Drive or Fly: Carrollwood, FL to Clearwater, 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 24 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

41m

Distance

24.6 mi

Total Cost

$40

CO2

10 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$5

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 24m

2m in the air

Air Distance

20 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

5 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Carrollwood, FL → TPA 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PIE → Clearwater, FL 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Carrollwood, FL TPA — Tampa International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

Clearwater, FL PIE — St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport 8 mi, ~12m 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 50m

40m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Carrollwood, FL → Tampa 11m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 40m

Arrival 10m

St. Petersburg → Clearwater, FL 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From Tampa 7 mi, ~11m drive

To St. Petersburg 13 mi, ~19m 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	41m	2h 24m	1h 50m
Total cost (1 person)	$40	$121	$3
Carbon footprint	10 kg CO₂	5 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 — 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

24.6 mi 41m

via FL 60, FL 589 Toll

Shortest (+3 min)

24.2 mi 44m

via West Linebaugh Avenue

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Carrollwood, FL to Clearwater, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.