Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
8h 23m
Distance
456.8 mi
735 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$71
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tampa, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Pace, FL
Wikimedia Commons
Tampa to Pace is 456.8 miles and takes about 8h 23m via I-75 and I-10, with a fuel budget near $70 and enough daylight to finish in a day, though an overnight is recommended. This trip stays within Florida, heading north through the state's interior and then west along the panhandle. With 97% of the drive on highways, expect a fairly direct path with minimal time spent on local roads. This route is best for those prioritizing speed and efficiency in covering the distance.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
228.4 miles from Tampa, FL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 8m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 10 | 264.6 mi | 4h 43m |
| I 75 | 160.3 mi | 2h 51m |
| I 275 | 17 mi | 20m |
| Caroline Street | 12.2 mi | 21m |
| FL 87 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| North Ashley Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Kennedy Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 76 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,325 veh/hr typical · worst 1,879
Quietest
2 AM
~158 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Tampa, FL and Pace, FL.
Start on FL 60
Turn right onto North Ashley Drive
Take the ramp
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 275
Merge onto I 75
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 10
Take the exit
Turn right onto FL 87
Turn left onto US 90; FL 87
Arrive at destination
For an 8h 23m drive, consider splitting this trip into two days to avoid fatigue. Leaving early in the morning on your first day will allow you to cover a significant portion, perhaps 4-5 hours of driving, before stopping for the night. The longest stretch is over 264 miles on I-10, so plan your fuel stops accordingly before entering that segment. With a $70 fuel budget, keep an eye on gas prices as you travel north and west.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 100 miles or 1h 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 228.4 miles or 4h 8m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 228.4 miles or 4h 8m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 9m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Pace, FL than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Tampa, 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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Tampa, FL
Aim for roughly 228 miles and 4.2 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Pace, FL
Aim for roughly 228 miles and 4.2 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
228 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Tallahassee, FLNight 1
228 mi · about 4.2h in
A practical overnight split lands near Tallahassee, FL after about 228 miles or 4.2 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 100 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 228.4 miles from Tampa, FL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 10 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 264.6 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 228 miles or 4.2 hours on the road.
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 0.1 and 178.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto North Ashley Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward I 275 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 275
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 10: Jacksonville, Tallahassee
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 West: Tallahassee
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$70.64 one way
$141.28 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.30 | $77.37 | $154.74 |
| premium | $4.63 | $83.20 | $166.39 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $100.69 | $201.39 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$71
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$201–$311
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 159.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $48 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 137 | 1 | $47.96 | $21.93 |
| Efficient EV | 114.2 | 1 | $39.97 | $18.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 182.7 | 2 | $63.95 | $29.24 |
Gas CO2
160 kg
EV CO2
53 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Evening in Tampa on Thursday
Local time
8:03 PM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Evening in Pace on Thursday
Local time
7:03 PM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Mostly Cloudy
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Seashore
Millions of visitors are drawn to the Gulf of America for Gulf Islands National Seashore's emerald coast waters, magnificent white beaches, fertile marshes and historical landscapes. Come explore with...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
You'll spend almost all your time on major interstates, with 97% of the 456.8-mile trip on highways. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 264.6 miles on I-10. Given this profile, anticipate frequent exits and merges as you navigate the interstate system, especially around urban areas. The drive transitions to surface roads only for the final 3% of the mileage.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 10 and I 75. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North Ashley Drive.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 10 significant decision points across 456.8 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: at 0.1 miles (North Ashley Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (I 275): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
388 ft
Total Descent
345 ft
Highest Point
216 ft
~293.7 mi in
Elevation Range
201 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Tampa, FL to Pace, FL, road signs begin pointing toward Tallahassee along the way.
Tallahassee
Founded 1823
The city of Tampa is the county seat of Hillsborough County and the largest city on Florida's West Coast.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
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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