Tallahassee to Tampa road trip: Drive time, distance & best stops

The best road trip stops on the Tallahassee to Tampa drive are White Springs FL, Gainesville FL and Ocala FL. The distance from Tallahassee to Tampa by car is 276 miles, with a 3h59m driving time.

Planning a Tallahassee to Tampa road trip itinerary

The Tallahassee to Tampa drive takes you from the capital of Florida to the west coast.

Top Tallahassee experiences include the Museum of Florida History, which tells the tale of the Sunshine State. That covers everything from prehistoric mastodons to the Spanish conquest and Disney.

The Tallahassee Museum, meanwhile, flits all over the place, from sculpture to birds of prey. For natural beauty, head to the Alfred B Maclay Gardens State Park.

Good Tallahassee accommodation options include the hip Aloft Tallahassee Downtown and the often great value Four Points by Sheraton.

Tampa is justifiably one of the most popular holiday destinations in Florida. It’s home to top attractions such as the Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa, the Adventure Island water park and Busch Gardens theme park.

Other great Tampa experiences include historic Ybor City food walking tours, seeing the highlights in a street legal golf cart and a Haunted Tampa tour that combines ghosts and pubs.

Also on offer are Segway tours, history cruises, dolphin-watching and celebrity homes tours.

Tampa accommodation is best booked in advance – look for deals here.

Tallahassee to Tampa distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Tallahassee to Tampa is 276 miles. This is going via the quickest route – down the I-10 and I-75 – rather than the shortest route. You can expect a driving time of around three hours and 59 minutes.

The best stops to add to a Tallahassee to Tampa road trip itinerary are White Springs FL, Gainesville FL and Ocala FL.

For more suggestions, check out the guides to the individual legs of the journey:

Tallahassee to Tampa road trip attractions: White Springs FL

The Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs is named in honour of the composer who wrote Old Folks At Home. The park features a museum that goes into Foster’s work, plus a 97-bell carillon that plays his songs throughout the day.

Several hiking trails also have their trailheads in and around White Springs. Stephen Foster’s Hammock Loop Trail is perhaps the best, taking in several scenic riverside spots, such as Catfish Hole and the Overlook. The 8-mile trail is also suitable for mountain biking.

Things to do on the Tallahassee to Tampa drive: Gainesville FL

Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, and will be best known to college football fans as the home of the Florida Gators.

For everyone else, there’s the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Harn Museum of Art and the Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park. The latter is based around a limestone sinkhole.

Gainesville hotel prices can rise sharply based on university and football events. Hunt for bargains in advance.

Best stops between Tallahassee and Tampa: Ocala FL

Ocala is home to the Golden Gypsy Horse Farm, where visitors can meet the rare and beautiful Gypsy Vanner horses. The Appleton Museum of Art, meanwhile, mixes contemporary art with pre-Columbian artifacts and the Discovery Center does the interactive science thing.

The most important site in Ocala, however, is the Fort King National Historic Landmark. This was a major military post in the Second Seminole War, and the first inland fort in Florida.

Book ahead for Ocala hotel deals.