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City guide

Tampa, Florida

S. state of Florida and the county seat of Hillsborough County.

Type CityPopulation 403,364Metro Area Population 3,420,000

Why go

  • City in the United States.
  • Known for Busch Gardens.
  • 1 curated must-see attraction on record, including Caloosa Golf & Country Club.
  • 3 recommended spots to eat and drink.
  • Served by Peter O Knight Airport (TPF).

History

Tampa is a major city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Hillsborough County. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. It is the third-most-populous city in Florida, 13th-most-populous in the Southeast, and 49th-most-populous city in the country, with a population of 403,364 at the 2020 census. The Tampa Bay metropolitan area, at over 3.42 million residents, is the second-largest metropolitan area in Florida and 17th-largest in the United States. The Greater Tampa Bay area has over 4 million residents and generally includes the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas.

Must-see attractions

2115 Caloosa Blvd, Sun City Center, FL
Outdoor

Eat & drink

Restaurant
Indoor
Restaurant — 1208 S Howard Ave., Tampa , FL 33606
Indoor
Indoor

Airports

Tampa International Airport (TPA) 8.5 mi to the centre
4100 George J Bean Pkwy, Tampa, FL 33607 — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 23 airlines (Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines…) · direct flights to 68 destinations incl. Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Key West, London… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 23 airlines, 68 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport (PIE) 19 mi to the centre
14700 Terminal Blvd #221, Clearwater, FL 33762 — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 1 airline (Allegiant Air) · direct flights to 31 destinations incl. Allentown, Asheville, Bangor, BRISTOL, Cedar Rapids… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Florida (27 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 31 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL) 23 mi to the centre
Lakeland, FL, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Peter O Knight Airport (TPF) 6 mi to the centre
Tampa, FL, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Tampa North Aero Park Airport (KYO) 16 mi to the centre
Tampa, FL, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Albert Whitted Airport (SPG) 21 mi to the centre
St Petersburg, FL, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor

Regional airports

Further out, but often the cheapest way in — the airports the low-cost carriers use. Each links to its own town's guide for getting from there into the city.

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) 42 mi to the centre
6000 Airport Cir, Sarasota, FL 34243 — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 9 airlines (American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, US Airways…) · direct flights to 6 destinations incl. Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, Washington, Chicago… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Feeder airport · 42 mi from Tampa · American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways · Getting around Sarasota, Florida →
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 9 airlines, 6 direct destinations
  • American Airlines AA (CRJ-900, Embraer 175, CRJ) · 2 routes: Charlotte*, Washington*
  • Delta Air Lines DL (A319, 757, M90) · 2 routes: Atlanta, New York
  • JetBlue Airways B6 (A320, Embraer 190) · 2 routes: New York, New York
  • US Airways US (CRJ-900, Embraer 175, CRJ) · 2 routes: Charlotte*, Washington*
  • Air France AF (M90) · 1 route: Atlanta*
  • Alitalia AZ (M90) · 1 route: Atlanta*
  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (M90) · 1 route: Atlanta*
  • United Airlines UA (A319, A320, 737-800) · 1 route: Chicago
  • Virgin Atlantic Airways VS (M90) · 1 route: Atlanta*

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor

Getting there by ferry

Tampa Ferry Terminal
Ferry terminal · 4.3 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Port Tampa Bay Cruise Terminal 2
Ferry terminal · 4.4 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Saint Petersburg - Tampa (seasonal)
Ferry route
Outdoor
Cross-Bay Ferry
Ferry route
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Peter O Knight Airport (TPF); 6 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: TPA has direct flights to 68 destinations on 23 airlines (incl. Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Key West, London…). By water: 2 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Tampa Ferry Terminal, 4.3 mi); routes include Saint Petersburg - Tampa (seasonal), Cross-Bay Ferry.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Tampa, Florida. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Local transit

Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data
Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Coach / shuttle operator
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Jet card, management · Managed fleet across US bases · Locally based jet card and aircraft management with private terminals in ~20 US cities.
Helicopter, by-the-seat · Helicopters, seaplanes, jets via partners · By-the-seat helicopters Manhattan–JFK/Newark and the Hamptons; jet charter through partners.
Membership charter · King Air 350i, Citation, Hawker, Global · US membership and on-demand charter; Delta Air Lines is a major shareholder.
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135 (16 seats) · First-class-only scheduled flights from Van Nuys to Aspen, Sun Valley, Cabo and Europe in summer.
Charter, management, FBO · Managed fleet, light to ultra-long-range · Charter, management and FBOs at Van Nuys and Orange County; the original Hollywood jet operator.