Is Sixmile Creek safe?
Tampa, Florida · safety score updated nightly
Be careful — go in daylight and stay on the busier streets.
VibeLoco rates Sixmile Creek as “Caution”.
Gogo's take on Sixmile Creek
“Go with care. Sixmile Creek is primarily an industrial and working-class residential area with little conventional tourist infrastructure outside of its proximity to the Florida State Fairgrounds. Visitors driving through for events or local dining will find it manageable during the day, but walking through unlit commercial corridors at night is not recommended.”
About the area
Sixmile Creek is an East Tampa neighborhood characterized by a patchwork of modest mid-century single-family homes, mobile home communities, light industrial parks, and rail spurs. It sits just west of the Florida State Fairgrounds and Seminole Hard Rock complex, making it a functional commuter crossroads rather than a dedicated visitor destination.
- Car-Dependent
- Industrial Mix
- Working-Class
- Event-Adjacent
Walking and biking in Sixmile Creek
Walk score: 32/100 · Bike score: 38/100
There is no municipal bike-share network here, and cycling is hazardous due to narrow shoulders and fast-moving freight traffic along key arterials like US-301.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Convenient driving access to major regional venues like the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre and State Fairgrounds
- Lower violent crime frequency compared to denser urban neighborhoods closer to central Tampa
- Abundant and free surface parking across almost all local businesses and destinations
Cons
- Elevated rates of vehicle break-ins and opportunistic property crime along commercial corridors
- Substantial infrastructure gaps including long stretches lacking sidewalks, bike lanes, and streetlights
- Lower median household incomes and industrial zoning create neglected visual corridors with heavy freight traffic
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is moderately present, primarily clustered around bus shelters along major thoroughfares like MLK Jr. Boulevard and near extended-stay motels.
What Sixmile Creek is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Active and functional with trade vehicles, local commuters, and delivery trucks on the main roads.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Steady traffic flow through commercial thoroughfares with normal daytime safety levels for drivers and shoppers.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Activity drops off sharply outside major dining spots, and dimly lit stretches feel isolated.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Quiet but vulnerable to auto thefts and commercial property crime, making foot travel inadvisable.
Transit, parking and getting around
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) serves the periphery with bus routes connecting to the NetPark Transfer Center, but headways can be long and there is no rail transit.
Parking is exceptionally easy and universally free, with wide surface lots at all commercial plazas and ample private residential space.
Things to do in Sixmile Creek
- Explore the lush botanical boardwalks and rare tropical plants at nearby Eureka Springs Conservation Park
- Attend concerts, trade expos, or seasonal festivals at the adjacent Florida State Fairgrounds
- Tour local industrial craft suppliers and specialty international food markets along the East Columbus Drive corridor
Local favorites
- Brocato's Sandwich Shop · Sandwich Shop · 4.3★ (3850)Historic landmark counter dishing out massive Cuban sandwiches, stuffed potatoes, and deviled crabs.
- Taqueria Emanuel · Mexican Restaurant · 4.6★ (620)Unpretentious local favorite offering authentic street tacos, quesadillas, and house salsas.
- Eureka Springs Conservation Park · Nature Preserve · 4.6★ (750)A quiet county park featuring greenhouse collections, scenic wooden boardwalks, and freshwater springs.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.