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Trip from St. Petersburg, FL to South Sarasota, FL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

57m

Distance

38.9 mi

63 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 53m ★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m

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

Best Time
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city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States

St. Petersburg, FL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown South Sarasota, FL, FL

South Sarasota, FL

Jeffrey Eisen

Trip Overview

The drive from St. Petersburg, FL to South Sarasota, FL covers 38.9 miles and takes about 57m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on 1st Street West, Sunshine Skyway Bridge, I 275 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13 miles on 1st Street West. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.02 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
1st Street West 13 mi 21m
Sunshine Skyway Bridge 9.7 mi 11m
I 275 4.9 mi 5m
US 19 3.1 mi 4m
Tamiami Trail 3 mi 4m
South Tamiami Trail 3 mi 5m
31st Street South 0.7 mi 1m
Hernando DeSoto Bridge 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: 1st Street West — 13 mi, about 21m

Traffic on I-275

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

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 79 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between St. Petersburg, FL and South Sarasota, FL.

1

Start on US 19

48 ft · 5 sec · 34th Street South
2

Turn right onto CR 150

0.2 mi · 50 sec · Central Avenue
3

Turn right onto 31st Street South

0.7 mi · 1 min · 31st Street South
4

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
5

Merge onto I 275

4.9 mi · 5 min · I 275
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 17 sec
7

Merge onto I 275; US 19

9.7 mi · 11 min · Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit onto US 19

3.1 mi · 4 min · US 19
Exit 5 Toward US 19 South: Palmetto, Bradenton Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on US 41

3.0 mi · 4 min · Tamiami Trail
10

Continue on US 41; US 301

0.4 mi · 37 sec · Hernando DeSoto Bridge
11

Continue on US 41; US 301

1.0 mi · 1 min · 1st Street West
12

Keep slight left at fork onto US 301

12 mi · 19 min · 1st Street West
13

Continue on US 41

3.0 mi · 5 min · South Tamiami Trail
14

Turn right onto Fiesta Drive

0.1 mi · 33 sec · Fiesta Drive
15

Arrive at destination

Fiesta Drive

Where to Stop

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

county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bradenton, FL

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.

Pacing Suggestions

Ridge Wood Heights, FL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Palmetto, FL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.5 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.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16.3 — 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 | CR 150 / Central Avenue

Turn right onto CR 150 / Central Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | 31st Street South

Turn right onto 31st Street South

Navigation decision point

5
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 275

Merge onto I 275

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
6.7 mi into trip | ~9m in | I 275; US 19 / Sunshine Skyway Bridge

Merge onto I 275; US 19 / Sunshine Skyway Bridge

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
16.3 mi into trip | ~20m in | US 19

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 5 Toward US 19 South: Palmetto, Bradenton

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.02 one way

$12.03 round trip

$3.93/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.30 $6.59 $13.18
premium $4.63 $7.08 $14.17
diesel $5.60 $8.57 $17.15

Estimated Tolls: $0.68

Sunshine Skyway Bridge (9.7 mi) $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: 13.6 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 11.7 0 $4.08 $1.87
Efficient EV 9.7 0 $3.40 $1.56
EV Truck/SUV 15.6 0 $5.45 $2.49

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Sep 2, 2026

Origin

St. Petersburg, FL

Night in St. Petersburg on Friday

Local time

11:19 PM

EDT

Current temp

76°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy

ENE 3 to 7 mph 68% chance Live forecast

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued September 1 at 11:12PM EDT until September 3 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Jacksonville FL

Destination

South Sarasota, FL

Night in South Sarasota on Friday

Local time

11:19 PM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Mostly Cloudy

ENE 5 mph 7% chance Live forecast

Rip Current Statement

Rip Current Statement issued September 1 at 11:12PM EDT until September 3 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Jacksonville 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

1 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

57m 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?

38.9 mi in 57m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 21% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13 mi on 1st Street West.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 early in the drive near CR 150 / Central Avenue.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 38.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 150 / Central Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (31st Street South): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (I 275): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

52 ft 0 ft

Total Climb

75 ft

Total Descent

103 ft

Highest Point

52 ft

~25 mi in

Elevation Range

52 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

On the drive from St. Petersburg, FL to South Sarasota, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Bradenton along the way.

Bradenton

16.3 mi in | ~20m | via US 19

About the Cities

Starting in St. Petersburg, FL

Full guide →

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

  • • Salvador Dalí Museum — art museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
  • • Vinoy Park Hotel — historic hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
  • • Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA — museum in St. Petersburg, Florida

Arriving in South Sarasota, FL

Full guide →

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 57m. Total distance: 38.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

57m 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 13 miles on 1st Street West. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.68 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 South Sarasota, 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 (CR 150 / Central Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (31st Street South): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (I 275): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at South Sarasota, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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