St. Petersburg Harbor

Marinas near St. Petersburg Harbor

Introduction:

The city of Saint Petersburg is located on the West Coast of Florida near the city of Tampa Bay about 90 miles northeast of Punta Gorda. Saint Petersburg and the surrounding Tampa area are extremely popular with boaters, and is a major north-south stopover for people transiting the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). The image above is of an area surrounding the Albert Whitted Municipal Airport where you can find four different marinas with a variety of services for transient guests.

History:

Named after Saint Petersburg, Russia, the city of Saint Petersburg, FL, was first founded in 1892. John C. Williams originally purchased the land in 1876, but it was his friend Peter Demans who bought the railroad here in 1888.

In 1899, a gentleman named Henry W. Hibbs started a wholesale fish company here, and within a year, his company was shipping over 1,000 pounds of fish a year, starting the area’s first industry.

Today, the main thrust of the Saint Petersburg economy is tourism, and the city hosts tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Navigating the Water:

Use NOAA Charts 11411, 11415, 11416 and 11412.

Saint Petersburg is located on a peninsula that is bordered on the east by Tampa Bay, and on the west by the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. While most of the yachting and marina centers are situated around the Saint Pete Beach are on the GIWW, there are quite a few good marinas and marine facilities on Tampa Bay, including the ones picture above on the east side of Tampa Bay near near the local municipal airport.

For a detailed navigational discussion of the surrounding areas, check our Port/Harbor Overview section for Florida to find articles on Saint Pete Beach, Tampa, and the Clearwater area.

Local Notices to Mariners:

Local Notices to Mariners are available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Things To Do/Local Events:

For a detailed calendar of events, check out the “Helpful Links” section below.

Transportation:

There are two major airports in the area that provide major commercial air service to varying points around the country. Shuttle or transit service to both of them can be arranged with city transit or through private shuttle contractors at the airports themselves.

Pinellas Suncoast Transit operates 180 buses and trolleys that serve 43 routes. In addition, two express buses travel between Pinellas County and Tampa, and the popular Suncoast Beach Trolley connects the Gulf Beaches from Clearwater Beach to Pass-a-Grille.

For more detailed information on transportation in and around the Saint Petersburg area, check out the “Helpful Links” section below.

Helpful Links:

City of St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce

Saint Petersburg Calendar of Events

Saint Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport

Tampa International Airport

Pinellas Suncoast Transit