Pasco County, Florida

Pasco County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the 2010 census, the population was 464,697.[1] Its county seat is Dade City,[2] and its largest city is New Port Richey. The county is named after Samuel Pasco.

Pasco County
County
Pasco County Courthouse
Flag
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 28°18′N 82°26′W
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedJune 2, 1887
Named forSamuel Pasco
SeatDade City
Largest CDPWesley Chapel
Area
 • Total868 sq mi (2,250 km2)
 • Land747 sq mi (1,930 km2)
 • Water122 sq mi (320 km2)  14.0%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
553,947
 • Density704/sq mi (272/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district12th
Websitewww.pascocountyfl.net

Pasco County is included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Tampa Bay Area and is primarily a bedroom community for Tampa.

It includes numerous parks and trails located along rivers, the Gulf of Mexico, lakes, and highway/railroad right-of-ways. Several nudist resorts are located in Pasco. West Pasco includes retirement areas, commercial fishing, and suburbs of Tampa. The Suncoast Parkway as well as U.S. 19, U.S. 41, U.S. 98, U.S. 301, and I-75 all pass through Pasco. The county is directly west of Polk and Sumter counties, north of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and south of Hernando County.

History
US Senator Samuel Pasco

Pasco County was created on June 2, 1887, from the southern third of Hernando County. The same legislation also created Citrus County from the northern third of Hernando County. The county was named after Samuel Pasco, who had just been elected to the United States Senate.[3]

Dade City was named the temporary county seat until a popular vote was held in 1889, at which time voters made Dade City the permanent county seat. As early as 1917, residents of the western part of the county proposed forming a separate county or merging with Pinellas County, as Dade City was not centrally located in the county. The issue was finally resolved in the late 1970s with the construction of identical government centers in both Dade City and New Port Richey.

The earliest towns were Anclote, Blanton, Dade City, Earnestville, Fort Dade (not to be confused with Fort Dade on Egmont Key), Macon (Trilby), Lacoochee, St. Leo,[4] and San Antonio. Citrus was an important industry when the county was formed, although a decline followed a freeze in 1895. Several large sawmills operated in the county in the early part of the 20th century. During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, New Port Richey became the winter home of silent screen star Thomas Meighan and golfer Gene Sarazen; Meighan attempted to bring other Hollywood figures to the city. The county has experienced significant population growth since the 1960s. The growth began along the Gulf coast but is now occurring most rapidly in areas north of Tampa.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 868 square miles (2,250 km2), of which 747 sq mi (1,930 km2) is land and 122 sq mi (320 km2) (14.0%) is water.[5]

A portion of Eastern Pasco County contains rolling topography with elevations from 100 to 160 ft (30 to 49 m), along with San Antonio and St. Leo.

Adjacent counties

Climate

The county has a humid subtropical climate (Cwa) and average temperatures in Dade City range from 59.2° F in January to 82.1° F in July and August while in Port Ritchey they range from 59.0° F in January to 82.2° F in August.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18904,249—
19006,05442.5%
19107,50223.9%
19208,80217.3%
193010,57420.1%
194013,98132.2%
195020,52946.8%
196036,78579.2%
197075,955106.5%
1980193,643154.9%
1990281,13145.2%
2000344,76522.6%
2010464,69734.8%
2019 (est.)553,947[6]19.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2019[1]

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 344,765 people, 147,566 households, and 99,016 families residing in the county. The population density was 463 people per square mile (179/km2). There were 173,717 housing units at an average density of 233 per square mile (90/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.70% White, 2.07% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.52% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. 5.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 147,566 households, out of which 23.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.20% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 26.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 92.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,969, and the median income for a family was $39,568. Males had a median income of $30,974 versus $23,802 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,439. About 7.60% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.20% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Though the county seat is in Dade City, duplicate county government offices and court facilities are also located in the New Port Richey area on the west side of the county.

Politically, the county has been a swing area over the past quarter century. However, three of the last four elections have trended strongly Republican in Presidential elections, with 2008 being the exception. Although the GOP had the most votes in 2008, it was by a much smaller margin than the previous 2004 election or the subsequent 2012 and 2016 elections.

Presidential election results
Pasco County vote
by party in presidential elections[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 59.3% 179,621 39.3% 119,073 1.3% 3,927
2016 58.4% 142,101 37.0% 90,142 4.5% 11,022
2012 52.4% 112,427 45.8% 98,263 1.6% 3,558
2008 51.0% 110,104 47.5% 102,417 1.4% 3,068
2004 54.0% 103,230 44.3% 84,749 1.5% 2,937
2000 48.0% 68,607 48.7% 69,576 3.2% 4,586
1996 36.2% 48,355 49.8% 66,475 13.9% 18,641
1992 35.1% 47,735 39.0% 53,130 25.8% 35,097
1988 55.5% 63,820 43.8% 50,385 0.5% 598
1984 61.9% 66,618 38.0% 40,962 0.0% 8
1980 56.6% 50,120 38.5% 34,054 4.8% 4,268
1976 45.1% 28,306 53.7% 33,710 1.1% 731
1972 71.9% 29,249 27.8% 11,330 0.2% 97
1968 42.3% 9,743 27.3% 6,292 30.2% 6,966
1964 48.3% 7,606 51.6% 8,135
1960 55.2% 7,188 44.7% 5,832
1956 56.8% 5,501 43.1% 4,181
1952 56.2% 4,562 43.7% 3,549
1948 37.6% 1,839 48.6% 2,375 13.6% 667
1944 34.8% 1,352 65.1% 2,523
1940 30.5% 1,362 69.4% 3,091
1936 34.2% 1,159 65.7% 2,229
1932 24.3% 806 75.6% 2,504
1928 54.2% 1,591 44.6% 1,308 1.1% 33
1924 32.4% 472 53.5% 780 14.0% 204
1920 33.4% 630 61.8% 1,166 4.6% 88
1916 19.8% 236 65.4% 779 14.7% 176
1912 8.3% 60 67.4% 485 24.2% 174
1908 14.2% 81 76.4% 436 9.3% 53
1904 16.8% 96 79.4% 453 3.6% 21
1900 5.5% 32 84.6% 492 9.8% 57
1896 12.4% 70 85.7% 482 1.7% 10
1892 83.2% 471 16.7% 95

Transportation

Aviation

Bus service

Pasco County Public Transportation provides bus service throughout Pasco County.[17]

Railroads

CSX operates three rail lines within the county. Dade City and Zephyrhills are served with a line from Plant City. Amtrak formerly provided passenger rail service to Dade City on that line, but the stop was terminated in late 2004.[18] The other two lines include the Brooksville Subdivision which runs close to US 41 and the Vitis Subdivision, which runs southeast into Lakeland.

Notable abandoned railroad lines include a former branch of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad northwest of Trilacoochee (formerly Owensboro Junction) that became part of the Withlacoochee State Trail, a segment of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad branch stretching from Zephyrhills to Trilacoochee, the former Tampa and Thonotosassa Railroad along the east side of US 301 that spanned from Sulphur Springs to Zephyrhills, part of the Orange Belt Railway which became the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad which ran from St. Petersburg and entered the county in what is today Trinity to Trilby (abandoned during the early to mid-1970s), and a branch of the Seaboard Air Line that ran through Holiday, Elfers and into New Port Richey. This line was truncated to Elfers in 1943. The tracks from Elfers and Chemical (an industrial area in the extreme southwest part of the county along the Anclote River west of Holiday) to Tarpon Springs were removed in the late 1980s, leaving the western half of the county without rail service.

Major roads
See also: List of county roads in Pasco County, Florida
  • Interstate 75 runs north and south across the eastern part of the county. Once a major connecting point with Tampa, I-75 has been made obsolete for western residents of the county by the Suncoast Parkway.
  • Suncoast Parkway enters the county in the south halfway between Gunn Highway and US 41, and ends in the far northern part of the county at County Line Road (Exit 37), The Suncoast Parkway is a recently constructed toll road that connects Pasco County with Hillsborough County, where it becomes the Veterans Expressway and heads directly into Tampa International Airport before reaching Interstate 275. SR 589 has four Pasco County exits: SR 54 (Exit 19), Ridge Road Extension (Future Exit 24), SR 52 (Exit 27), and County Line Road (Exit 37).
  • U.S. Route 19 is a major commercial center running beside to the Gulf of Mexico on the western edge of the county, and used as a primary connecting route to cities down the west coast of Florida, including Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg to the south, as well as Spring Hill, Weeki Wachee, Homosassa and Crystal River to the north.

  • Alternate 19 is a former section of US 19 that runs closer to the Gulf of Mexico in Pinellas and southern Pasco County than US 19.
  • U.S. Route 41 (Land o' Lakes Boulevard) is the main south-to-north U.S. Highway through Central Pasco County. It enters the county from Lutz in Hillsborough County and serves as a commercial strip through most of Land o' Lakes. Further north the road becomes more rural, passing through Gowers Corner, and eventually enters Masaryktown at the Hernando County Line.
  • U.S. Route 98 runs northwest and southeast from Hernando County to Polk County. Concurrent with US 301 between Trilacoochee and Clinton Heights.
  • U.S. Route 301 (Fort King Highway/Gall Boulevard) is the main south-to-north U.S. highway in eastern Pasco County. It enters the county from Hillsborough River State Park in Hillsborough County and becomes the main road in Zephyrhills, Clinton Heights, and Dade City. North of Dade City, the road runs through Trilacoochee and Trilby before it enters Ridge Manor in Hernando County at a bridge over the Withlacoochee River.
  • State Road 39 runs northwest and southeast from Plant City into US 301 in Zephyrhills
  • County Road 41 (Fort King Highway/17th Street/21st Street/Blanton Road) begins as a hidden state road along US 301 until it branches off to the northwest as a county road in Zephyrhills and runs parallel to US 301 until it reaches Dade City. From here it moves further to the west through Blanton and Jessamine, and after crossing over I-75 curves back north into rural Hernando County where it becomes CR 541.
  • County Line Road (CR 578) is a major county road running entirely along the border with Hernando County beginning at US 19, intersects the Suncoast Parkway, and ends at US 41. Due to increased congestion, it is planned to be upgraded from two to four lanes, and possibly upgraded from a county road to a state road.
  • State Road 52 (Colonel Schrader Memorial Highway) an east–west route that runs primarily through the center of the county from US 19 in Bayonet Point to US 98–301 in Dade City.
  • State Road 54 (Gunn Highway/Fifth Avenue) another east–west road that runs through southern Pasco County, from US 19 near Holiday to US 301 in Zephyrhills.
  • State Road 56 is an east–west route that extends from SR 54 near Land o' Lakes, to just east of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and the new campus of Pasco–Hernando State College in Wesley Chapel. The road was constructed in 2002, and is planned, as of 2016, to be extended to US 301 south of Zephyrhills.
  • State Road 575 the northernmost state road in Pasco County.
  • Bruce B. Downs Boulevard
  • Rowan Road/East Lake Road (CR 77)
  • Dale Mabry Highway
  • Moon Lake Road/Decubellis Road/Massachusetts Avenue (CR 587) (N)
  • Gunn Highway (CR 587) (S) is a short north and south extension of Gunn Highway(SR 54) that runs through Northern Hillsborough County towards Dale Mabry Highway and Busch Boulevard.
  • Little Road (CR 1) is a major four to six lane county road in western Pasco County bypassing US 19 between southeast of Aripeka and Trinity.
  • Trinity Boulevard (CR 996)

Education

Public schools in the county are operated by Pasco County Schools.

The county has seen explosive growth in student enrollment, increasing from 46,458 students in the 1999-2000 year to 65,126 in the 2007-2008 year, an increase of 18,668 or 40.2%. The projected enrollment for the 2007-2008 was 64,674, so the actual enrollment was 452 students over the projection.[19][20] Yearly, the school district has grown 2,489 or 5.4%, which has led to the building of one new school a year. The enrollment in 2017 is up to 73,538.

High schools

Middle schools
  • Bayonet Point Middle School - New Port Richey
  • Centennial Middle School - Dade City
  • Charles S. Rushe Middle School - Land o' Lakes
  • Chasco Middle School - Port Richey
  • Crews Lake Middle School - Spring Hill
  • Cypress Creek Middle School - Wesley Chapel
  • Dr. John Long Middle School - Wesley Chapel
  • Gulf Middle School - New Port Richey
  • Hudson Middle School - Hudson
  • Pasco eSchool
  • Pasco Middle School - Dade City
  • Paul R. Smith Middle School - Holiday
  • Pine View Middle School - Land o' Lakes
  • River Ridge Middle School - New Port Richey
  • Raymond B. Stewart Middle School - Zephyrhills
  • Seven Springs Middle School - New Port Richey
  • Thomas E. Weightman Middle School - Wesley Chapel

Elementary schools
  • Anclote Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Bexley Elementary School - Land o' Lakes
  • C. W. Taylor Elementary School - Zephyrhills
  • Calusa Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Centennial Elementary School - Dade City
  • Chasco Elementary School - Port Richey
  • Connerton Elementary School - Land o' Lakes
  • Cotee River Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Cypress Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Deer Park Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Denham Oaks Elementary School - Lutz
  • Double Branch Elementary School - Wesley Chapel
  • Fox Hollow Elementary School - Port Richey
  • Gulf Highlands Elementary School - Port Richey
  • Gulf Trace Elementary School - Holiday
  • Gulfside Elementary School - Holiday
  • Hudson Elementary School - Hudson
  • J. M. Marlowe Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Lacoochee Elementary School - Dade City
  • Lake Myrtle Elementary School - Land o' Lakes
  • Longleaf Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • M. P. Locke Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Mary Giella Elementary School - Shady Hills
  • Moon Lake Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • New River Elementary School - Wesley Chapel
  • Northwest Elementary School - Hudson
  • Oaksted Elementary School - Land o' Lakes
  • Odessa Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Pasco Elementary School - Dade City
  • Pine View Elementary School - Land o' Lakes
  • Quail Hollow Elementary School - Wesley Chapel
  • R. B. Cox Elementary School - Dade City
  • Richey Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • San Antonio Elementary School - Dade City
  • Sand Pine Elementary School - Wesley Chapel
  • Sanders Memorial Elementary School - Land o' Lakes
  • Schrader Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Seven Oaks Elementary School - Wesley Chapel
  • Seven Springs Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Shady Hills Elementary School - Spring Hill
  • Sunray Elementary School - Holiday
  • Trinity Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Trinity Oaks Elementary School - New Port Richey
  • Veterans Elementary School - Wesley Chapel
  • Watergrass Elementary School - Wesley Chapel
  • Wesley Chapel Elementary School - Wesley Chapel
  • West Zephyrhills Elementary School - Zephyrhills
  • Wiregrass Elementary School - Wesley Chapel
  • Woodland Elementary School - Zephyrhills

Special education centers
  • F. K. Marchman Technical College - New Port Richey
  • Harry Schwettman Education Center - New Port Richey
  • James Irvin Education Center - Dade City

Private schools

Colleges and universities

Pasco County Library Cooperative

The Pasco County Library Cooperative (PCLC) is the public library system that serves residents of Pasco County.[21] It consists of seven branch libraries and one cooperative partner, the Zephyrhills Public Library.[22] The Pasco County Libraries operated on a budget of $6,205,291 for fiscal year 2016–2017. Pasco Libraries circulated 2,623,024 items during that period.[23] The head of library services reports to the Assistant County Administrator for Public Services.[24]

Pasco County Library Cooperative Libraries

New Port Richey Public Library

The New Port Richey Public Library[33] is located in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County. It is the only public library in Pasco County that is not a part of the Pasco County Library Cooperative. Since the library is independent, it issues its own library cards. Cards are free for all Pasco County residents and for those who pay property taxes to the city of New Port Richey. Members of libraries which have reciprocal borrowing agreements with the NPR library are also issued free cards.[34]

Parks and recreation

Recreational areas include Hudson Beach, The New Port Richey Recreation & Aquatic Center, Odessa Community Park, Moon Lake Park, Land o' Lakes Heritage Park, Land o' Lakes Recreation Complex, Veterans Memorial Park, J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex, the Jay Starkey Preserve, Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park, a section of the Suncoast Trail, a section of the Withlacoochee State Trail, Conner Preserve, Cypress Creek Preserve, Withlacoochee River Park, and Crews Lake Wilderness Park.[35] Kayaking, canoeing, sailing, power boating, jet skiing, and fishing are popular along the coast, and large tracts are preserved from development.

Environmental lands acquired for preservation include Aripeka Sandhills Preserve, Boy Scout Preserve, Cypress Creek Preserve, Pasco County, Jumping Gully Preserve, Pasco Palms Preserve, Tierra Del Sol Preserve and Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve.

Communities
Incorporated municipalities of Pasco County. Numbers correspond to list at left.

Cities

Town

Census-designated places
County map from https://www.census.gov

Unincorporated communities

Notable residents

Singer Debbie Deb resides in New Port Richey

See also
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Pasco County, Florida

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. Publications of the Florida Historical Society. Florida Historical Society. 1908. p. 33.
  4. FL, Town of St. Leo. "Welcome to St. Leo, FL". www.townofstleo-fl.gov. Archived from the original on 2016-08-03. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  12. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  13. "zephyrhills-airport.com". www.zephyrhills-airport.com.
  14. "Tampa Bay Airport - Pilot Country Airport". 21 August 2007. Archived from the original on 21 August 2007.
  15. "Welcome to Tampa North Flight Center - Learn to Fly Here!! Aircraft Rental". www.tampanorth.com.
  16. "Welcome to Hidden Lake, Florida's Premier Airport Community - New Port Richey, Florida". www.hiddenlakeairport.com.
  17. "Pasco County Public Transportation (map)". www.pascocountyfl.net. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  18. "St. Petersburg Times". Loss of Amtrak service shouldn't derail Dade City. Retrieved 2004-10-29.
  19. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-11. Retrieved 2008-07-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-11. Retrieved 2008-07-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. Pasco County Library Cooperative. (2012). 2012-2015 strategic vision, www.pascolibraries.org/PascoLibraryStratPlanFinal2.pdf
  22. "Zephyrhills Public Library - Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org.
  23. "Strategic Plan 2018-2021". Pasco Libraries. 2019-10-30.
  24. Pasco County Board of County Commissioners. (2012). Annual budget Pasco County FY 2013, http://www.pascocountyfl.net/Archive.aspx?ADID=644%5B%5D
  25. "Centennial Park Branch Library | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  26. "Hudson Library\Administration & Support Services | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  27. "Hugh Embry Branch Library | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  28. "Land o' Lakes Branch Library | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  29. "New River Branch Library | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  30. "Regency Park Branch Library | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  31. "South Holiday Branch Library | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  32. "Zephyrhills Public Library | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  33. "NPR Library". nprlibrary.org. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  34. "FAQs". nprlibrary.org. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  35. "Browse Recreation Sites - WaterMatters.org". www.swfwmd.state.fl.us.
  36. https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=GNISPQ:3:::NO::P3_FID:286213
  37. Fiallo, Josh (February 1, 2020). "Can you see him? John Cena takes riding lesson in Pasco". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  38. Betts (2012-04-12). "Sex for money why not". The Daily Telegraph.
  • History of Pasco County (1943) by Jefferson Alexis Hendley.
  • Horgan, James J., Alice F. Hall, and Edward J. Herrmann, The Historic Places of Pasco County, Pasco County Historical Preservation Committee, Pasco County, Florida.

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