St. Petersburg is served by two airports. Most travelers fly Tampa International (TPA), with far more airlines and flights. FareOptic compares all carriers and airports for the cheapest fare to the Tampa Bay area.
Tampa International Airport (TPA) is 20 miles north of downtown St. Petersburg and the primary gateway for the Tampa Bay area -- with flights from most major US cities on Delta, American, United, Southwest, and other carriers. The prices shown below are for TPA flights. St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), 10 miles northwest of downtown St. Petersburg, has Southwest and Allegiant nonstop service from select cities -- check PIE separately at Southwest.com and Allegiant.com. For travelers coming from Southwest hub cities, PIE may offer lower fares and greater proximity than TPA.








*All above fares are one way/round trip. Fares incl. all fuel surcharges, taxes & fees and our service fees. Displayed fares are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed at the time of booking. See all booking terms and conditions.
Based on popular routes and current airfare deals
The largest Dali collection outside Spain, America's most-ranked Gulf beach at Clearwater, 30+ galleries on a walkable Central Avenue, and a Pier waterfront park that anchors one of Florida's most genuinely satisfying downtown experiences
The Salvador Dali Museum (1 Dali Blvd, downtown St. Petersburg, on the Bayboro Harbor waterfront, 0.5 miles south of the pier -- 2011 building designed by HOK Architects, $36 million construction, 66,450 square feet) holds the most comprehensive collection of Salvador Dali's work outside the Teatro-Museo Dalí in Figueres, Spain -- 96 oil paintings, 100 watercolors and drawings, 1,300 prints, photographs, and sculptures, plus the largest Dali painting in the United States ('The Hallucinogenic Toreador,' 1969-1970, 157 x 118 inches, dominating the museum's largest gallery). The building itself is a significant architectural achievement: its defining element is the 'Enigma' (a 75-foot-tall geodesic glass atrium at the entrance, constructed from 1,062 triangular glass panels, the largest continuous glass structure in the US South) wrapping the rectangular concrete gallery structure -- the contrast between the rational concrete box and the irrational glass bubble visually references Dali's themes of rational form dissolved by surrealist vision. The museum's permanent collection spans the entirety of Dali's 65-year career: the early Cubist and Futurist works (1920s), the mature Surrealist masterpieces (1929-1945, including the 'Dream of Venus' and 'Soft Construction with Boiled Beans'), the Nuclear-Mystical period (1945-1965), and the large-scale late masterworks ('The Hallucinogenic Toreador,' 'The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus'). The Dali collection in St. Petersburg came to Florida through A. Reynolds and Eleanor Morse (Cleveland collectors who befriended Dali in 1943, began acquiring his work, and eventually amassed the collection that became the museum's foundation -- relocating to St. Petersburg in 1982 after the city provided purpose-built museum space).
A. Reynolds Morse (1914-2000, Cleveland Ohio industrialist, president of the Scott Aviation Corporation) and his wife Eleanor met Salvador Dali at a New York gallery opening in November 1943 and purchased their first Dali painting ('Daddy Longlegs of the Evening -- Hope!,' 1940) the following day for $1,200. What began as a single purchase became a 40-year relationship: the Morses visited Dali in his studio in Port Lligat, Spain nearly every year from 1944 to 1984, were among his closest American friends, and consistently purchased works directly from Dali at studio prices rather than gallery prices -- building a collection that would have cost tens of millions at contemporary auction prices. Morse's approach was unusual for a major collector: he documented every acquisition in writing, had Dali personally annotate dozens of works with explanatory sketches and notes (creating an invaluable primary source for Dali scholarship), and wrote extensively about Dali's working methods and personality in a series of published monographs. The Morses first displayed their collection to the public in a gallery in Beachwood, Ohio (a Cleveland suburb), but concluded that the collection needed a dedicated permanent museum. St. Petersburg's offer of city land on the Bayboro Harbor waterfront and a purpose-built facility in 1982 brought the Morse collection to Florida -- where its unexpected waterfront setting has made the Dali Museum one of the most-visited art museums in the southeastern United States.
Clearwater Beach (Clearwater Beach, Pinellas County, 21 miles northwest of downtown St. Petersburg via US-19 and FL-60 across the Clearwater Memorial Causeway; or via the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Jolley Trolley connecting downtown Clearwater to Clearwater Beach) has been ranked the #1 beach in the United States by TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice Awards multiple times in the past decade -- a consistent top ranking based on the combination of: (1) Sand quality -- Clearwater Beach's sand is composed almost entirely of quartz (with minor calcium carbonate shell fragments), creating a powder-white color and texture that is rare on the Gulf Coast outside of the Florida Panhandle and the barrier islands of Pinellas County; the quartz origin (transported by rivers from Appalachian quartz-rich granite and sandstone formations over millions of years) gives the sand a characteristic squeaking sound when walked on; (2) Water quality -- the Gulf of Mexico at Clearwater Beach is shallow (1-3 feet at the shoreline, 6-8 feet at 200 yards offshore), calm (the beach faces west-southwest, sheltered from prevailing easterly winds by the length of the Pinellas Peninsula), and warm (75-85°F May-October, minimum 65°F December-February -- year-round swimming temperatures); (3) Blue water clarity -- the shallow Gulf off Clearwater Beach maintains exceptional clarity due to the low sedimentation from the Pinellas Peninsula's barrier island chain protecting the beach from the open Gulf's wave action. The Pier 60 Sunset Celebration (nightly, 2 hours before sunset, year-round, on the Clearwater Beach Pier at the end of Pier 60 Park) features street performers, local craft vendors, and the crowd gathering to watch the Gulf sunset -- a tradition that has become one of Tampa Bay's most attended recurring public events.
Pinellas County's barrier island chain (running from Clearwater Beach in the north to Fort De Soto Park in the south -- a series of seven connected barrier islands, 24 miles long, separated from the Pinellas Peninsula by the Intracoastal Waterway) holds what most Florida beach authorities agree is the finest collection of Gulf beaches in the state south of the Panhandle. The geological explanation: the barrier islands formed from quartz sand transported by the Suwannee and Hillsborough Rivers from the Appalachian quartz formations, deposited in the Gulf's shallow nearshore zone, and shaped by longshore drift into barrier islands parallel to the Pinellas Peninsula coast. The barrier island chain's orientation (running north-south, facing west into the Gulf of Mexico) catches the Gulf's prevailing southwest winds and longshore currents but is sheltered from the peninsula behind it -- creating the calm, clear, warm water that makes swimming exceptional. From north to south: Clearwater Beach (largest, most resort amenities, TripAdvisor #1); Sand Key Park (natural, less developed, excellent shelling); Treasure Island (quieter, local-focused, John's Pass fishing village nearby); St. Pete Beach (wide beach, historic Don CeSar Hotel landmark, moderate amenities); Pass-a-Grille (southernmost, quietest, preserved 1920s vernacular architecture, one of Florida's most authentic beach towns); Fort De Soto Park (natural, no resort development, the chain's southern terminus and arguably its most beautiful beach -- open Gulf face, shallow flats, osprey nesting, loggerhead turtle nesting). For visitors staying downtown St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach and Pass-a-Grille are the closest beaches (20 minutes west via the Pinellas Bayway toll road or I-275).
St. Petersburg's Central Avenue corridor and waterfront downtown have undergone one of the most dramatic urban cultural transformations in Florida: from a retired-snowbird town with a shuttered retail core in the 1990s to one of Florida's most active art districts, with 30+ galleries and art institutions, a walkable waterfront park system (the 2.5-mile Waterfront Trail connecting North Shore Park, Vinoy Park, the Pier, Albert Whitted Park, and the Dali Museum), and a restaurant and nightlife scene that now rivals Tampa's Ybor City for local dining diversity. Central Avenue (the city's primary commercial corridor, running east-west from St. Petersburg's downtown core to the beach causeway, 8 miles) has developed one of Florida's densest concentrations of independently owned restaurants, galleries, craft breweries (St. Petersburg has more craft breweries per capita than any Florida city), vintage shops, and music venues -- a commercial vitality driven partly by the city's relatively affordable commercial rents compared to Tampa and the ability to attract young creative professionals who value walkability and urban density. The Pier (opening July 2020 after the 2020 demolition of the inverted pyramid Pier, replaced with a 26-acre public waterfront park extending 1,300 feet into Tampa Bay, designed by Rogers Partners and Stimson Studios -- the largest new public waterfront park in Florida in decades) is the centerpiece of St. Petersburg's waterfront renewal: free to access, with kayak and paddleboard launch, fishing, a food hall, a marine research center (operated by the University of South Florida College of Marine Science), and a rooftop bar with 360-degree Tampa Bay views.
St. Petersburg's transformation from a sleepy retiree town to Florida's most talked-about arts destination is one of the most studied urban revitalization cases in the southeastern US, and it resulted from a specific combination of factors that began with the Dali Museum's 1982 arrival and accelerated in the 2000s-2010s. The sequence: (1) The Dali Museum (arriving 1982, moving to its current building 2011) established St. Petersburg as a legitimate cultural destination rather than merely a retirement community, bringing international art tourism to downtown for the first time; (2) The Florida Craftsmen Gallery, the Morean Arts Center, and several smaller galleries followed in the 1990s, establishing a gallery corridor on Central Avenue between downtown and the Dali; (3) Commercial rents in St. Petersburg's downtown (significantly lower than Tampa's Channel District or Ybor City) attracted restaurant and gallery operators who could not afford Tampa's rents -- starting with 4th Street's restaurant cluster and expanding to Central Avenue's full commercial stretch; (4) Young remote workers, creatives, and arts-adjacent professionals began choosing St. Petersburg over Tampa for its walkability, beach proximity, and community character -- accelerating in the COVID-19 remote-work period (2020-2022); (5) The Pier redevelopment (opening 2020) provided a critical mass of public green space and activity that anchored the downtown waterfront as a gathering place rather than a tourist zone. The result: St. Petersburg now has more galleries (30+), more craft breweries (40+), and more independently owned restaurants per square mile in its downtown core than any Florida city south of Jacksonville -- a genuine arts-and-culture density that visitors consistently find surprising given St. Petersburg's historical reputation.
Sunken Gardens (1825 4th Street North, St. Petersburg, 2 miles from downtown, open daily 10am-4pm, admission $15 adults) is one of Florida's oldest and most unusual botanical gardens: a commercial botanical attraction opened in 1903 when George Turner Sr. drained a large sinkhole (the site of a former lake fed by natural springs) and began planting tropical and subtropical species in the below-grade microclimate created by the sinkhole's depression (the 'sunken' gardens are approximately 15-20 feet below street level in the center -- creating a wind-sheltered, slightly cooler microclimate that has allowed tropical species from Central America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia to thrive for over 100 years). The 4-acre garden features 50,000+ tropical plants, winding pathways, koi ponds, flamingo habitat, and mature specimen trees including a 100-year-old Moreton Bay fig and a Kapok tree (one of the largest north of the tropics in Florida) -- all in a below-grade bowl that manages to feel genuinely lush and tropical despite its urban midblock location. Fort De Soto Park (3500 Pinellas Bayway, Tierra Verde, 20 miles southwest of downtown St. Petersburg via the Pinellas Bayway toll road -- Pinellas County's southernmost public land, 900 acres on 5 islands with 7 miles of beaches, the ruins of Fort De Soto (a Spanish-American War era fortress built 1898-1906, designated a National Historic Landmark), a campground, a dog beach, and the consistently rated #1 or #2 beach in Florida by coastal recreation researchers) combines the best Gulf beach conditions on the Pinellas chain (shallow, crystal-clear Gulf water, white quartz sand, absolutely no resort development -- the only structures in the park are the fort ruins, two fishing piers, a small concession stand, and the campground) with an ecological value (Fort De Soto's wetlands and uplands support one of the largest migratory bird concentrations on the Florida Gulf Coast during the spring migration -- a 'migrant trap' for warblers, vireos, and thrushes en route north from the Yucatan).
Fort De Soto Park's position at the southern tip of the Pinellas Peninsula, jutting into Tampa Bay directly in the path of trans-Gulf migratory birds traveling north from the Yucatan Peninsula in spring (April-May), makes it one of Florida's most productive migration watching sites. The pattern: Neotropical migrant birds (warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles, cuckoos, flycatchers) make the approximately 600-mile nonstop trans-Gulf flight from the Yucatan to the US Gulf Coast in a 12-20 hour overnight crossing. They arrive on the US Gulf Coast exhausted and hungry, and the first woody vegetation they encounter -- often barrier island scrub and park trees -- becomes a concentration point for landfall birds. Fort De Soto's trees and shrubs (the only significant woody cover at the peninsula's tip for miles in any direction over water) act as a migrant trap: on days following south winds that carry the migration across the Gulf, the park's small woodlot can hold dozens of warbler species simultaneously, creating the 'fallout' phenomenon where hundreds or thousands of migrants concentrate in a small area. The spring migration peak (late April through mid-May) at Fort De Soto draws birders from across Florida and the Southeast -- though the park's reputation as a beach destination means that most beach visitors are entirely unaware of the ornithological spectacle happening in the adjacent scrub.
Tampa International (TPA, 20 miles north of downtown St. Petersburg) has far more flights, airlines, and competitive fares. St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE, 10 miles northwest of downtown St. Petersburg on the Pinellas Peninsula) has lower Southwest and Allegiant fares from select cities with no connection needed. Price both -- if PIE has nonstop from your city, the 10-mile airport proximity often beats TPA's greater network. For most travelers, TPA is the default.
Tampa Bay's peak season (January-March -- snowbird influx, Spring Training baseball, optimal beach weather 70-80°F, no summer humidity) drives TPA and PIE fares to their annual highs. Book 6-8 weeks ahead for January-March travel. The cheapest St. Petersburg flights are September-October after summer but before the winter peak. Hurricane season (June-November) discounts fares but carries weather risk.
The Grapefruit League Spring Training (15 MLB teams train in the Tampa Bay-Sarasota corridor -- the Blue Jays at Dunedin, the Phillies at Clearwater, the Rays at Port Charlotte, and others) fills Pinellas and Hillsborough hotels in February-March at premium prices. If your trip isn't Spring Training-focused, book well ahead or choose dates in January (before camps open) or late March (most fans have gone home).
St. Petersburg's most rewarding visitor experience is the walkable downtown -- the Dali Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Pier, Sunken Gardens (2 miles north), and Central Avenue's restaurant and gallery corridor are all within 1-2 miles of each other. Hotels on or near Beach Drive NE or downtown Central Avenue put you in the center of this walkable core. The beach is 20-30 minutes by car; some visitors base themselves downtown and day-trip to the beach.
Delta Air Lines is one of Tampa International Airport's (TPA) largest carriers, operating ATL-TPA nonstop service multiple times daily and providing connection to Delta's full network. Tampa is 20-25 minutes from downtown St. Petersburg (I-275 south across the Howard Frankland Bridge or Gandy Bridge). Delta's TPA service includes seasonal nonstop routes from BOS, JFK, and MSP. SkyMiles awards for TPA are in the mid-range of domestic leisure destination pricing -- redemptions are most valuable during peak Florida winter season.
ATL to TPA (1h 30m nonstop; JFK to TPA (2h 30m nonstop; BOS to TPA (2h 45m nonstop; MSP to TPA (3h nonstop; LGA to TPA (via ATL; LAX to TPA (via ATL or SLC
American Airlines connects Tampa (TPA) via Charlotte (CLT), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA), and New York (JFK and LGA) with a combination of mainline and American Eagle regional service. American's CLT-TPA route is one of the airline's highest-frequency southeast US routes, driven by the large Charlotte/Carolinas-to-Tampa Bay leisure and retiree-relocation travel market. MIA-TPA (1h) is an important intra-Florida connection for international travelers arriving at Miami who continue to St. Petersburg.
CLT to TPA (1h 40m nonstop; DFW to TPA (2h 30m nonstop; MIA to TPA (1h nonstop; JFK to TPA (2h 40m nonstop; LGA to TPA (2h 40m nonstop; ORD to TPA (via CLT or MIA; LAX to TPA (via DFW
United Airlines connects Tampa (TPA) via Newark (EWR), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN), and Washington Dulles (IAD) with nonstop service to the Tampa Bay area. EWR-TPA is one of United's busiest leisure routes in the East Coast-Florida corridor -- the New York metropolitan area's snow-bird and vacation travel demand to the Tampa Bay area consistently fills the EWR-TPA service. United's IAD-TPA serves the Washington DC area, including significant government contractor travel to MacDill Air Force Base (US SOCOM headquarters, in Tampa, 20 minutes from St. Petersburg).
EWR to TPA (2h 45m nonstop; ORD to TPA (2h 30m nonstop; DEN to TPA (3h 30m nonstop; IAD to TPA (2h 30m nonstop; LAX to TPA (via DEN or EWR; SFO to TPA (via DEN or EWR
Southwest Airlines operates extensive nonstop service to both Tampa International (TPA) and St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) from cities throughout the US. Southwest is frequently the lowest-cost option for Tampa Bay leisure travel, and is the primary carrier at PIE (St. Pete-Clearwater) along with Allegiant. Southwest's two-free-bags policy is particularly valued by beach travelers carrying boards, gear, and extra luggage. For St. Petersburg visitors, Southwest's PIE service eliminates the TPA-to-St.Pete bridge crossing entirely.
PIE nonstop service: check Southwest.com for PIE origin cities; TPA nonstop service: BWI, MDW, DAL, DEN, LAS, BNA, BOS, RDU, many others -- Southwest.com for complete schedule
Florida. St. Petersburg is on the Pinellas Peninsula, a barrier between Tampa Bay (east) and the Gulf of Mexico (west).
TPA -- Tampa International (20 miles north of downtown St. Petersburg via I-275 and the Howard Frankland Bridge, 25-minute drive)
PIE -- St. Pete-Clearwater International (10 miles northwest of downtown, Southwest and Allegiant nonstop from select cities)
USD -- US Dollar
EST (UTC-5) / EDT (UTC-4) in summer
St. Pete Beach: 20 min west via I-275/Pinellas Bayway. Clearwater Beach: 35 min northwest via US-19 or I-275/FL-60. Fort De Soto: 20 min southwest via Pinellas Bayway toll.
1 Dali Blvd, downtown St. Petersburg. Mon-Wed, Sat 9am-6pm; Thu-Fri 9am-8pm; Sun noon-6pm. $30 adults, $27 seniors, $21 students. Allow 2-3 hours.
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Best Airlines for Domestic & International Routes
Everything you need to know about booking cheap flights to St. Petersburg, Florida and choosing between Tampa (TPA) and St. Pete-Clearwater (PIE) airports
Most travelers fly into Tampa International Airport (TPA, 20 miles north of downtown St. Petersburg, 25-minute drive via I-275 and the Howard Frankland Bridge). TPA has far more airlines, flights, and competitive fares. St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE, 10 miles northwest of downtown) has Southwest and Allegiant nonstop service from select cities -- check PIE when booking if you're coming from a Southwest hub city, as the airport proximity can be worth more than TPA's fare advantage.
Yes -- St. Petersburg is increasingly one of Florida's most compelling destinations for visitors who want more than just a beach: the Dali Museum (the largest Dali collection outside Spain), a genuine walkable arts district on Central Avenue (30+ galleries, 40+ craft breweries, excellent independent restaurants), the new Pier waterfront park, and easy access to consistently top-ranked Gulf beaches (Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach, Fort De Soto Park). The combination of urban walkability and beach proximity is unusual in Florida.
Clearwater Beach (21 miles northwest via US-19/FL-60) is TripAdvisor's #1 US beach and has the most amenities (Pier 60, parasailing, restaurants on the sand), but requires a longer drive. St. Pete Beach (20 miles west via I-275/Pinellas Bayway) is closer to downtown St. Petersburg and has quieter character with the historic Don CeSar Hotel as a landmark. Fort De Soto Park (20 miles southwest via the Pinellas Bayway) is the most natural and arguably the most beautiful beach in Pinellas County. All three are worth visiting; Clearwater is the 'best in class' beach experience while the others offer quieter alternatives.
Best overall: January-March (peak snowbird season, 65-75°F, low humidity, full restaurant and gallery schedule, optimum beach weather). October-November is excellent shoulder season (summer crowds gone, Hurricane season fading, lower prices, 75-80°F). Avoid June-August for heat/humidity sensitivity (90-95°F, high humidity, afternoon thunderstorms daily). Hurricane season is June-November -- September and October have the most risk but also the most dramatic deals on flights and hotels.
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