Treasure Island 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. It is situated on a

barrier island Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of Dune, dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything fro ...

in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 6,584.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 the ...

, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (13.8 km), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km) is land and 3.7 square miles (9.7 km) (70.11%) is water.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 7,450 people in 4,128 households, including 2,059 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 5,694 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 97.69% White, 0.28% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.23%. Of the 4,128 households 10.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.1% were non-families. 41.5% of households were one person and 14.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.80 and the average family size was 2.38. The age distribution was 9.2% under the age of 18, 2.7% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 38.5% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% 65 or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males. The median household income was $42,150 and the median family income was $64,158. Males had a median income of $38,903 versus $32,586 for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,965. About 3.9% of families and 5.6% 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 0.4% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

History

The area of Treasure Island was originally settled in small communities by the

Tocobaga Tocobaga (occasionally Tocopaca) was the name of a chiefdom, its chief, and its principal town during the 16th century. The chiefdom was centered around the northern end of Old Tampa Bay, the arm of Tampa Bay that extends between the present-day ...

around 300 CE. The

Timucua The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The var ...

traded with other Native American tribes in the area until the arrival of

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 Camagüey ...

in 1528. De Narváez decimated the indigenous people before leaving the area in search of gold. Treasure Island got its name early in the 20th century, after several property owners attempted to boost sales of the properties being developed on the island by first burying and then pretending to discover a couple of wooden chests on the beach around 1915. After claiming the chests were filled with treasure, the news of the discovery quickly spread and people began calling the island Treasure Island. With an elevation of only three feet, the

Great Gale of 1848 The 1848 Tampa Bay hurricane (also known as the Great Gale of 1848) was the strongest known hurricane to impact the Tampa Bay area of the U.S. state of Florida. Along with the 1921 Tampa Bay hurricane, it is one of only two major hurricanes to mak ...

carved out John's Pass on the island's north end and split off two smaller islands, called the Isle of Palms and Isle of Capri. Treasure Island saw a surge in residential and hotel construction following World War II through the 1950s. The real estate used in these ventures often consisted of fill from

dredge Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...

d material; that is, artificial extensions of the land were created, which were usually designed for convenient access to navigable waterways. Treasure Island today has a thriving bar and restaurant scene in its downtown.

Climate

Treasure Island has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, closely bordering a tropical climate, resulting in warm, humid summers with frequent thunderstorms, and drier winters.

Library

The community is served by the

Gulf Beaches Public Library The Gulf Beaches Public Library, located within the City of Madeira Beach, is a nonprofit corporation created and supported by the Towns of Redington Shores, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, and the Cities of Madeira Beach and Treasure Isl ...

, located in nearby

Madeira Beach Madeira Beach ( ) is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, bordered on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the east by St. Petersburg. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,895. Madeira Beach is known to be a quaint beach ...

. The library is supported by Madeira Beach,

Redington Beach Redington Beach is a town in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,427 at the 2010 census. Geography Redington Beach is located at (27.811669, –82.811546). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a ...

North Redington Beach North Redington Beach is a town in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,417 at the 2010 census. Geography North Redington Beach is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of ...

Redington Shores Redington Shores is a town in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The county is part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg– Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,121 at the 2010 census. Geography Redington Shor ...

, and Treasure Island. These five communities have combined their resources in order to fund the library, which they would not be able to maintain individually.

Notable people

* Michael Clarke, rock drummer for

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is perhaps best known for its connection to band founders Gram Parsons and Chris ...

, and

Firefall Firefall is an American country rock band that formed in Boulder, Colorado, in 1974. It was founded by Rick Roberts, former member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jock Bartley, who had been Tommy Bolin's replacement in Zephyr. The band ...

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

, legendary baseball slugger *

Jerry Sags Jerome Saganowich (born July 5, 1964) is an American professional wrestler best known by his wrestling name Jerry Sags. He is a member of the tag team The Nasty Boys with partner and long-term friend Brian Knobbs. Early life and education Sags w ...

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

and

WCW World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nationa ...

professional wrestler

References

External links

City of Treasure Island official website

Treasure Island Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Pinellas County, Florida Gulf Coast barrier islands of Florida Cities in Florida Populated coastal places in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico Islands of Pinellas County, Florida Beaches of Pinellas County, Florida Beaches of Florida Islands of Florida