Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
38.6 mi
62 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
St. Petersburg, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Longboat Key, FL
Ethan Essig
St. Petersburg, FL to Longboat Key, FL is 38.6 miles and takes about 1 hour via I-275, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Florida, transitioning from the urban environment of St. Petersburg to the coastal areas near Longboat Key. The majority of the route utilizes surface roads, offering a more local feel rather than a high-speed interstate experience. Given its short duration, this trip is easily manageable as a single-day excursion, allowing for flexibility in your departure time. Plan for a straightforward drive with minimal travel time.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Skyway Bridge | 9.7 mi | 11m |
| Cortez Road | 8.6 mi | 16m |
| I 275 | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| US 19 | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Tamiami Trail | 3 mi | 4m |
| Gulf of Mexico Drive | 3 mi | 4m |
| 1st Street West | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Gulf Drive South | 1.6 mi | 3m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,681 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~127 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
21.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 79 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between St. Petersburg, FL and Longboat Key, FL.
Start on US 19
Turn right onto CR 150
Turn right onto 31st Street South
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 275
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 275; US 19
Take the exit onto US 19
Continue on US 41
Continue on US 41; US 301
Continue on US 41; US 301
Keep slight right at fork onto US 41
Continue on US 41
At end of road, turn left onto FL 789
Enter roundabout onto FL 789
Continue on FL 789
Continue on FL 789
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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.
A short stop after about 38.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 19.3 miles from St. Petersburg, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 23.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto CR 150 / Central Avenue
Navigation decision point
Merge onto I 275
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 275; US 19 / Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto US 19 toward US 19 South: Palmetto, Bradenton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto US 41 / 1st Street West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.97 one way
$11.94 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.30 | $6.54 | $13.08 |
| premium | $4.63 | $7.03 | $14.06 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $8.51 | $17.02 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.68
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.05 | $1.85 |
| Efficient EV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.38 | $1.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.4 | 0 | $5.40 | $2.47 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in St. Petersburg on Sunday
Local time
1:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
92°F
Mostly Sunny then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Late night in Longboat Key on Sunday
Local time
1:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
89°F
Sunny then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This route is primarily surface roads, with only 21% of the drive on highways like I-275. You'll experience a longest stretch of 9.7 miles on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which will likely offer expansive views. After leaving the interstate, expect to navigate through local traffic and intersections. The shift to surface roads means you'll notice more frequent changes in speed limits and potentially more varied scenery as you get closer to your destination.
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 early in the drive near CR 150 / Central Avenue.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 38.6 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 150 / Central Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (I 275): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (I 275; US 19 / Sunshine Skyway Bridge): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
56 ft
Total Descent
89 ft
Highest Point
43 ft
Elevation Range
44 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from St. Petersburg, FL to Longboat Key, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Bradenton along the way.
Bradenton
Founded 1876
Saint Petersburg sits at the base of the Tampa Bay peninsula in Pinellas County, Florida, and enjoys a more subdued social atmosphere than its larger cousin, Tampa. The city has tried to characterize the downtown as an arts and entertainments destination and you will find no shortage of arts and crafts stores, galleries, and museums along with cafes and boutique food shops all within a couple blocks of the Tampa Bay waterfront. With water on three sides of the city, St. Pete is a superb location for fishing, sailing, and wandering beaches.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 38.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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