Learn More About Pinellas Park, Florida
Learn More About Pinellas Park, Florida
Located around the Tampa Bay Area, Pinellas Park is a city in central Pinellas County, Florida. It has grown from being an agricultural area to become a highly urbanized area. It is one of the largest cities in a county that is considered the most-populated in the state. Its neighboring communities include Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo, Seminole and Kenneth City. The community is situated few miles from Tampa Bay on the east and the Gulf of Mexico and Boca Clega Bay to the west.
Pinellas Park was established on land acquired by publisher F.A. Davis of Philadelphia circa 1911. Northerners, most notably Pennsylvanians, were attracted with the talk of a wonderful climate perfect for agriculture around there. The most popular crop grown by residents in those earlier years was sugar cane. The community was incorporated in October 1914. Growth in the number of inhabitants was slow until after the Second World War, when tremendous expansion was witnessed.
About six years after incorporation, Pinellas Park had just 134 residents. But this number had increased to almost 11,000 by 1960. The city is now home to more than 50,000 people. The population was estimated at 51,617 in 2015. The community, which has had a reputation as a home for vacationers for many years, experiences seasonal surges in the number of its inhabitants. The mild winter climate draws snow birds from northern states and Canada during summers increasing and keeping the population considerably higher for several months.
Pinellas Park boasts a thriving business community. It has a high number of marine-related businesses as a result of its nearness to Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The city has retail businesses concentrated in areas along Park Boulevard – both small and big-box retailers as well as restaurants. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics maintains a facility in the community that hosts the American headquarters of the cigar and goods company Davidoff of Geneva. Several of the leading employers in Pinellas County are based in the vicinity of Pinellas Park.
The city, which operates a council-manager system of government, has its own police department – this department boasts the distinction of having Pinellas County’s first female police chief. It also has a fire department that serves not only the community, but also the surrounding ones as well. Both the police and fire departments have Explorers groups that educate the younger ones and make them more involved in community service.
Many interesting events take place in Pinellas Park year-round and these are well-known beyond city limits. One of the most popular ones is the Country in the Park, a festival typically held on the third Saturday in March every year. It usually takes place following the Florida State Fair and the Florida Strawberry Festival. The event features a wide variety of exciting activities, including amusement park rides, all-day concerts featuring multiple artists and NASCAR displays. One cool thing about the Country in the Park is that you do not pay for parking or entrance.
Pinellas Park is a wonderful place to have a family home or vacation property. It impresses in terms of business and job opportunities, thanks in part to its closeness to Tampa Bay. Exciting play opportunities are not lacking in the community either.
