Drive or Fly: Sunshine Ranches, 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 OPF–PIE. At 238 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 25m

Distance

238.6 mi

Total Cost

$88

CO2

96 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$53

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 52m

23m in the air

Air Distance

188 mi

Total Cost

$183

CO2

48 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunshine Ranches, FL → OPF 15m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 23m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PIE → St. Petersburg, FL 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $128) $128

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Sunshine Ranches, FL OPF — Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport 10 mi, ~15m drive

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

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OPF 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

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

6h 15m

5h 25m on road

Total Cost

$21

CO2

11 kg

Route

FlixBus 2421

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunshine Ranches, FL → Hollywood Sheridan Trirail Station (HOL6) 15m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 325m

Arrival 10m

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

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $21) $21

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

Stations

From HOL6 — Hollywood Sheridan Trirail Station 10 mi, ~15m drive

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

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/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

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Bus
Door-to-door time	4h 25m	2h 52m	6h 15m
Total cost (1 person)	$88	$183	$21
Carbon footprint	96 kg CO₂	48 kg CO₂	11 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: 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 Sunshine Ranches, FL to St. Petersburg, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.