Drive or Fly: Apollo Beach, FL to St. Petersburg, FL?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for TPA–PIE. At 37 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

45m

Distance

37.2 mi

Total Cost

$43

CO2

15 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$8

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 40m

2m in the air

Air Distance

17 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

4 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Apollo Beach, FL → TPA 24m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PIE → St. Petersburg, FL 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Apollo Beach, FL TPA — Tampa International Airport 16 mi, ~24m drive

St. Petersburg, FL PIE — St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport 10 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TPA and PIE. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

1h 49m

40m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Apollo Beach, FL → Tampa 19m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 40m

Arrival 10m

St. Petersburg → St. Petersburg, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From Tampa 13 mi, ~19m drive

To St. Petersburg 5 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 2 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 30m

35m on road

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

FlixBus 2421

Door-to-Door Timeline

Apollo Beach, FL → Tampa Bus Station (TPA6) 20m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 35m

Arrival 10m

St. Petersburg (FL) (4SP) → St. Petersburg, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From TPA6 — Tampa Bus Station 13 mi, ~20m drive

To 4SP — St. Petersburg (FL) 2 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~21/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	45m	2h 40m	1h 49m	1h 30m
Total cost (1 person)	$43	$121	$3	$2
Carbon footprint	15 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Apollo Beach, FL to St. Petersburg, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.