Hudson, Florida

Hudson and Hudson Beach are located at 28°21′40″N 82°41′14″W.[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, Hudson has a total area of 6.4 square miles (17 km²), of which 6.4 square miles (17 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (0.31%) is water.

As of the census[1] of 2010, there were 12,158 people, 5,816 households, and 3,466 families residing in Hudson. The population density was 2,005.3 people per square mile (773.7/km²). There were 7,686 housing units, at an average density of 1,207.5/sq. mi. (465.9/km²). The racial makeup was 96.87% White, 0.36% Black, 0.22% American Indian, 0.91% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race comprised 2.60% of the population.

There were 5,816 households, out of which 13.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were nonfamilies. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04, and the average family size was 2.47.

In Hudson, 12.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 17.1% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 38.6% who were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 57 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males, and for every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 91.2 men.

The median income for a household in Hudson was $33,177, and the median income for a family was $39,708. Men had a median income of $30,688, versus $24,620 for women; the per capita income was $19,476. About 5.5% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

In 1878, Isaac Hudson moved his family to the uninhabited brush of coastal Pasco County and allowed a post office[4] to be established in his home. The town grew in the early twentieth century when the Fivay Company began cutting lumber and shipping it by rail to Tampa. Hudson stagnated when the Fivay Company went out of business in 1912[5] and people turned to the sea or moved away; shrimping and fishing employed about half of the working men in the 1930s to 1950s.

W.L. Hendry came with his sons from Tampa and began digging inlets from the coast around Hudson Springs, using the fill to create a higher ground to put a few houses on in 1950.[6] This was to become the Port of Hudson neighborhood. In the 1980s, people began building larger homes (most of which were mobile homes) along the canals. Now, while its older waterfront is reviving, large residential developments are spreading inland.

Robert J. Strickland Memorial Park (Hudson Beach) was built in the 1960s and is the main beach for the Hudson community. Several restaurants in the area offer water views of the gulf or adjacent canals.

Veterans Memorial Park and Arthur F. Engle Memorial Park are the main indoor and outdoor sports and recreation centers, with indoor gymnasiums, outdoor fields and an outdoor pool (at Veterans Memorial Park).

There are also three semiprivate golf courses: Beacon Woods Golf Club,[7] Meadow Oaks Golf & Country Club,[8] and Heritage Pines Country Club.[9]

Hudson once proclaimed itself the "Gopher Racing Capital of the World". In 1977, William Trippett raced his Gopher Tortoise, ST. Pete Flash, to victories in the 8-10 year old division and also in the overall division. It was the 2nd year in a row that St. Pete Flash had swept the races in Hudson during their July 4 celebration. He won the women's division and overall title for Donna Trippett in 1976.

Hudson also is host to a number of vacation resorts, including a "clothing optional" AANR resort. They provide camping and RV, including rentals.

Inside of Robert J. Stickland Memorial is the Inn on the Gulf. The Inn on the Gulf is Pasco County's only beachfront restaurant, bar and motel. Also inside of the park is Sam's Hudson Beach Bar. Sam's has been a favorite of locals and tourists since the early 80's. The latest arrival in Hudson is the Route 66 Diner franchise which has recreated and billed the original 50's Diner as Franchise Store #1. The Route 66 Diner is housed in the original Krystal diner which was built in the 1950s and then moved from Clearwater to Hudson, Florida in pieces (up the coast) and then re-constructed. As of 2018, The Route 66 Diner has gone out of business.

• Littell C P, Ash, Pauline and Knowles, Brenda, 'Early Settlers of Hudson,' (pamphlet) c. 1978
• Dill, Glen, 'Suncoast Past,' c. 1987.
• Horgan, James, 'Historic Places of Pasco County,' c.1992.
• Miller, Harry, 'The Story of Hudson.' (pamphlet) c. 1973.
• Obenreder, Julia, and others, 'West Pasco's Heritage,' c. 1974.
• Tamm, David, 'Hudson Beach: Portrait of a Community in Flux' c. 2004
• Hawk, 'Hmm, Yes yes yes yes yes yes!' c. 2008
• Cannon, Jeff, 'Images of America: Hudson' c 2009

• Hudson, Florida
• History of Hudson