The fair place to meet is Charlotte, NC — the city closest to the midpoint of Richmond and Tampa. From the farther side that’s about 10 hr 44 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Charlotte, NC
From Richmond
5 hr 12 min
248 mi to Charlotte
From Tampa
10 hr 44 min
512 mi to Charlotte
Richmond has the shorter trip; the split is off by about 5 hr 32 min. The alternatives below can even it out. Richmond and Tampa are about 724 miles apart.
Richmond and Tampa are about 724 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Charlotte, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That puts roughly 5 hr 12 min of driving on the Richmond side and 10 hr 44 min on the Tampa side — the fairest single meeting point among the cities near the middle.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Charlotte suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Charlotte doesn't have what you're after, Raleigh and Atlanta are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Richmond and Tampa.
Charlotte is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. With a population of 874,579 at the 2020 census, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., seventh-most populous city in the South, and second-most populous city in the Southeast. Read more →
Richmond is the capital city of the U.S. state of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city since 1871. It is the fourth-most populous city in Virginia, with a population of 226,610 at the 2020 census. Read more →
Tampa is a major city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Hillsborough County. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.