Zephyrhills, Florida
Template:Redirect Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. The population was counted at 17,194 in the 2020 census.<ref name="Census Quick Facts">Template:Cite web</ref> The city is the headquarters of the Zephyrhills bottled water company. The current mayor is Melonie Monson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Zephyrhills began as the town of Abbott on April 18, 1888, and consisted of 280.74 acres. It was briefly renamed Hegman from 1890 to 1892 until its name was reverted back to Abbott.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A voting district was established in 1893 followed by a post office in 1896. In 1909, Captain Howard B. Jeffries, a Civil War Union veteran from Pennsylvania, purchased 35,000 acres and created the Zephyrhills Colony Company with a plan to create a community for Civil War veterans.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1910 the town voted to change its name to Zephyrhills; it was incorporated in 1914.<ref name="Historic">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1941, one resident reported that Zephyrhills had a sundown town policy forbidding Black people from living within the city limits.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The city created a historic district in 1999; in 2001 the Zephyrhills Historic District was nominated for and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name=Historic/> A Founders Day celebration is held annually in March.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
Zephyrhills is known for its rolling topography, hence the name.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and warm, generally dry winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Zephyrhills has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
| Race | Pop 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 10,936 | 11,655 | 82.30% | 67.79% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 578 | 1,326 | 4.35% | 7.71% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 22 | 41 | 0.17% | 0.24% |
| Asian (NH) | 185 | 300 | 1.39% | 1.74% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 3 | 13 | 0.02% | 0.08% |
| Some other race (NH) | 12 | 73 | 0.09% | 0.42% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 166 | 735 | 1.25% | 4.27% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,386 | 3,051 | 10.43% | 17.74% |
| Total | 13,288 | 17,194 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,194 people, 7,178 households, and 4,174 families residing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Of the total population in 2020, 4.4% were under 5 years old, 18.1% were under 18 years old, and 35.7% were 65 years and over. 54.9% of the population were female. There were 1,548 veterans living in the city and 8.0% were foreign born persons.
In 2020, 89.8% of households had a computer and 81.6% of households had a broadband internet subscription.
In 2020, 18.1% of the population under the age of 65 lived with a disability and 20.1% of that same population did not have health insurance.
In 2020, the median household income was $36,799 and the per capita income was $21,848. 17.8% of the population lived below the poverty threshold.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 13,288 people, 5,977 households, and 3,643 families residing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Arts and culture
Libraries
The Zephyrhills Public Library was founded in 1912. The library is a part of the Pasco County Library Cooperative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A new library was built in 2014.Template:Cn
Museums
The Zephyrhills Depot Museum originated with the 1989 purchase of the 1927 Atlantic Coast Line Depot from CSX Railroad by the City of Zephyrhills. The original depot was relocated Template:Convert west of its original location. The Template:Convert building was restored and opened in 1998.
The Zephyrhills Museum of Military History is a renovated infirmary used in World War II at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The airport was used for training, and the infirmary is the only extant building from the war.Template:Cn
Infrastructure
Transport
Major roads
- Template:Jct is the main road through Zephyrhills running north and south through the city.
- Template:Jct runs northwest and southeast from Plant City into US 301 in Zephyrhills, and joins US 301 as a "hidden state road".
- Template:Jct is an extension of SR 41, which is a hidden state road along US 301 from the Hillsborough County Line.
- Template:Jct is the main east–west road that runs through southern Pasco County, from US 19 near Holiday to US 301 in Zephyrhills. A County extension (CR 54/Eiland Boulevard) from the intersection of SR 54 and CR 579 to U.S. Route 98 in Branchborough also exists, and a western extension to CR 577 in Wesley Chapel is planned for construction.
- Template:Jct is a 2002-built road between SR 54 and runs to US 301 south of Zephyrhills.
County Road 579 (Morris Bridge Road/Eiland Boulevard/Handcart Road) is a bi-county extension of State Road 579 that runs from northern Tampa, through the western edge of the city, to west of Dade City. County Road 54 overlaps CR 579 north of SR 54 until it branches off to the east.
County Road 535 (Chancey Road/Old Lakeland Highway) runs along the southern and eastern edge of the city and north into County Road 35 Alternate in Vitis.
Public transportation
Zephyrhills is served by Pasco County Public Transportation on routes #30, #33, and #54.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Airport
The city is served by Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. It was also once served by the 1927-built Zephyrhills Depot on the Atlantic Coast Line, which is now the Zephyrhills Depot Museum at a city park near the airport. More than 70,000 skydives are performed annually on the airport at Skydive City, Inc., the largest woman-owned drop zone in the world, founded in 1990 by Joannie Murphy and Susan Perkins Stark.
Railroads
CSX Transportation's Wildwood Subdivision goes through the eastern parts of Zephyrhills.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Public safety
The Zephyrhills Police Department consists of about 35 officers that cover the incorporated City of Zephyrhills.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In September 2020, Pasco County Fire Rescue took over all fire and rescue service responsibilities for the City of Zephyrhills.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Health care
AdventHealth Zephyrhills is the only hospital.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable people
- Domonic Brown, baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Dave Eiland, former Major League Baseball pitcher
- Bobby Geudert, soccer player (died in Zephyrhills)
- Prince Iaukea, pro wrestler (born Michael Hayner)
- Ramiele Malubay, American Idol finalist (attended Zephyrhills High School until 2002)
- Jessica Meuse, American Idol finalist, briefly lived in Zephyrhills
- Tracy Negoshian, fashion designer
- Stephen Perry, writer for the animated series ThunderCats and SilverHawks
- Ryan Pickett, defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers, graduated from Zephyrhills High School in 1998
- Buzzie Reutimann, race car driver
- David Reutimann, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner and son of Buzzie Reutimann.
- Carl Tanzler (aka Carl von Cosel), person who stole and preserved the corpse of Elena Milagro Hoyos
- William D. Porter Notable navy officer having the USS "William D. Porter" named after him.
See also
References
Further reading
External links
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