United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Sunshine Healthcare Network

Driving Directions and Parking Information

Driving Directions

From The North

Take I-75 South to the Fletcher Avenue exit. Go West to Bruce B. Downs Blvd. then turn left. We are located in the second block on the right.

From The South

Take I-75 North to the Fowler Avenue exit. Go West to Bruce B. Downs Blvd. then turn right. We are located one quarter of a mile down on the left.

From The East

Take I-4 West to I-75. Then go North on I-75 to the Fowler Avenue exit. Go West on Fowler Avenue to Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and turn right. We are located one quarter of a mile down on the left.

From The West - The St. Pete/Clearwater Area

Take I-275 East to the Fowler Avenue exit. Then go East on Fowler to Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and turn left. We are located one quarter of a mile down on the left.

Online Maps and Directions

You can also get maps and directions online at the following websites:

Public Transportation

Public transportation in the Tampa Bay area is provided by Hillborough Area Regional Transit (HART). The VA Hospital has one stop, Route 5, on its campus and the hospital is also adjacent to the University Area Transfer Center (UATC) which is served by many routes. You can find routes and complete information at HART's website (links to a non-VA website).

Parking Information

Onsite/Valet Parking

Beginning October 1, 2007, patients, volunteers and visitors to the Tampa VA Hospital may either valet or self park their vehicles in the hospital’s parking lots. Valet parking for hospital visitors will start at 5:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. Valet parking is a free service to veterans, volunteers and their families. There is no tipping.

To use the free service, visitors should follow signs to the main hospital entrance where they will be greeted by a valet attendant who will park their vehicle. Contract Traffic Controllers (TCs) will also be strategically stationed in hospital parking lots to ask visitors their parking preference. The TCs will then direct visitors to open parking spaces or to the front of the main hospital for valet parking.

When visitors have completed their day’s visit to the hospital, they should return to the hospital entrance and valet attendants will retrieve their cars.

To make space for valet parking, two parking areas are no longer available for visitor self parking. They are the last four rows of the main hospital parking area, the Diamond Lot, which is adjacent to Bruce B. Downs Blvd, and all of the Opal Lot, next to the Nursing Home. Patients and visitors may self park in other patient/visitor parking areas.

When all valet parking spaces are filled, visitors will be directed by TCs to overflow parking at University Mall, utilizing the VA shuttle that provides free round-trip transportation to the hospital and parking lots.

Offsite Parking

Tampa VA Hospital also provides free off-site parking at the University Mall on East Fowler Avenue.

Beginning Monday, April 21, 2008, VA designated parking and bus stops have been relocated to the West end of the Mall, by Steve & Barry’s. There are signs posted to direct traffic to the appropriate parking area.

There are two VA shuttle stops in front of Steve & Barry's on both the West and North side of the Mall. The shuttle buses run approximately 15 minutes apart starting at 6:00 a.m.