People search this trip a dozen ways: tampa to miami, miami to tampa, tampa fl to miami fl, how far is Tampa from Miami. It's the same trip with the words shuffled. The practical answer for a car is about 280 miles and roughly 4.5 to 5.5 hours behind the wheel, labeled as an estimate. This guide leads with that drive, explains how the I-75 route is built, and then covers flying, Amtrak, and bus.

Last updated: November 2, 2026

How Far Is Tampa From Miami?

Driving distance: about 280 miles city center to city center on the usual I-75 / Alligator Alley routing (a routed estimate on November 2, 2026 came out at about 279.7 miles). Common map directions land in the same ~280–283 mile band.

Drive time: treat about 4.5 to 5.5 hours as a planning estimate. The same routing model put duration near 5.2 hours. Real trips swing with traffic, fuel stops, Everglades conditions, and Miami congestion. It is not a guarantee.

Straight line: about 205 miles (331 km) southeast as the crow flies — useful for orientation, not for packing a cooler.

If you want to see where the two cities sit relative to each other, the Tampa map helps.

Driving From Tampa to Miami

There are two realistic drives. The one most people picture is the Gulf-coast route on I-75. The other cuts inland on Florida's Turnpike.

Route A: I-75 and Alligator Alley

The road is not a straight line, and that's the part people don't picture. From the Tampa bypass, I-75 runs south along the Gulf, past Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice, Fort Myers and Naples, and only then turns east across the Everglades.

FDOT's 2026 interchange report helps explain why the interstate segment alone is long: the I-4 interchange east of Tampa is exit 261 at about mile 260.729, and the south end of I-75 in Florida is mile 0.000 at the SR 826 (Palmetto) / SR 924 (Gratigny) interchange on the Hialeah–Miami Lakes line. That mainline stretch is about 261 miles — useful for understanding the route, but it is not the full city-to-city drive. It leaves out the miles from your hotel or the airport to that I-4 junction, and whatever you still drive after the Palmetto to Brickell, the beach, or the port.

I-75 doesn't land you downtown or on the sand. It ends on the Hialeah–Miami Lakes line, and you can be "in Miami" on the map and still not be at the beach. The ~280-mile / 4.5–5.5-hour planning figures above are the ones that try to cover the fuller city drive.

Alligator Alley and the toll

The tolled stretch across the Everglades is Alligator Alley. It's a 75-mile run with few services, and the toll is the one you can't skip if this is your route. The wildlife fencing and crossings are there mainly for the Florida panther, and the road passes through Big Cypress. The exit list shows rest areas around mile 35 and mile 63. I haven't checked what the plaza at the Miccosukee exit carries, so I won't name fuel brands. I wouldn't start the Alley low on gas.

Florida's Turnpike toll card for South Florida, effective August 3, 2026, lists the East Toll Plaza (milepost 25) and the West Toll Plaza (milepost 100):

| Vehicle | SunPass | Toll-By-Plate | |---|---|---| | 2 axles | $3.18 | $3.51 | | 3 axles | $6.36 | — | | 4 axles | $9.54 | — | | 5 axles | $12.72 | — |

The card shows the same rates eastbound and westbound.

An older figure I'd seen listed $3.75 for a two-axle vehicle as of July 1, 2023, with cash accepted. That doesn't agree with the August 2026 card, which shows $3.18 by SunPass and $3.51 by plate. I'd trust the card with the 2026 effective date and still check the day I left, because older numbers linger online.

One open question: the card lists both plazas at $3.18, but it doesn't say whether a single crossing bills both. I read the setup as one plaza per crossing, not a doubled charge, but I haven't seen a $6.36 trip total and I'm not going to write one. Confirm on the signs and with your SunPass account. If you're in a rental without a transponder, expect the plate rate and then whatever the rental company adds. I never saw a rental contract, so I won't guess at their fee.

Outside the Alley, the rest of I-75 in Florida is toll-free.

Route B: Florida's Turnpike via Orlando

The inland alternative follows Florida's Turnpike (SR 91) through the Orlando area instead of crossing Alligator Alley. Where you hop on and off varies. Some drivers pick it up around I-4 and the Orlando area, others join near Wildwood where I-75 connects.

Tolls on this route are a sum of plazas and ramps, not one flat fee. Some sample two-axle SunPass rates from the Turnpike's cards: $4.13 at the Leesburg and Three Lakes plaza areas on the Central Florida sheets, and $0.60 at Lantana Plaza on the South Florida sheet. I'm not adding those into a total, because the exits you choose change everything. Use the Turnpike toll calculator for your exact entry and exit points, and see the toll rates hub for the current cards.

Miami is not a longer version of the Orlando hop. It's a different road, with a toll crossing in the Everglades on the Gulf-coast route and a patchwork of plazas on the Turnpike route.

Nearby drives for comparison

If you're mapping a longer Florida trip, Fort Myers sits well before Miami on the Gulf-coast corridor. Our guide to Tampa to Fort Myers covers that shorter leg if you want to break the drive up.

Flying From Tampa to Miami

Tampa International Airport (TPA, 4100 George J. Bean Pkwy, Tampa, FL 33607) lists nonstop service to Miami (MIA) on its destinations pages. American Airlines publishes and operates nonstop TPA–MIA flights, and a FlightAware board spot check on November 2, 2026 showed American flights such as AAL3156 on the pair.

From the schedule I looked at, as of October 4, 2026:

  • Distance: 204 miles (328 km) airport to airport
  • Flight time: about 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Airline: American only on the nonstop, roughly 46 flights a week, about seven a day
  • Earliest departure: 5:00 a.m., arriving 6:04 a.m.
  • Latest departure: 8:38 p.m., arriving 9:44 p.m.
  • Aircraft: A319, A320, 737-800, 737 MAX 8, Embraer 170 and 175

The sample flights run a little over an hour gate to gate, while the summary figure says 1 hour 10 minutes, so I've left both. Cabin information was inconsistent. One source said the nonstop sells economy and business only, while the schedule I saw also marked a first-class code. I couldn't resolve that, so ask American. I never priced a current fare, so I have none to quote.

A separate flight-time model gave 55 minutes by assuming 500 mph plus 30 minutes for takeoff and landing. It's a calculation, not a schedule, and it tells you to add taxi time and delays. Go with the schedule.

Two airports get called "Miami" for this route: MIA and Opa-locka. The nonstop flights discussed here are TPA to MIA.

Tampa also lists nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) on its Fort Lauderdale destination page. A November 2 board spot check showed Breeze Airways activity involving FLL. Carrier mix changes, so check TPA flight status or the airlines before assuming who flies it.

Tampa to Miami by Train

Amtrak

The current Tampa–Miami train is the Floridian. Per the Amtrak timetable dated November 1, 2026, it runs daily:

  • Southbound (Train 41): departs Tampa Union Station at 12:43 p.m., arrives Miami at 6:09 p.m. (about 5 hours 26 minutes)
  • Northbound (Train 40): departs Miami at 11:05 a.m., arrives Tampa at 4:49 p.m. (about 5 hours 44 minutes)

Tampa Union Station is commonly listed at 601 N Nebraska Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602. Confirm on Amtrak's station page before you go. A separate Silver Star timetable still exists, but it's dated September 26, 2025, so for travel now use the Floridian. I don't have coach fares, so check Amtrak directly. One note from my own research: this is a long-distance train with a routing that doesn't run as a shuttle down Alligator Alley, so don't expect the road's logic.

Why Brightline Isn't an Option From Tampa

Brightline runs between Orlando and South Florida, not from Tampa. Its Orlando station page lists Orlando to Miami at about 3 hours 30 minutes, with 16 daily round trips between Central and South Florida. That's a useful option if you're already in Orlando, but it doesn't help a Tampa departure.

The Tampa extension is still in planning. Brightline's August 2026 ridership report describes an Orlando–Tampa extension in development, with a phased approach that puts Tampa in a later phase. There are no Tampa Brightline tickets to buy, so I'm leaving it off any Tampa-to-Miami itinerary.

Tampa to Miami by Bus

Three bus brands serve the route, and the details differ a lot.

  • FlixBus (route page): about 7 hours, roughly 309–311 miles by bus, fares from $39.98, nine rides daily, first departure 6:20 a.m., last 10:35 p.m. Boarding is at Tampa Bus Station, 1315 N Marion St, with a USF stop as well. Miami stops include the Miami Intermodal Center, Golden Glades and Miami Beach.
  • Greyhound (route page): the same network presentation, about 7 hours, fares from about $39.98 (one banner showed $40.98), nine daily departures, 6:20 a.m. first and 10:35 p.m. last. Boarding is at the Hart Transfer Center, with loading gates moved from the West Platform to the North Platform.
  • RedCoach (route page): fares from about $31.36 (the buy-ticket page also shows $24.99), up to two buses, a sample window of 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Trip time is listed around 5 hours 7 minutes, with the FAQ saying roughly 5 hours fastest and 5 hours 15 minutes average. The listed route distance is 277 miles, though the FAQ also mentions 236 miles for the fastest trip, and I won't try to reconcile those. Tampa boarding is at 3801 USF Holly Drive, 33620, and the Miami stop is near MIA.

Note how different these bus numbers are from each other and from the driving figures. The 7-hour Flix/Greyhound trips and the roughly 5-hour RedCoach trip are listed on their own pages, and they use different stops.

Which Way Should You Go?

The ~280-mile drive, the ~204 air miles, and the ~261-mile I-75 mainline segment aren't interchangeable. The flight time skips the ride to TPA, security, and the ride out of MIA. The interstate segment skips city access at both ends. For packing a day, use about 280 miles and 4.5–5.5 hours as the drive estimate.

My own preference, for what it's worth: I'd fly nonstop if I'm traveling alone and don't need a car in Miami. I'd drive with several people, if I need a car at the other end, or if I want the Gulf coast on the way down. The train is the slow, steady option, and the bus is the budget one.

If you're planning a longer Florida itinerary, our Tampa Florida overview covers the area, and Tampa to St. Petersburg is the short hop across the bay.

FAQ

How far is Tampa from Miami? Plan on about 280 miles for the usual drive. Straight-line distance is about 205 miles. The I-75 mainline from the I-4 interchange to the Palmetto end is about 261 miles by itself — part of the route, not the full city-to-city total.

How long is the drive from Tampa to Miami? About 4.5 to 5.5 hours, labeled as an estimate. Traffic, stops, and Miami congestion change the clock.

Is there a toll on the drive? On the Gulf-coast route, yes: Alligator Alley. Effective August 3, 2026, the two-axle rate is $3.18 with SunPass and $3.51 Toll-By-Plate. Confirm on the signs whether one or both plazas apply to your crossing. Florida's Turnpike route has multiple plazas, so use the official toll calculator.

Is there a nonstop flight from Tampa to Miami? Yes. American Airlines flies TPA to MIA nonstop, about seven times a day, with a scheduled flight time around 1 hour 10 minutes.

Can I take Brightline from Tampa to Miami? No. Brightline doesn't serve Tampa. The extension is still in planning, so there are no Tampa tickets to buy.