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Florida Travel
Lifestyles
Pinellas
& Hillsborough Counties
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We're here to tell you that when it comes to an ideal location of Florida
that "has it all", no other destination can beat Hillsborough
or Pinellas Counties. Home to a world famous theme park, award-winning
beaches, championship winning sport teams, and an overall lifestyle that
encourages outdoor activity, those wanting to live life to the fullest
will find their needs met here!
Did you know?
• Tampa is Florida's third most populous city.
• Known as "Technology Bay," Tampa also claims one-third
of Florida's high-tech employees, and has three Fortune 500 companies.
• With its dynamic and positive business climate, Tampa/Hillsborough
County is one of the leading business locations in the world.
• Pinellas County offers an average 361 days of sunny weather each
year. Residents enjoy the surf, sun, and sand just about whenever they
like.
• Tampa Bay is one of the few markets in America with two major
metropolitan newspapers. The #1 ranked airport in the country. And Tampa
is the only city in America that celebrates the glory of being a pirate
and all the festivities that Gasparilla offers during one whole month
each year.
PINELLAS COUNTY
Population 924,413 (courtesy of eflorida.com 2006)
Largest Cities - St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo
Pinellas County Economic Development | www.pced.org | 727-464-7332
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Northern Pinellas
is dotted with new development, yet shares a history relative to the area
with Tarpon Springs, a unique city with Greek culture and traditions.
Clearwater is a city with its own beachside community, connected to the
mainland by the scenic Memorial Causeway. Moving down the western Gulf
Coast is a continuous chain of beautiful beachfront communities.
Steady growth has been filling in the landlocked areas surrounding Largo,
Seminole, and Pinellas Park.
Finding your way around... Although Pinellas is one of the most densely
populated counties in Florida; it's surprisingly easy to find your way
around.
The backbone of roads and highways is I-275 and U.S. 19 which run north-south
through the county (I-275 connects with both I-4 and I-75 Tampa). Two
bridges, the Howard-Frankland and Gandy, connect Pinellas County to Tampa.
The Sunshine Skyway crosses the bay to Manatee County and Sarasota to
the south, and the primary link between the Gateway area of St. Petersburg
and Clearwater is the Bayside Bridge. The Courtney Campbell Causeway links
Tampa with Clearwater.
Neighborhoods... St. Petersburg is the largest city in Pinellas County,
and the fourth largest in the State. This community offers new business
opportunities, cultural and many desirable neighborhoods for future generations.
Never before has the city been so alive with new promise starting with
its visible changes made in the downtown core.
The Northeast area of St. Petersburg attracts the homebuyer who appreciates
protected waterfront areas and a great location to downtown. Those looking
for an exclusive address choose Snell Isle with its mix of old and new
estate homes priced from $600,000 and up for waterfront. Other prestigious
communities are Patrician Point and Placido Bayou, with homes priced from
around $260-600,000; the more recently developed Caya Costa community,
featuring 24-hour security gate and townhomes priced from $160-600,000
on the water; Coffee Pot Bayou, with homes from $389-800,000 including
a dock on the bayou canal; and North Shore with $1-million plus homes
overlooking North Shore Park and Tampa Bay.
Clearwater is the county seat and the second largest city in Pinellas
County, with a population of over 101,000. Housing in Clearwater includes
a contrasting mix of Southern-style ranch homes and casual beachfront
dwellings, interspersed with condos and cabanas, Sand Key is the home
of several condominium developments, and Island Estates is a planned waterfront
community of mostly single-family homes.
The most recently developed area of Pinellas County is the East Lake area,
providing some of the most lush and luxurious neighborhoods within Pinellas
County. Surrounding beautiful Lake Tarpon, the area has blossomed with
new housing, including apartments, villas, condominiums, and traditional
homes.
Workforce... Pinellas County, once the cradle of retirement, has become
a center of opportunity. It has moved from shuffleboard and beach loungers
to integrated circuits and subsea robotics. But there is an interesting
relationship between the casual and the cutting edge as one supports the
other in a refreshing blend of lifestyle that is becoming the new Florida.
The development of major business facilities within Pinellas County has
arranged itself along a broad corridor spanning northern sections of the
county, down the eastern portion peninsula to metropolitan St. Petersburg
itself.
Clearwater, for example, is home to Honeywell Space Systems Group, Tech
Data, Bic Corporation, Unisys, and Aeronsonic Corp, to name a few.
Largo, situated mid-county, is home to Lockheed Martin and Linvatech.
Largo's STAR center, formerly a Department of Energy plant, has been revitalized
as a high-technology park.
A number of major business parks in northern St. Petersburg, including
the Gateway Centre, Carillon, and ICOT are home to Jabil Circuit, E-Systems,
Geonex Corp., Franklin Templeton Investor Services, and Bright House Networks.
South of downtown St. Petersburg, sitting on a 51-acre campus formerly
occupied by Progress Energy, is the new address of Ceridian.
Sustaining the growth of Pinellas County is the key, and the key is people.
Pinellas County ranks second in Florida in manufacturing employment and
has one of the highest percentages of high-tech jobs in the southeast.
To maintain these levels, superior education resources continue to supply
an enthusiastic, large labor base.
At Play... When it comes time to shed your cares and trade them in for
some R & R, no community plays harder than Pinellas County!
The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are abundant with salt water species
including kingfish, marlin, grouper, and sailfish. Bass and other fresh-water
fish are found in Pinellas County's two major lakes - Lake Tarpon and
Lake Seminole.
For self-exploration, the scenic Rails-to-Trails bicycle/pedestrian path
runs for 45 miles from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg.
Of course, there are professional sports teams! The Tampa Bay Devil Rays
play their regular season games at Tropicana Field, a 45,360-seat, climate
controlled domed ballpark, while other teams including the Philadelphia
Phillies, and Toronto Blue Jays are in the area for the Grapefruit League.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Population 1,157,738 (courtesy of eflorida.com 2006)
Largest Cities - Tampa - Plant City - Temple Terrace
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce | www.tampachamber.com | 800-298-2672
| 813-228-7777
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The region encompasses a physical environment that cannot be topped: miles of blue waterways and sugar-white shorelines, brilliant sunlit skies and a perfect average annual temperature of 72 degrees.
In Hillsborough County, downtown Tampa is at the region's center, about 30 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico beaches to the west, and one hour from Disney and Universal theme parks to the northeast. The City of Tampa is Florida's third largest city with 300,000-plus residents.
Thanks to steady in-migration, the population of Tampa/Hillsborough County is growing even younger. Tampa Bay offers year-round cultural events and social activities for people of all ages and interests. From ballet to professional baseball, football and hockey, from golf to jazz, from beaches to art festivals, from the exciting entertainment of Ybor City night life to serene strolls along beautiful Bayshore Boulevard, Tampa's neighborhood communities offer a multitude of opportunities for residents to live, work and play.
Neighborhoods.... Locals can choose to live in a historic bungalow - or a high rise by the Bay. They might live in a country club community - or a lakeside villa. Tampa Bay has a wide range of residential choices to fit every budget and lifestyle. Just remember, the sunshine, sunsets, and gulf breezes are free!
Ever dreamed of having a home with a bay view, or gazing at a downtown skyline over the edge of your wrought iron high rise balcony? Maybe you've wanted to live in a gated community villa or in a historic bungalow with quaint shops within walking distance. Your choices abound in the Tampa Bay area, and it couldn't be more affordable. Home prices are well below other metropolitan areas in Florida, with the median price of an existing home only $209,700 compared to the state median price of $236,000. The Tampa Bay area is not only homebuyer friendly; it is also a great place for renters offering a wide variety of choices. Modern buildings with up to date amenities, luxurious pools, and fitness centers can be had... all at affordable prices.
Besides nearby beaches, major attractions in the region include: Busch Gardens and Adventure Island, The Florida Aquarium, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Lowry Park Zoo, Fantasy of Flight, Tampa Museum of Art, Hillsborough River State Park, the downtown Tampa Channelside retail complex, and upscale shopping centers that include International Plaza, and Westshore Mall in Tampa.
Workforce... Over the years, Tampa/Hillsborough County has experienced great success in attracting new businesses. In addition, the region is building a strong reputation as an international business center.
The Tampa-Hillsborough area is an ideal headquarters location and has a growing number of major corporations headquartered here. The area's pro-business environment includes a robust workforce, low business and living costs, top-flight education and training opportunities, solid infrastructure systems and, of course, wonderful weather year-round.
Manufacturing and distribution companies work in both traditional segments such as food processing, plastics and printing, and emerging high-tech areas including electronics, medical devices, defense and aviation/aerospace manufacturing.
Manufacturing salaries in Florida average more than $40,000 per year, about 20 percent above average wages. Every dollar in manufactured goods generates $1.43 in additional economic activity.
Located just east of downtown Tampa's central business district, the Port of Tampa is the largest economic engine in West Central Florida. Designated as a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ No. 79), the Port handles nearly 50 million tons of cargo per year and is Florida's largest cargo volume seaport. The 5,000-acre Port is home to about 250 businesses and more than 22,000 workers that handle 3,500 vessel calls per year. With a 43-foot-deep main channel and one of the largest shipbuilding and repair centers in the Southeast, the Port is a full-service facility for shipping lines and is the closest major U.S. port to the Panama Canal. The Port also hosts North America's largest dockside cold storage terminal.
At Play... Traditional events specific to the region include The Gasparilla Parade - a mock pirate invasion that has taken place each February for over a century. Also in February, the area hosts the Florida State Fair, and the Sant'Yago Illuminated Night Parade in Ybor City. The Guavaween Parade and Festival in October is Tampa's unique take on Halloween. The Outback Bowl provides championship NCAA football in January, and Plant City's Florida Strawberry Festival in March provides world renowned entertainment and mass quantities of the "world's best strawberry shortcake."