Hillsborough County, Florida
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Hillsborough County is located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of
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 ...
. In the 2020 census, the population was 1,459,762, making it the fourth-most populous county in Florida and the most populous county outside the
Miami metropolitan area The Miami metropolitan area (also known as Greater Miami, the Tri-County Area, South Florida, or the Gold Coast) is the ninth largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the List of largest cities, 34th largest metropolitan ar ...
. A 2021 estimate has the population of Hillsborough County at 1,512,070 people with a yearly growth rate of 1.34%, which itself is greater than the populations of 12 states according to their 2019 population estimates. Its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
and largest city is Tampa. Hillsborough County is part of the Tampa– St. PetersburgClearwater
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

Hillsborough County was created on January 25, 1834, from Alachua and Monroe Counties, during the U.S. territorial period (1822–1845). The new county was named for Wills Hill, the
Earl of Hillsborough Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
, who served as British
Secretary of State for the Colonies The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies. History The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increas ...
from 1768 to 1772. The County was created through efforts by Augustus Steele. The county's 1834 area was much larger and included eight other present-day counties: Charlotte County, DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee, Pasco,
Pinellas Pinellas is the name of a peninsula located roughly halfway down the west coast of Florida. It forms the western boundary of Tampa Bay and comprises the bulk of Pinellas County. There is a city named Pinellas Park in south Pinellas. The peninsul ...
,
Polk Polk may refer to: People * James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States * Polk (name), other people with the name Places * Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois * Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Polk, Missour ...
, and Sarasota. The last significant change in Hillsborough County's borders was the separation of its western section to create Pinellas County in 1911. On New Year's Day in 1914, the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line initiated the first scheduled commercial airline service in the world, from St. Petersburg to Tampa.


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 county has a total area of , of which are land and (19.4%) are covered by water. About of shoreline are on Tampa Bay. The county's unincorporated area is around , more than 84% of the total land area. Municipalities account for . The modern boundaries of the county place it midway along the west coast of Florida. A narrow portion of Hillsborough County to the south, consisting almost exclusively of water, extends west to the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an 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 the United ...
roughly along the Tampa Port Shipping Channel. This has the effect of keeping Hillsborough County from being technically landlocked. The central portion of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is in Hillsborough County. So is Egmont Key, at the entrance to Tampa Bay; this narrow strip of land separates Pinellas County from Manatee County. The northernmost tip of a spoil island just west of Port Manatee also lies in Hillsborough County. Hillsborough is home to Alafia River State Park and Hillsborough River state parks, and to the C. W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir and Lithia Springs, one of the largest natural springs in Florida. File:Alafia River near Lithia Springs Park.jpg, On the
Alafia River The Alafia River is long, with a watershed of in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, flowing into Tampa Bay. The watershed contains ten named lakes and ponds, and 29 named rivers, streams and canals. During the rainy season, excess w ...
near Lithia Springs Park File:Alligator - Alafia Springs State Park.jpg, An
alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additional ...
in the Alafia River State Park File:Hurrah Lake - Alafia River State Park.jpg, Hurrah Lake on the Alafia River File:Sandhill Cranes - Hillsborough River State Park.jpg, Sandhill crane at Hillsborough River State Park File:Kayaking on the Hillsborough River.jpg, On the Hillsborough River near
Lettuce Lake Park Lettuce Lake Park is a Hillsborough County-run park just outside the city limits of Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old ...


Adjacent counties

*
Pasco County Pasco County is located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the 2020 census, the population was 561,691. Its county seat is Dade City, and its largest city is Zephyrhills. The county is named after Samuel Pa ...
- north * Polk County - east *
Manatee County Manatee County is a county in the Central Florida portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 399,710. Manatee County is part of the North Port-Sarasota- Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county ...
- south * Pinellas County - west * Hardee County - southeast


Demographics


2020 Census

As of the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...
, there were 1,459,762 people, 539,919 households, and 338,683 families residing in the county.


2010 Census

U.S. Census Bureau 2010 Ethnic/Race Demographics: * White (non-Hispanic) (71.3% when including White Hispanics): 53.7% (12.1% German, 11.0% Irish, 8.9% English, 6.7% Italian, 2.6% French, 2.4% Polish, 1.9% Scottish, 1.6% Scotch-Irish, 1.3% Dutch, 0.8% Russian, 0.8% Swedish, 0.7% Welsh, 0.6% French Canadian, 0.6% Norwegian, 0.5% Hungarian, 0.5% Greek) * Black (non-Hispanic) (16.7% when including
Black Hispanic Black Hispanic and Latino Americans, also called Afro-Hispanics ( es, Afrohispano, links=no), Afro-Latinos or Black Hispanics, or Black Latinos are classified by the United States Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget, and other U.S. ...
s): 15.6% (2.4% West Indian/
Afro-Caribbean American Caribbean Americans or West Indian Americans are Americans who trace their ancestry to the Caribbean. Caribbean Americans are a multi-ethnic and multi-racial group that trace their ancestry further in time mostly to Africa, as well as Asia, the ...
Other_or_Unspecified_West_Indian,_0.1%_Trinidadian_and_Tobagonian,_0.1%_British_West_Indian.html" ;"title="Afro-Caribbean">Other or Unspecified West Indian, 0.1% Trinidadian and Tobagonian, 0.1% British West Indian">Afro-Caribbean">Other or Unspecified West Indian, 0.1% Trinidadian and Tobagonian, 0.1% British West Indian, 0.1% U.S. Virgin Islander] 0.9% Sub-Saharan Africa, Subsaharan African)
* Hispanic (U.S. Census), Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census), Latino of any race: 24.9% (7.4% Puerto Rican, 5.3% Cuban, 5.3% Mexican, 1.2% Colombian, 1.1% Dominican, 0.7% Spaniard, 0.5% Honduran) * Asian: 3.4% (1.2% Indian, 0.5% Vietnamese, 0.5% Filipino, 0.4% Chinese, 0.4% Other Asian, 0.3% Korean, 0.1% Japanese) *
Two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
: 3.1% *
American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and #Terminology differences, other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States (Indigenous peopl ...
: 0.4% * Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1% * Other Races: 5.0% (0.6% Arab) In 2010, 6.0% of the Hillsborough's population considered themselves to be of only "
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
" ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity.) Of the 536,092 households, 29.74% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.25% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 14.76% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.69% were not families. About 27.12% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.96% (2.35% male and 5.61% female) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.11. The age distribution was 23.9% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. The median income for a household in the county was $49,536, and for a family was $59,886. Males had a median income of $43,125 versus $35,184 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 county was $27,062. About 10.7% of families and 14.2% 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 ...
, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those aged 65 or over. In 2010, 15.1% of the county's population was
foreign born Foreign-born (also non-native) people are those born outside of their country of residence. Foreign born are often non-citizens, but many are naturalized citizens of the country in which they live, and others are citizens by descent, typically ...
, with 44.5% being naturalized American citizens. Of foreign-born residents, 67.5% were born in
Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...
, 16.7% born in
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, 9.2% were born in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, 3.2% born in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, 3.1% in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...
, and 0.3% were born in
Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
.


2000 Census

As of the census of 2000, 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families resided in the county. The population density was . The 425,962 housing units averaged 405 per square mile (156/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 75.17% White (63.3% Non-Hispanic White), 14.96% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 2.20% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 4.66% from other races, and a 2.56% from two or more races. 17.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The county was the thirty-second most populous county in the nation. Of the 391,357 households, 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 13.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were not families. Roughly 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.07. The age distribution was: 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 31.70% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $40,663, and for a family was $48,223. Males had a median income of $34,111 versus $26,962 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 county was $21,812. About 9.10% of families and 12.50% 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 ...
, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over. Source: U.S. Census


Languages

As of 2010, 74.59% of the population spoke only
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
at home, 19.52% spoke Spanish, 0.56% French Creole (mainly Haitian Creole), and 0.51% spoke Vietnamese as their
mother language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother ton ...
. In total, 25.41% of the
population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...
spoke a language other than English as their
primary language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tong ...
.


Politics and government


Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Democrats are a plurality of registered voters in Hillsborough County.


Statewide and National Elections

Hillsborough County tends to lean Democratic, having not been won by a Republican presidential candidate since the 2004 election. For the last quarter-century, it has been a powerful swing county in one of the nation's most important swing states. It is part of the politically important I-4 Corridor between Tampa Bay and Orlando, an area that historically decides most elections in Florida. Hillsborough was considered a bellwether county, voting for the statewide winner in every presidential election from 1964-2012. It has also voted for the winner of the presidency in every election since 1928 except twice, voting for the loser only in 1992 and 2016. The southern portion of the county, around Tampa, is powerfully Democratic, while the northern and eastern portions are heavily Republican. On the statewide level, the county also tends to lean Democratic with Democrats Bill Nelson for senator and Andrew Gillum for governor both winning the county in the 2018 elections. However, Republican senator Marco Rubio did win the county in his 2010, 2016 and 2022 senatorial campaigns and Republican Governor Ron Desantis won it in his 2022 gubernatorial campaign after the county supported Democrats for the previous three gubernatorial elections since 2010. In
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
,
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
won the county by seven points, the first Democrat to capture the county since
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
's re-election victory in 1996. Obama won Hillsborough again in 2012 over Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney by roughly the same margin. In 2016,
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
became the first Republican since
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...
in 1924 to win the election without carrying the county.


Local Politics

A
home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wi ...
charter for Hillsborough County was approved by voters in a county-wide referendum held in September 1983, and the first county commissioners elected under this new charter took office on May 28, 1985. The charter divides the power of county government between legislative and executive branches. The Board of County Commissioners, which composes the legislative branch, sets overall policy by means of ordinances, resolutions, and motions. The executive powers of county government are vested in the county administrator, appointed by county commissioners and charged by the charter to faithfully implement the powers of the board. The charter provides for a county attorney, to be hired by the county administrator with the advice and consent of the county commissioners. The charter contains a provision for a charter review board appointed by County Commissioners every five years to conduct a study of county government and propose amendments to the charter. These amendments must be presented to voters for approval. One amendment was approved in November 2002, adding the position of County Internal Performance Auditor to the government structure. This position reports directly to the County Commission. The current administrator is Bonnie M. Wise, who took office on July 1, 2020, replacing Mike Merrill, who had served as administrator since 2010. Wise previously served as the county's deputy administrator and Tampa's chief financial officer. Of the seven members of the Board of County Commissioners for Hillsborough County, four are elected from single-member districts, and three are elected county-wide. The board approves the county's operating and capital budgets and the county's capital-improvement program. It may take action on any programs for the improvement of the county and the welfare of its residents.


Government officials

These five countywide elected positions have specific responsibilities under the county charter: * Clerk of the Circuit Court: Cindy Stuart (D) * Sheriff: Chad Chronister (R) * Property Appraiser: Bob Henriquez (D) * Tax Collector: Nancy Millan (D) * Supervisor of Elections: Craig Latimer (D) Under a charter ordinance that went into effect May 1985, county commissioners are directed to perform legislative functions of government by developing policy for the management of Hillsborough County. The county administrator, a professional appointed by the board, and the administrative staff are responsible for the implementation of these policies. The board also serves as the Environmental Protection Commission. Individual board members serve on various other boards, authorities, and commissions such as the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Tampa Bay Water, Aviation Authority, Expressway Authority, Sports Authority, Port Authority, Arts Council of Hillsborough County, Children's Board, Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Council of Governments.


Taxes

Hillsborough County's discretionary
sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a gove ...
rate increased from 1% to 2.5% in January 2019. When combined with the state of Florida's 6%, the rate is 8.5%, the highest in Florida. The rate includes two surcharges approved by voter referendum in November 2018, 1% for transportation and 1/2% for schools. It is only collected on the first $5000 of any large purchase.


Economy

In the early 20th century, Hillsborough's economy was predominantly based on cigar-making and agriculture. In 2012, Hillsborough had the second-largest agricultural output among Florida's counties. As of 2010, the average annual employment in Hillsborough County was 563,292. The percentages of total employment by industry were: * Natural resources and mining 2.0% * Construction 4.6% * Manufacturing 4.1% * Trade, transportation, and utilities 19.5% * Information 3.0% * Financial activities 9.2% * Professional and business services 18.1% * Education and health services 14.6% * Leisure and hospitality 10.3% * Other services 2.7% * Public administration 4.7%


Agriculture

In 2011, sales of all agricultural commodities produced in Hillsborough County were over $832,410,300. The largest crop by value was strawberries at over $388 million. Values of various crops included:


List of companies with headquarters in Hillsborough County

*
Beef O'Brady's Beef O'Brady's (styled as Beef 'O' Brady's Family Sports Restaurant) is an American restaurant franchise, established in 1985 by Jim Mellody in Brandon, Florida, and headquartered in Tampa. History Jim Mellody moved from his native Pennsylvania t ...
Restaurants * Big Brothers Big Sisters of America * Bloomin' Brands Restaurants, including Outback Steakhouse, Carrabbas, and others. * Checkers and Rally's Restaurants *
Front Burner Brands The Melting Pot is a chain of franchised fondue restaurants in the United States and Canada. The Tampa, Florida based company has 97 locations . The Melting Pot menu contains various cheese fondues, wines, salads, entrees of meat and seafood ...
Restaurants, including The Melting Pot, Burger 21, and Grillsmith. * International Softball Federation *
Lykes Brothers Lykes Brothers Inc, is a corporation founded by the Lykes Family of Tampa, Florida, in 1910. This family would become the largest landowners in Florida, the ninth largest landowners in the United States and the wealthiest in Tampa Bay. In the 187 ...
* MisterCertified *
Mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
's Phosphate Division *
Odyssey Marine Exploration Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. is an American company engaged in deep-ocean exploration with a focus on the exploration, development and validation of subsea mineral resources. Starting out as a shipwreck pioneer, Odyssey has discovered some ...
*
Patterson Companies Patterson Companies Inc is a medical supplies conglomerate primarily in the business of veterinary and dental products (ranging from xray equipment to consumable products, dental consumables make up the biggest part of the dental industry). Tr ...
* Rooms To Go Furniture * Shriners International * Sweetbay Supermarkets (since absorbed by BI-LO's Winn-Dixie chain) had its headquarters in an
unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...
in the county, near Tampa. * Sykes Enterprises


Education

Hillsborough County Public Schools Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is a school district that runs the public school system of Hillsborough County in west central Florida and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It is frequently referred to as the School District of Hillsb ...
operate the public schools in the county. Hillsborough County has the eighth-largest school district in the United States consisting of 206 schools (133 elementary schools, 42 middle schools, two K-8 schools, 27 traditional high schools, and four career centers, with 73 additional schools including charter, ESE, etc.). In 2013, 12 of Hillsborough County's 27 public high schools were ranked in''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
's'' list of America's Best High Schools. In 2012 and 2013, all 27 public high schools were included on the ''Washington Post's ''list of the 2000 most challenging schools in America.


Museums and libraries


Museums

* Tampa Museum of Art in Tampa * Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa * Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa * Museum of Science & Industry (Tampa) * Henry B. Plant Museum in Tampa * Tampa Bay History Center in Tampa


Libraries

These libraries are part of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative: * Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System * Bruton Memorial Library, located in Plant City and built in 1960. It is a part of the county cooperative but is under the jurisdiction of the City of Plant City. * Temple Terrace Public Library * Tampa Bay Library Consortium * 78th Street Community Library * Arthenia L. Joyner University Area Community Library * Austin Davis Public Library * Bloomingdale Regional Public Library * Brandon Regional Library * C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library * Charles J. Fendig Public Library * Egypt Lake Partnership Library * Florida History & Geology Public Library * James L. Lunsford Law Library * Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library * Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library * John F. Germany Public Library *
Lutz Branch Library Lutz is a surname and given name, occasionally a short form of Ludwig (given name), Ludwig. People with the name include: Surname *Adolfo Lutz (1855–1940), Brazilian physician *Aleda E. Lutz (1915–1944), American Army flight nurse *Alois Lut ...
* Maureen B. Gauzza Public Library * New Tampa Regional Library * Norma and Joseph Robinson Public Library @ Sulphur Springs * North Tampa Branch Library * Planning Commission Library * Port Tampa City Library * Riverview Public Library *
Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library The Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library is a member of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL) and the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC). Located on 1505 Nebraska Avenue in Tampa, Florida, the 26,244 squ ...
* Ruskin Branch Library * Seffner-Mango Branch Library * Seminole Heights Branch Library * SouthShore Regional Library * Thonotosassa Branch Library * Town 'N Country Regional Public Library *West Tampa Branch Library *Witt Research Center


Federal agencies

* Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) * Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) * Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) * US Marshall's Service * U.S. Customs and Border Protection, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) * United States Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) * United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense ** United States Department of the Army, US Department of the Army ** United States Department of the Air Force, US Department of the Air Force ** United States Department of the Navy, US Department of the Navy * U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) * Military Police (on military bases or stations) (MP) * Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) * Veterans Administration Police (VAPD)


State agencies

* Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) * Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) * State Fire Marshall's Office * Florida Department of Corrections, Department of Corrections (COR) * Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) * Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)


Local agencies

Several agencies provide law enforcement to the residents of Hillsborough County. They are all accredited and fully certified law enforcement agencies by the FDLE.


Hillsborough County Fire Rescue

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue serves the unincorporated areas of Hillsborough County. Fire service began in the 1950s as an all-volunteer force consisting of about a dozen loosely associated community-based organizations. The first full-time career firefighters were hired in 1973. The department now has 1,019 career uniformed and support personnel who continue to set the pace in fire and emergency medical response, making it the fourth-largest department in the state. Since the 1997 consolidation of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the department has placed paramedics on each career, front-line apparatus. The department operates 35 ALS transport ambulances, 46 Engine Companies, 5 Truck Companies, 2 Heavy Rescue's, 1 Hazardous Incident Unit, 1 Fire Boat and 1 Rescue Boat. These units operate out of 44 Fire Rescue stations located strategically throughout Hillsborough County. As of summer 2021, 2 additional stations are being constructed to bring that number up to 46. As nearly 85% of the department's more than 113,000 emergency responses require some level of medical care, having paramedics assigned to each unit assures that the citizens of Hillsborough County are receiving rapid advanced life-support care. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and the Board of County Commissioners have implemented a plan to continue placing new fire rescue stations in areas where growth is occurring or gaps in coverage may exist. Fire Chief Dennis Jones leads a senior staff of two deputy chiefs (operations and administrative branches), the fire marshal, and the emergency manager. All fiscal functions, facilities maintenance and supply, apparatus/equipment procurement, emergency dispatch manager, personnel chief, and training chief are under the direction of the deputy chief of administration. The three Shift Commanders, as well as the Rescue Chief and the Special Operations Chief, report directly to the Deputy Chief of Operations. The Operations Chief is responsible for the overall response readiness of all front line personnel. The Emergency Manager oversees all Office of Emergency Management (OEM) planning and operations of the EOC.


Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Office of Emergency Management

The Office of Emergency Management is a division of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue that is directly responsible for planning and coordinating the evacuation and sheltering of all county residents in the event of a natural or manmade disaster. This agency is also responsible for planning, orchestrating and coordinating response actions and continuity of government in the aftermath of a major disaster. Preston Cook has been the Emergency Manager since 2011. The Hurricane Evacuation Assessment Tool has been created to assist residents of Hillsborough County by providing evacuation and sheltering information in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster. This interactive program was designed to assist the public in easily determining if they are in one of the five evacuation zones. It also provides information on shelters, hospitals, fire stations, and sandbag locations. The Office of Emergency Management also provides information to the public on: Hurricane information, procedures for hazardous-materials spills, and flooding, tornado, wildfire, and terrorism preparedness.


Transportation


Airports

The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Tampa International Airport in Tampa. Other important airports include the Tampa Executive Airport near Brandon, Peter O. Knight Airport near downtown Tampa, and the Plant City Airport near Plant City.


Major freeways and roadways

Interstate Highways : Interstate 4 : Interstate 75 in Florida, Interstate 75 : Interstate 275 (Florida), Interstate 275 United States Numbered Highway System, U.S Routes : U.S. Route 41 in Florida, U.S. Route 41 : U.S. Route 92 : U.S. Route 301 in Florida, U.S. Route 301 State highway, State Routes : Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway, State Route 618 : Florida State Road 60, State Road 60 : Florida State Road 589, State Road 589 : Florida State Road 580, State Road 580


Public surface transportation

Hillsborough County is served by Hillsborough Area Regional Transit buses.


Nationally protected areas

* Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge


Parks

* Alafia River Corridor Preserve * Alderman's Ford Regional Park * Balm-Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve * Bell Creek Nature Preserve * Blackwater Creek Preserve * Brandon Park & Recreation Center * Brooker Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve * Buckhorn Park * Cacciatore Park * Calusa Trace Park * Carolyn Meeker Dog Park * Carrollwood Meadows Park * Causeway Park * Chito Branch Reserve * Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve * Covington Oak Park * Cross Creek Park * Cypress Creek Nature Preserve * Davis Park * Dead River Conservation Park * Deerfield Park * Diamondback Nature Preserve * E.G. Simmons Conservation Park * E.L. Bing Park * Earl Simmons/Turkey Creek Park & Recreation Center * Edward Medard Park and Reservoir * Egypt Lake Recreation Center * Ekker Nature Preserve * Fawnridge Park * Fish Hawk Creek Preserve * Gardenville Park & Recreation Center * Glencliff Park * Golden Aster Scrub Nature Preserve * Hillsborough River State Park * Lake Rogers Park *
Lettuce Lake Park Lettuce Lake Park is a Hillsborough County-run park just outside the city limits of Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old ...
* Lithia Springs Regional Park * Little Manatee River State Park * Lower Green Swamp Preserve * McKay Bay Nature Park * Schultz Preserve * Skyway Fishing Pier State Park * Upper Tampa Bay Park * Upper Tampa Bay Trail * Wolf Branch Nature Preserve


Communities


Cities

Only three cities are incorporated in Hillsborough County: * Plant City, Florida, Plant City * Tampa * Temple Terrace, Florida, Temple Terrace


Census-designated places

Despite its large population, most of the area of the county is unincorporated area, unincorporated and falls under the jurisdiction of the Hillsborough County board of commissioners. * Apollo Beach, Florida, Apollo Beach * Balm, Florida, Balm * Bloomingdale, Florida, Bloomingdale * Boyette, Florida, Boyette (former, now part of Riverview CDP) * Brandon, Florida, Brandon * Carrollwood (CDP), Florida, Carrollwood * Cheval, Florida, Cheval * Citrus Park, Florida, Citrus Park * Dover, Florida, Dover * East Lake-Orient Park, Florida, East Lake-Orient Park * Egypt Lake-Leto, Florida, Egypt Lake-Leto * FishHawk, Florida, Fish Hawk * Gibsonton, Florida, Gibsonton * Keystone, Florida, Keystone * Lake Magdalene, Florida, Lake Magdalene * Lutz, Florida, Lutz * Mango, Florida, Mango * Northdale, Florida, Northdale * Odessa, Florida, Odessa * Palm River-Clair Mel, Florida, Palm River-Clair Mel * Pebble Creek, Florida, Pebble Creek * Progress Village, Florida, Progress Village * Riverview, Florida, Riverview * Ruskin, Florida, Ruskin * Seffner, Florida, Seffner * Sun City Center, Florida, Sun City Center * Thonotosassa, Florida, Thonotosassa * Town 'n' Country, Florida, Town 'n' Country * University, Hillsborough County, Florida, University * Valrico, Florida, Valrico * Westchase, Florida, Westchase * Wimauma, Florida, Wimauma


Unincorporated communities

* Adamsville, Hillsborough County, Florida, Adamsville * Alafia, Florida, Alafia * Antioch, Florida, Antioch * Bay Crest Park, Florida, Bay Crest Park * Clair-Mel City, Florida, Clair-Mel City * Del Rio, Florida, Del Rio * Durant, Florida, Durant * East Lake, Hillsborough County, Florida, East Lake * East Tampa, Florida, East Tampa * Egypt Lake, Florida, Egypt Lake * Fort Lonesome, Florida, Fort Lonesome * Gulf City, Florida, Gulf City * Hopewell, Hillsborough County, Florida, Hopewell * Keysville, Florida, Keysville * Knights, Florida, Knights * Lake Fern, Florida, Lake Fern * Leto, Florida, Leto * Limona, Florida, Limona * Lithia, Florida, Lithia * Nowatney, Florida, Nowatney * Orient Park, Florida, Orient Park * Palma Ceia * Palm River, Florida, Palm River * Picnic, Florida, Picnic * Pinecrest, Florida, Pinecrest * Port Sutton, Florida, Port Sutton * Rattlesnake (Tampa), Rattlesnake * Remlap, Florida, Remlap * Rocky Creek, Florida, Rocky Creek * Snows Corner, Florida, Snows Corner * Sulphur Springs (Tampa), Sulphur Springs * Sun City, Florida, Sun City * Sweetwater Creek, Florida, Sweetwater Creek * Sydney, Florida, Sydney * Trapnell, Florida, Trapnell * Turkey Creek, Florida, Turkey Creek


Historic towns

* Bullfrog Corner * Bone Valley * Branchton * Callsville * Chataocolea * Chicora * Clarkwild * Coronet * Cork (now Dover, not to be confused with two other places named Cork) * Cork (now Plant City) * Cosme * Dillon * Diston * Drew Park, absorbed by Tampa * East Cove * Edeson * Flora * Fort Brooke * Fort Foster * Fort Sullivan * Garden City * Gary * Gulf City * Harney * Hillsboro * Ichipucksassa, aka Ichepucksassa, Hitchipucksassa (now Plant City) * Idlewild Park * Jackson Springs * Keystone Park * Knights Station * Knowles * Lake Fern * Lighthall * Lillibridge, Florida, Lillibridge * Magdalene * Magnolia * Mangrove Point * Manhattan (absorbed by Tampa) * Marvinia * Midway * Mullins City * Nicholls * Oliphant * Orient * Peck * Pelot * Peru * Prairie * Riverhead * Rocky Point * Sparkman * Stemper * St Helena * Trapnell (absorbed by Plant City) * Welcome, Florida, Welcome * Weldon * Willow * Youmans


See also

* Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office *
Hillsborough County Public Schools Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is a school district that runs the public school system of Hillsborough County in west central Florida and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It is frequently referred to as the School District of Hillsb ...
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Hillsborough County, Florida * USS Hillsborough County (LST-827), USS ''Hillsborough County'' (LST-827) * Upper Tampa Bay Park * List of schools in Hillsborough County, Florida * List of counties in Florida * List of tallest buildings in Tampa


Notes


References


External links

* {{Coord, 27.91, -82.35, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-FL_source:UScensus1990 Hillsborough County, Florida, Charter counties in Florida Counties in the Tampa Bay area 1834 establishments in Florida Territory Populated places established in 1834