St Pete Beach is one of the most popular Florida islands for tourists and residents. Almost 9,000 people get to call it home while the island hosts another 3+ million visitors a year.
St Pete Beach is located on a 5.5 mile long barrier island –it hosts 2 beaches, St Pete Beach, rated #1 beach in the US by trip advisor in 2021 and #5 in the world!
St Pete Beach is the island of 2 extremes, the northern half of the island is a beach resort city and the southern half is a charming historic beach town of Pass-a-Grille Beach.
I will share with you everything you need to know about St Pete Beach.
Where is St Pete Beach?
St Pete Beach is located 8.5 miles west of downtown St Petersburg. PIE St Pete-Clearwater international is the closest airport located 14 miles north from St Pete Beach. Downtown Tampa is 30 miles away and will be about a 40 minute drive.
What is St Pete Beach known for?
St Pete Beach is known for having the #1 Rated Beach in the US and #5 in the world. It's also home to The Don Cesar Hotel, awarded as the Best Historic Hotel in America.
Filled with energy and charm its an amazing place many call home.
What part of St Pete Beach is best?
My favorite part of St Pete Beach is Pass-a-Grille Beach. It's the southern half of the island south of the Don Cesar Hotel. The area has a historic small town charm full of restaurant by the water.
The beach is a bit more narrow but it still has plenty of room as there are less visitors.
Resorts and condominiums make up the northern half of St Pete Beach. The beach is wider here and has a lot more energy from all the visitors and activities.
There are also about 1,200 water front homes on the bay located among the 7 island and peninsulas.
What is the biggest negative of living on St Pete Beach?
With 3+ million visitors a year you are living in a big city. The north bridge Corey Causeway is a draw bridge so it does open for large boats, and that needs to be considered for timing your trips off or on the island. Everything you need can be found on the island so for most people a trip off the island is more for leisure purposes.
How wealthy is St Pete Beach?
St Pete Beach is considered as one of the most affordable island on the gulf coast of Florida. In the last 3 years there have been only 4 homes that SOLD over $5 million.
Here is a chart of luxury real estate sold on the gulf coast islands.
How does St Pete Beach compare to Clearwater Beach?
St Pete Beach is very similar to Clearwater Beach, both islands have many luxury resorts and both beaches have been rated #1 in the US. Clearwater has a lot more newer buildings making it feel a lot newer while St Pete Beach feels a lot more established. Both have great restaurants but Clearwater Beach has a better nightlife.
Here is a chart comparing some of the statistics of the islands on the Gulf coast.
Here is a video tour of the entire St Pete area that will give you a better idea of what St Pete has to offer.