Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 55m
Distance
264.9 mi
426 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$41
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
South Miami Heights, FL
Wikimedia Commons
St. Petersburg, FL to South Miami Heights, FL is 264.9 miles and takes about 4h 55m via I 75 and Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $41 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Florida, taking you from the Gulf Coast region down towards South Florida. Given the mostly highway profile, it's a straightforward trip suitable for a single day of driving. Expect a fairly direct path with minimal detours, making it a practical choice if you need to cover this distance efficiently.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
132.4 miles from St. Petersburg, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 26m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 75 | 203.8 mi | 3h 38m |
| Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike | 20.7 mi | 24m |
| US 27 | 17.9 mi | 22m |
| Sunshine Skyway Bridge | 13.4 mi | 15m |
| I 275 | 6 mi | 8m |
| 31st Street South | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Southwest 184th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Central Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 92 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~2,831 veh/hr typical · worst 3,554
Quietest
2 AM
~187 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between St. Petersburg, FL and South Miami Heights, 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
Keep slight left at fork onto I 275
Merge onto I 75
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto US 27
Keep slight right at fork onto US 27
Take the exit
Merge onto Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike
Take the exit
Turn right onto Southwest 184th Street
Arrive at destination
For this 4h 55m drive, leaving St. Petersburg in the morning is recommended to maximize daylight. The route is designed for a single day, so you won't need to plan for an overnight stay. With only one recommended stop, flexibility is key; you can make your stop whenever you feel the need for a break. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially as you get closer to South Florida, and be aware that the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike may have tolls. Plan your fuel stops accordingly, perhaps before you get too deep into the turnpike section.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 58 miles or 1h 6m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 132.4 miles or 2h 26m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 57m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near South Miami Heights, FL than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving St. Petersburg, FL so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from St. Petersburg, FL
This is one driving day of about 264.9 miles and 4h 55m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
132 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 58 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 132.4 miles from St. Petersburg, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 75 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 203.8 miles.
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 264.4 — 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
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto US 27
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward SR 994: Eureka Drive, Quail Roost Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$40.97 one way
$81.93 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.30 | $44.87 | $89.73 |
| premium | $4.63 | $48.25 | $96.49 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $58.39 | $116.79 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.18
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$41
Tolls
$2
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$68–$93
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 92.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $28 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 79.5 | 0 | $27.81 | $12.72 |
| Efficient EV | 66.2 | 0 | $23.18 | $10.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 106 | 1 | $37.09 | $16.95 |
Gas CO2
93 kg
EV CO2
31 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Wednesday
Local time
4:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
90°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Late night in South Miami Heights on Wednesday
Local time
4:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
91°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Memorial
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Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This is predominantly a highway drive, with 94% of the 264.9 miles on major roads. You'll experience a long stretch of 203.8 miles on I 75 before transitioning to other highways. The density of exits on the main highways can be quite high, requiring constant attention as you approach more populated areas.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 75 and Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike. 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.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 264.9 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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 49.2 miles (I 75): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
45 ft
Total Descent
79 ft
Highest Point
45 ft
~75.7 mi in
Elevation Range
37 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between St. Petersburg, FL and South Miami Heights, FL, road signs point toward Bay, Florida's Turnpike South: Homestead and Key West.
Bay
Florida's Turnpike South: Homestead
Key West
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 4h 55m. Total distance: 264.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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