The City's superb transportation, telecommunication and utility infrastructure allows business to be conducted efficiently and quickly. In fact, nearly half of all U.S. freight destinations are within a day's drive of St. Petersburg.
The City is within minutes of three international airports, two deepwater ports (that together handle almost half of all seaborne commerce in the state), rail lines, an extensive network of easily accessible roadways and has its own Free Trade Zone (FTZ No.193).
Learn more about our infrastructure:
Tampa International Airport (TIA) is consistently ranked No. 1 or No. 2 by frequent travelers around the world for its easy-in, easy-out design. The number one commodity shipped by air out of Florida is industrial/commercial machinery and computers, followed by smaller electrical/electronic machinery and supplies. The third most popular export group includes optical instruments and lenses, medical and dental equipment, and photographic equipment. For more information, visit the TIA web site at www.TampaAirport.com
St Petersburg - Clearwater International Airport serviced over 590,000 passengers using its commercial airlines in 2005. For more information visit the St. Petersburg - Clearwater International Airport's web site at www.Fly2PIE.com
Albert Whitted Airport is on the waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg. It caters to corporate aircraft, helicopters, and private pilots. For more information call 727-893-7654 or go to www.stpete.org/airport/.
The Port of Tampa is the largest port in the Southeast and the 10th largest in the nation by total tonnage handled. The port accommodates bulk cargo, general cargo (including containers), ship repair and building, and maritime recreation (including international cruise facilities). For more information visit the Tampa Port Authority's website at www.TampaPort.com
The Port of Manatee is the closest of the three Tampa Bay deepwater ports to the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of the state's busiest, ranking fifth among Florida's 14 seaports in total annual cargo tonnage. For more information visit the Port of Manatee's website at www.PortManatee.com
The Port of St. Petersburg possesses unique attributes that dictate a special approach to maximize port utilization and revenue-generation capabilities. The Port of St. Petersburg is a "non-operating" or landlord port. The city manages and provides the facilities for private entities to carry out shipping activities. A major tenant is the U.S. Coast Guard. For more information visit the Port of St. Petersburg's web site at www.stpete.org/port/
The major highway in St. Petersburg is I-275 which connects the area with Manatee and Sarasota to the South and Tampa to the northeast. It extends to I-75 to the north and I-4 to Orlando and Florida's East Coast. I-275 provides quick, easy access to Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg/ Clearwater International Airports from the downtown and the City's business parks. Plans to connect St. Petersburg to several other major Florida cities using mass transit rail are being developed.
It's also important to note that Interstate 175, 275 and 375 (feeders into downtown) were built with the future in mind and have an abundance of capacity to serve future developments, as do many arterials in St. Petersburg. Transportation improvements over the next five years of more than $1.1 billion are projected for St. Petersburg and its region. Click here for a map of major roadways.
CSX provides convenient rail service in St. Petersburg. The railroad moves freight between north and south Atlantic points and connects with all major U.S. rail lines. For more information visit their web site at www.csx.com
Electric
The City is served by Progress Energy. Its economic development team provides customized services to companies relocating or expanding. For more information visit its web site at www.progress-energy.comGas
The City is served by Peoples Gas Division of TECO Energy, available at most industrial and commercial areas of the City. For more information visit the Peoples Gas web site at www.peoplesgas.com/Water
The City provides water, reclaimed water, wastewater and storm water management services. It manages the largest recycled water system in the United States. Over the next five years, the City will invest more than $319 million on public utilities and stormwater drainage. For more information contact the Water Resources Department at at (727) 893-7261 or visit their web site at www.stpete.org/water/
Offering advanced telecommunications services by a number of world-class telecommunication providers, the City of St. Petersburg is one of the most well-connected cities on Florida's Gulf Coast. The City has also instituted a new right-of-way ordinance and a fast track permitting process to promote development of commercial and private network facilities including fiber optic networks and wireless systems. The City, through its Information and Communications Services (ICS) Department, can provide assistance in the development of private network facilities and coordination of network requirements. For more information contact Gene Webb in ICS at 727-893-7050 or 1-800-874-9013 or contact a service provider at the web site listed below:
Knology – High speed internet, cable, and telephone service www.knology.com
Verizon telephone and cable - Local, long distance, DSL, broadband, longhaul network services, cable television www.verizon.com
Bright House Networks (Time Warner Communications) - Broadband residential & commercial services including VPN and dedicated fiber links, Cable Television www.brightbiz.com
Level-3 Communications - Long haul network & high volume business to central office (CO) services, services major commercial & business areas in City www.Level3.com
FPL Fiber Net - Long haul network services, connectivity with all Verizon Central offices in the City www.fplfibernet.com