About Tampa
If Grandma lives in the Tampa Bay area, you're in luck. If not, it’s worth checking out anyway.
Tampa, a port city on Florida's Gulf Coast, is a world-class destination with miles of pristine beaches, popular theme parks and a thriving economy that supports upscale restaurants, performing arts facilities, museums, science centers and professional sports teams. Turn family trips into treasured memories by sampling the ever-changing menu of Tampa's attractions. Tampa is just as diverse as your friends and family and their preferences so you’ll find something to please the pickiest of travelers!
Balmy Weather With Ocean Breezes
Technically, the breeze comes off the Gulf of Mexico, glittering just beyond Tampa Bay. But the coastal location does balance temperature extremes along the bay, where a subtropical climate draws snowbirds in the winter and families in the summer. High season, from December into February and March, sees average daily highs in the low 70s. Temps can dip to the mid-50s on chilly January days, but winter tends to be pretty mild. Summer lasts from May through early October as highs soar to the low 90s, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. The rains cool things down for humid but pleasant evenings. Bring lots of sunblock as it’s always a beach day in Tampa, and once you hit the sand, you’ll want to stay.
The To-Do List
Beach, beach and more beach. Tampa’s barrier island beaches range from charming Old Florida Gulf-side towns with full amenities to undeveloped and mostly deserted islands you float to by boat. Wash the sand off and visit Ybor City, the historic cigar-making capital that today boasts factories converted to artists' lofts and tempting Cuban and Latin specialty restaurants that are not to be missed. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a popular theme park—what’s a Florida vacation without a wild ride on a coaster? Check out MOSI, the state-of-the-art Museum of Science & Industry, where kids can ride zip lines, rocket to Mission Moonbase and operate a NASA-inspired lunar colony. Big sports fan? Score some tickets for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game or head over to George Steinbrenner Field to watch the Yankees in spring training.
Movers and Shakers of Industry
Tampa is a lively magnet. The all-important tourism industry is geared to welcome business travelers as well as families like yours who arrive with the whole clan, including Fido. A diverse economy includes financial institutions, health care, maritime interests surrounding the port, construction, agriculture, technology, higher education and two major military bases. National telecommunications companies and large retailers like Publix Supermarkets have regional headquarters in Tampa, and NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball teams call Tampa, and St. Petersburg just across the bay, home.
Arrive in Style
All the major airlines and a number of international carriers, like British Airways and Air Canada, fly into Tampa International Airport, a sleek, modern, spacious facility that makes flying fun. From the airport, it's a 15- to 20-minute drive to downtown. Amtrak's historic Union Station, built in 1912, is near Ybor City in downtown Tampa, and scheduled bus lines also serve the city. Pack a cooler full of drinks and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and hit the highway. Interstate 4 cuts across Florida from the Atlantic Coast; I-75 is a north-south expressway that connects with both I-4 and I-275, a highway that takes you right into downtown Tampa.
Ready to travel? Find hotels in Tampa.
More to Explore
Things to Do in Tampa
The Tampa Bay area is a water- and beach-lovers paradise perfect for every family.
Best Restaurants in Tampa
Save time after a day at the beach by checking out our list of best Tampa restaurants.