

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 31.2 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 1.1 miles (FL 682 / Pinellas Bayway): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (I 275): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

About the Cities

Starting in Saint Pete Beach, FL

Full guide →

St. Pete Beach is a city near Saint Petersburg in Tampa Bay in the state of Florida. St. Pete Beach occupies an island which is located on the southern end of a chain of barrier islands on the Gulf of Mexico stretching from Clearwater to Pass-A-Grille Beach.

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 43m. Total distance: 31.2 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 (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 25.4 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 1.1 miles (FL 682 / Pinellas Bayway): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (I 275): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.3 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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