Getting around · St. Pete-Clearwater
Getting to and from PIE: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to St. Pete-Clearwater airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a metered taxi gets you to Downtown St. Petersburg, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up instead? Wait free at the Cell Phone Lot. Below: every way to and from the airport, what it costs, whether to park or grab a ride, and how to fold the drive into your Leave-By Time so you reach security with room to get through the line. Check PIE TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminal
- 1
- Checkpoint
- 1
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- No
- Global Entry
- Off site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from PIE — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Metered
to Downtown St. Petersburg
Drive time
15–25 min
9 mi to Downtown St. Petersburg
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Fares to Downtown St. Petersburg are on the meter, so the total depends on traffic and your exact address.
Taxis and shuttles wait outside Baggage Claim in the ground-transportation lot. United Taxi and Yellow Cab serve the airport at (727) 777-7777 and accept major credit cards.
The PIE cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Cell Phone Lot. A free waiting lot where rideshare drivers also stage before heading to the terminal. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Wait in the cell phone lot and drive up only when your traveler reaches the curb.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare PIEparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at PIE
Uber and Lyft stage in the cell phone lot; they drop off at Departures and pick up at Arrivals.
Dropping off? Drop off departing passengers at Departures; parking is limited, so consider dropping off rather than parking. St. Pete-Clearwaterhas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to PIE — routes & drive time
PIE sits about 9 miles from Downtown St. Petersburg, a drive of roughly 15–25 minutes via Roosevelt Boulevard (SR-686) to I-275 for St. Petersburg or US-19 toward Clearwater — closer to the high end at rush hour. That drive time is the first input into your Leave-By Time, so the calculator counts it backward from your flight along with today's security wait and the walk to your gate.
Getting to PIE by train or transit
No rail serves the airport; PSTA provides bus service and the low-cost Grouper Airport Express runs between PIE and Clearwater Beach.
Fare: Grouper fares start at $8 for a single rider; PSTA local bus is about $2.25.
Hotel and city shuttles to PIE
Many nearby hotels provide shuttle service from the ground-transportation lot. If a shuttle is part of your plan, add its ride time to your Leave-By Time — it's easy to forget the 15–20 minutes between the curb and the terminal.
Park or ride to PIE?
The rule of thumb: a round-trip ride is one fixed cost, while parking adds up by the day. For a quick 1–2 day trip, parking usually costs less; for a longer trip, a round-trip taxi or rideshare often comes out ahead.
Want the exact trade-off for your dates? compare PIEparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at PIE
Accessible taxis and vans are available on request from the on-site operators.
Late or overnight arrival? The terminal serves scheduled flights; the Grouper and PSTA buses run limited hours, so plan a taxi or rideshare late at night.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return rental cars on-airport at the rental facility near the terminal. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: PSTA launched the Grouper Airport Express to Clearwater Beach in 2025. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified PIE's ground-transport details as of July 1, 2026. Always check the in-app pickup pin and posted signs when you land.
Flying out of a nearby airport instead?
If a fare or a schedule points you elsewhere, the closest airport we cover is TPA (Tampa), about 10 miles from PIE in a straight line. The same math on this page — drive time, ride cost, security wait — decides whether the extra distance is worth it.
Other airports nearby
Straight-line distance from PIE — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go PIE
PIE TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ PIE
How much is a taxi to or from PIE?
Taxis to Downtown St. Petersburg are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the exact address. Taxis and shuttles wait outside Baggage Claim in the ground-transportation lot.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at PIE?
Uber and Lyft stage in the cell phone lot; they drop off at Departures and pick up at Arrivals. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the PIE cell-phone lot?
Cell Phone Lot — A free waiting lot where rideshare drivers also stage before heading to the terminal. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is PIE from Downtown St. Petersburg?
PIE is about 9 miles from Downtown St. Petersburg — roughly 15–25 minutes by car depending on traffic, via Roosevelt Boulevard (SR-686) to I-275 for St. Petersburg or US-19 toward Clearwater.
Is there a train from PIE to Downtown St. Petersburg?
Not directly. No rail serves the airport; PSTA provides bus service and the low-cost Grouper Airport Express runs between PIE and Clearwater Beach.