The distance from Tampa to St. Petersburg in Florida is roughly 20–26 miles (about 32–42 km), depending on your exact start and end points in each city.

Quick Scoop

  • By car, most routes clock in at about 23–26 miles and usually take around 25–35 minutes in normal traffic via I‑275.
  • Some guides round it to “about 25 miles (40 km)” since the cities sit on opposite sides of Tampa Bay.
  • Point‑to‑point or “as‑the‑crow‑flies” distances land closer to 17–20 miles, but you’ll almost always be using bridges and highways, so the driving distance is a bit longer.

Different ways to measure it

Here’s how various sources describe how far St. Petersburg is from Tampa:

[9][5][1] [1] [8][7][9] [3]
Type of distance Approx. miles Approx. km Notes
Typical city-to-city drive 23–26 mi 37–42 km Commonly quoted range for downtown-to- downtown via I‑275.
“About 25 miles” figure ≈25 mi ≈40 km Frequently used rounded estimate in travel articles.
Shortest straight-line (map) distance ≈18–20 mi ≈29–32 km Direct line between the cities, not actual driving route.
Airport-to-airport by road (TPA→PIE) ≈14–15 mi ≈23 km Driving distance between Tampa Intl. and St. Pete–Clearwater airports.

In practical terms, if you’re planning a visit, think of it as roughly a half‑hour hop across the bay by car on most days.

TL;DR: How far is St. Petersburg from Tampa? Around 25 miles by road, give or take a few miles depending on your exact route.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.