Gulfport is a city in

Pinellas County Pinellas County (, ) is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 959,107. The county is part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg– Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, United States, bordering

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, South Pasadena, and

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

History

Archaeological digs around

Pánfilo de Narváez Pánfilo de Narváez (; 147?–1528) was a Spanish '' conquistador'' and soldier in the Americas. Born in Spain, he first embarked to Jamaica in 1510 as a soldier. He came to participate in the conquest of Cuba and led an expedition to Camagü ...

landed on the Pinellas peninsula, some say near present-day Gulfport, where he encountered the local Timucuan peoples. Gulfport has been known by several names since its founding. The first settler in what would become Gulfport were James and Rebecca Barnett in 1868 and named the area Barnett's Bluff. As other settlers trickled in and homesteaded the area, the settlement became known as Bonifacio around 1880. In 1884 Philadelphia financier

Hamilton Disston Hamilton Disston (August 23, 1844 – April 30, 1896)"He Died Without Warning", ''The Washington Post'' (May 1, 1896). was an industrialist and real-estate developer who purchased 4 million acres (16,000 km²) of Florida land in 1881, an are ...

envisioned a thriving port town that he called Disston City. However, the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

would not recognize the name as it conflicted with a town in Hillsborough County, and the name Bonifacio was retained. Once that community folded in 1890, the Post Office allowed Bonifacio to officially be renamed as Disston City. In 1905, the town name was changed to Veteran City to reflect John Chase's vision for a retirement community of Civil War veterans. On October 12, 1910 the name would change officially to Gulfport when it got incorporated at the Gulf Casino located on the dock of Electric Railroad Company. On April 1, 1886, a man named W. J. McPherson, who had moved to Disston City from Deland the previous year, published ''The Sea Breeze'', which was the first newspaper for the lower Pinellas Peninsula. During the first two decades of the twentieth century, there was a considerable leftist movement in Florida. This included Gulfport electing a Socialist mayor, E. E. Wintersgill, in 1910 and having four Socialists to one Democrat sitting on the town's council. Gulfport was a

sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, are all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States that practice a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminator ...

into the 1950s. An informal policy prohibited African Americans from staying within town limits after sundown.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (26.30%) is water.

Demographics

As of the

2010 U.S. Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, there were 12,527 people, 6,246 households, and 3,154 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 7,306 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.40%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 7.06%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.78% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.75% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 3.47% of the population. There were 6,246 households, out of which 16.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.5% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.63. In the city, the population was spread out, with 15.8% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,809, and the median income for a family was $37,016. Males had a median income of $25,756 versus $23,347 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $22,801. About 9.5% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Media

GTV640 is the local

Government-access television Government-access television (GATV) is a type of specialty television channel created by government entities (generally local governments) and broadcast over cable TV systems or, in some cases, over-the-air broadcast television stations. GATV pr ...

(GATV) cable TV channel for Gulfport. The signal was moved to channel 640 on February 9, 2015, on

Bright House Networks Bright House Networks, LLC also simply known as Bright House, was an American telecom company. Prior to its purchase by Charter Communications, it was the tenth-largest multichannel video service provider and the 6th largest cable internet prov ...

. The municipal government broadcasts live meetings and replays on Brighthouse Cable Channel 640, as well as Live Streaming Video on the internet. The channel includes city information, information relating to the city's events, a historical video of the city, city meetings, as well as additional programming.

Education

Public education is provided by Pinellas County Schools. Gulfport has two public schools,

Boca Ciega High School Boca Ciega High School (BCHS), commonly referred to as Bogie by students, staff, and county residents, is an American four-year public high school in Gulfport, Florida, just south of the St. Petersburg city line, and is part of the Pinellas County ...

and Gulfport Elementary School. The closest middle school to Gulfport is Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School, located in St. Petersburg. Gulfport Elementary was the first

Montessori The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

school in Pinellas County. The

Gulfport Public Library The Gulfport Public Library serves the city of Gulfport, Florida, Gulfport, in Pinellas County, Florida. It is located at 5501 28th Ave South, Gulfport, Florida 33707. It is a member of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative. The library provides ...

is located on Beach Boulevard, not far from the Gulfport Multi-Purpose Senior Center and the Catherine Hickman Theater. It is a member of the

Pinellas Public Library Cooperative Pinellas County (, ) is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 959,107. The county is part of the Tampa– St. Petersburg– Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistica ...

, which facilitates inter-library borrowing of materials in the county.

Stetson University College of Law Stetson University College of Law (Stetson Law), founded in 1900 and part of Stetson University, is Florida's first law school. Originally located near the university's main campus in DeLand, Florida, the law school moved in 1954 to Gulfport, Fl ...

, founded in 1900, is located in Gulfport (having moved there in 1954 from its original location in DeLand). Its tower is one of the best-known images to locals and has become an iconic part of the skyline.

St. Petersburg College St. Petersburg College (SPC) is a public college in Pinellas County, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and one of the institutions in the system designated a "state college," as it offers a greater number of bachelor's degrees th ...

, a state college, has multiple campuses in the county and is available for those who aspire to a college degree. In addition, the city of St. Petersburg has a campus of the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF i ...

Culture

Gulfport has a free trolley bus that passengers can use to ride around the city and the surrounding area. The downtown area has a few art galleries as well as the Catherine A. Hickman Theater, a small performing arts center. A celebration the first Friday and third Saturday of each month called ''Art Walk'' attracts locals and tourists. Many street performers, artists, and craftspeople show up to create a relaxed cultured atmosphere in the warm balmy evening breezes coming off the beach at the end of the street. The Gulfport Community Players present several plays each year at the Hickman Theater. Also, the Catherine A. Hickman Theater of Gulfport is located on Beach Boulevard at 26th Avenue South and is a venue for live theatrical performances. The Gulfport Senior Center offers activities throughout the week for residents within and outside of the city limits. The Gulfport Casino Ballroom, located on the waterfront, is one of the main event venues in the city. The Casino hosts Swing, Latin, Argentine Tango, and Ballroom Dance events five days a week with a large turnout from all across the Tampa area. The venue is available for rent to the public and is popular for weddings, company functions, and holiday parties. The ballroom features a authentic 1930s style dance floor. In 2011 Gulfport was named a finalist by

Rand McNally Rand McNally is an American technology and publishing company that provides mapping, software and hardware for consumer electronics, commercial transportation and education markets. The company is headquartered in Chicago, with a distribution ...

for one of the best food towns in the United States.

Recreation

The city owns a full-service marina adjacent to

Clam Bayou Clam Bayou is a 170-acre estuary between Gulfport, Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida, and Boca Ciega Bay Boca Ciega Bay is a body of water connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida. It is bordered by Gulfport, St ...

Nature Park. Gulfport's Police Department includes a marine patrol which is responsible for the open waterway between Gulfport, St. Pete Beach, the Maximo neighborhood in St. Pete, and the Pinellas Bayway. They also patrol of coastline along the Boca Ciega Bay. There is a long municipal fishing pier, called Williams Pier, on

Boca Ciega Bay Boca Ciega Bay is a body of water connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida. It is bordered by Gulfport, St. Petersburg, and other municipalities in Pinellas County. File:FL Gulfport Casino03 crop.jpg, The Gulfport Casino was built in 1930 as a community center and entertainment venue "Gulfport, Florida"
''Florida Back Roads Travel'' File:Gulfport History Museum.jpg, The Gulfport History Museum is the home of the Gulfport Historical Society File:Stetson College of Law Gulfport, Florida.JPG, The Law School of

Stetson University Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I–4 corridor in Central Florida with the primary undergraduate campus in DeLand. The university was founded in 1883 and was later established in 1887 ...

is located in Gulfport File:First United Methodist Church, Gulfport.jpg, The First United Methodist Church is one of many churches in Gulfport File:Gulfport Public Library.jpg, The Gulfport Public Library

References

External links

*
Gulfport Area Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Pinellas County, Florida Populated places on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida Cities in Florida 1884 establishments in Florida Populated places established in 1884 Sundown towns in Florida