Hillsborough County is located in the west-central portion of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. 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 is a coastal metropolitan area in southeastern Florida. It is the sixth-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States, and the lar ...

. 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

and largest city is

Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

. Hillsborough County is part of the Tampa–

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

– Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Hillsborough County was created on January 25, 1834, from Alachua and

Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States * Marilyn Monroe, actress and model Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...

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. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...

, who served as

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Secretary of State for the Colonies The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the Cabinet of the United Kingdom's government minister, minister in charge of managing certain parts of the British Empire. The colonial secretary never had responsibility for t ...

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 Manatees (, family (biology), family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivory, herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing t ...

, Pasco, Pinellas,

Polk DNA polymerase kappa is a DNA polymerase that in humans is encoded by the ''POLK'' gene. It is involved in translesion synthesis DNA repair is a collection of processes by which a cell (biology), cell identifies and corrects damage to the ...

, 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, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, 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 () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

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 The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, officially referred to as the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, is a pair of long beam bridges with a central tall cable-stayed bridge. It spans Lower Tampa Bay to connect Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, Florid ...

is in Hillsborough County. So is

Egmont Key Egmont may refer to: * Egmont Group, a media corporation founded and rooted in Copenhagen, Denmark * Egmond family (often spelled "Egmont"), an influential Dutch family, lords of the town of Egmond ** Lamoral, Count of Egmont (1522–1568), the bes ...

, at the entrance to

Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater i ...

; 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 Alafia River State Park is a Florida State Park, located near Picnic in Hillsborough County in central Florida, 17 miles southeast of Tampa on County Road 39. Even before it became a park, the area, and particularly Hurrah Lake, was the center ...

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 near Lithia Springs Park File:Alligator - Alafia Springs State Park.jpg, An

alligator An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the Family (biology), family Alligatoridae in the Order (biology), order Crocodilia. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mis ...

in the

File:Hurrah Lake - Alafia River State Park.jpg, Hurrah Lake on the Alafia River File:Sandhill Cranes - Hillsborough River State Park.jpg,

Sandhill crane The sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis'') is a species of large Crane (bird), cranes of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to its habitat, such as the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's S ...

Hillsborough River State Park Hillsborough River State Park is located in the northeast corner of Hillsborough County, Florida near Zephyrhills (which is itself in Pasco County). It is a popular park due to its proximity to the city of Tampa. It closed in October 2024 due ...

File:Kayaking on the Hillsborough River.jpg, On the Hillsborough River near Lettuce Lake Park

Adjacent counties

* Pasco County – north * Polk County – east * Manatee County – south *

Pinellas County Pinellas County (, ) is located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 959,107, making it the seventh-most populous county in the state. It is also the most d ...

– west * Hardee County – southeast

Demographics

2020 Census

As of the 2020 United States census, 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, Afro-Latinos, Black Hispanics, or Black Latinos, are classified by the United States Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget, and other U.S. government agencies as Black ...

s): 15.6% (2.4%

West Indian A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED''), the term ''West Indian'' in 1597 described the indigenous inhabitants of the West In ...

Afro-Caribbean American Caribbean Americans or West Indian Americans are Americans who trace their ancestry to the West Indies in particular or Caribbean in general. Caribbean Americans are a multi-ethnic and multi-racial group that trace their ancestry further in tim ...

Other or Unspecified West Indian, 0.1% Trinidadian and Tobagonian, 0.1% 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%

Subsaharan African) * Hispanic (U.S. Census)">Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or 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: 3.1% * American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans (also called American Indians, First Americans, or Indigenous Americans) are the Indigenous peoples of the United States, particularly of the lower 48 states and Alaska. They may also include any Americans whose origins lie ...

: 0.4% * Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)">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 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

, 16.7% born in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, 9.2% were born in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, 3.2% born in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, 3.1% in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, and 0.3% were born in

Oceania Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...

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 Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 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

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

for the county was $21,812. About 9.10% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the

, 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 at home, 19.52% spoke

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, 0.56% French Creole (mainly

Haitian Creole Haitian Creole (; , ; , ), or simply Creole (), is a French-based creole languages, French-based creole language spoken by 10 to 12million people worldwide, and is one of the two official languages of Haiti (the other being French), where it ...

), and 0.51% spoke

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...

as their

mother language A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongue'' refers ...

. In total, 25.41% of the

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

spoke a language other than English as their

primary language A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongue'' refers ...

Politics and government

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republican are a narrow 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 from 2004 until 2024. It is part of the politically important I-4 Corridor between Tampa Bay and

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

, an area that historically decides most elections in Florida. Hillsborough was considered a

bellwether A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends.bellwether
" ''Cambridge Dictionary''. Re ...

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 Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician, attorney, and former astronaut who served from 2001 to 2019 as a United States Senate, United States senator from Florida and from 2021 to 2025 as the Administrator ...

for senator and

Andrew Gillum Andrew Demetric Gillum (born July 26, 1979) is an American former politician who served as the 126th Mayors of Tallahassee, Florida, mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, from 2014 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...

for governor both winning the county in the 2018 elections. However, Republican senator

Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (; born May 28, 1971) is an American politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving since 2025 as the 72nd United States Secretary of State, United States secretary of state. A member of the Republican Party (United States) , Rep ...

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 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

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 and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

's re-election victory in 1996. Obama won Hillsborough again in 2012 over Republican presidential nominee

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

by roughly the same margin. In

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

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, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...

in 1924 to win a presidential election without carrying the county. Donald Trump broke the Democratic streak in the county in 2024, when he carried the county by a narrow majority. This reflects the general trend in Florida towards the Republican Party in recent elections.

Board of County Commissioners

home rule Home rule is the 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 governan ...

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. Under a charter ordinance that went into effect May 1985, seven 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. 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. As of 2025, The members of the Board are as follows: * Henry Cohen (D): Single-Member District #1 * Ken Hagan (R): Single-Member District #2 * Gwen Myers (D): Single-Member District #3 * Christine Miller (R): Single-Member District #4 * Donna Cameron Cepeda (R): At-Large District #5 * Chris Boles (R): At-Large District #6 * Joshua Wostal (R): At-Large District #7

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)

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 govern ...

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 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to "create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth". Adult volunteers are matched with children from ag ...

* Bloomin' Brands Restaurants, including Outback Steakhouse, Carrabbas, and others. *

Checkers and Rally's Checkers and Rally's LLC is an American fast food double drive-through chain franchise in the United States. The brand operates Checkers and Rally's restaurants in 28 states and the District of Columbia. They specialize in hamburger, hamburgers, ...

Restaurants * Front Burner Brands Restaurants, including The Melting Pot, Burger 21, and Grillsmith. *

International Softball Federation Map of member states., 400px, right The International Softball Federation (ISF) is the former international governing body for the sport of softball with its world headquarters and training centre at Plant City, Florida. The ISF is a non-profit ...

* Lykes Brothers * Masonite International * 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 (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

's Phosphate Division * Odyssey Marine Exploration * Patterson Companies * Rooms To Go Furniture * Shriners International * Sweetbay Supermarkets (since absorbed by BI-LO's

Winn-Dixie Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., is an American supermarket chain store, chain headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Founded in 1925, Winn-Dixie grocery stores and liquor stores serve communities throughout five southeastern states – Alabama, ...

chain) had its headquarters in an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in the county, near Tampa. *

Sykes Enterprises Sykes Enterprises, Inc. (stylized as SYKES) was an American multinational business process outsourcing provider headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company provided business process outsourcing (BPO) services, IT consulting, and IT-enabled serv ...

Education

Hillsborough County Public Schools 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 news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'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 The Tampa Museum of Art is located in Downtown Tampa, downtown Tampa, Florida. It exhibits modern and contemporary art, as well as Art in Ancient Greece, Greek, Ancient Rome, Roman, and Etruscan civilization, Etruscan antiquities. The museum open ...

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

The Tampa Public Library opened in 1917. The following notable libraries are part of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative: * Arthenia L. Joyner University Area Community Library * Bloomingdale Regional Public Library * Bruton Memorial Library * C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library * Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library * John F. Germany Public Library * Maureen B. Gauzza Public Library * New Tampa Regional Library * Port Tampa City Library * Riverview Public Library * Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library *

Seffner-Mango Branch Library Part of the Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL), the Seffner-Mango Branch Library is a 15,000 square feet facility located on 410 N Kingsway Road, in Seffner, Florida. It holds 84,524 volumes and offers free wireless access, ...

* Temple Terrace Public Library * Thonotosassa Branch Library

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 137,000 (2021) 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 Continuity of government (COG) is the principle of establishing defined procedures that allow a government to continue its essential operations in case of a catastrophic event such as nuclear war. Continuity of government was developed by the Br ...

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

Public transportation

Hillsborough County is served by Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, also known as HART. They operate bus service as well as the

TECO Line Streetcar The TECO Line Streetcar System is a heritage streetcar transit line in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, run by the HARTline, Hillsborough Area Regional Transportation Authority (HART), owned by the city of Tampa, and managed by Tampa Historic Stre ...

Intercity

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

(

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

, Thruway bus service) *

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

Flixbus FlixBus (; styled FLiXBUS) is a German brand that offers low-cost Intercity bus service, intercity coach services in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. It is owned by , which also operates FlixTrain, FlixCar, , and Greyhound Lines. F ...

* RedCoach

Airports

The county's primary commercial aviation airport is

Tampa International Airport Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective May 15, 2025. The airp ...

in Tampa. Other important airports include the

Tampa Executive Airport Tampa Executive Airport , formerly known as Vandenberg Airport, is located in unincorporated Hillsborough County, Florida, six nautical miles (11 km) east of the central business district of Tampa. VDF covers 411 acres (166 ha) of land. The a ...

near Brandon, Peter O. Knight Airport near

downtown Tampa Downtown Tampa is the central business district of Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. It is second only to Westshore, Tampa, Westshore regarding employment in the area. Compani ...

, and the Plant City Airport near Plant City.

Major freeways and roadways

Interstate Highways : I-4

Interstate 4 Interstate 4 (I-4) is an Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Florida, maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Spanning along a generally southwest–northeast axis ...

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

Interstate 275 U.S Routes : US 41

U.S. Route 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miam ...

U.S. Route 92 : US 301

U.S. Route 301 State Routes : Toll Florida 618

State Route 618 : Florida 60

State Road 60 : Toll Florida 589

State Road 589 : Florida 580

State Road 580

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 * Brooker Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve *

Chito Branch Reserve The Chito Branch Reserve is located in southeastern Hillsborough County, Florida Hillsborough County is located in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. In the 2020 census, the population was 1,459,762, making it the fourth-m ...

* Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve * Edward Medard Park and Reservoir * Fish Hawk Creek Preserve *

* Lake Rogers Park * Lettuce Lake Park *

Lithia Springs Regional Park Lithia Springs Regional Park, is a park in Lithia, Florida, Lithia, Hillsborough County, Florida, Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States. The park's major attraction is a natural spring from which water flows year-round at a temperatur ...

* Little Manatee River State Park * Lower Green Swamp Preserve * McKay Bay Nature Park * Schultz Preserve *

Skyway Fishing Pier State Park __NOTOC__ Skyway Fishing Pier State Park is a Florida State Parks, Florida State Park located on the north and south sides of the mouth of Tampa Bay. When the original cantilevered Sunshine Skyway Bridge, carrying Interstate 275 (Florida), I-275 ...

* Upper Tampa Bay Park * Upper Tampa Bay Trail * Wolf Branch Nature Preserve

Communities

Despite its large population, there are only three incorporated places in Hillsborough County, all cities. Most of the area of the county is unincorporated and falls under the jurisdiction of the Hillsborough County board of commissioners. As of 2020, more than two thirds of the county's population lived in unincorporated areas.

Cities

Populations are as of the 2020 census. *

– 384,959 * Plant City – 39,764 * Temple Terrace – 26,690

Census-designated places

* Apollo Beach * Balm * Bloomingdale * Brandon * Carrollwood * Cheval * Citrus Park *

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

* East Lake-Orient Park * Egypt Lake-Leto * Fish Hawk * Gibsonton * Keystone * Lake Magdalene * Lutz *

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

* Northdale *

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

* Palm River-Clair Mel * Pebble Creek * Progress Village * Riverview *

Ruskin Ruskin may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ruskin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Ruskin (given name), a list of people Places United States * Ruskin, Florida, a census-designated place * Ruskin, Georgia, an uni ...

* Seffner * Sun City Center * Thonotosassa * Town 'n' Country *

University A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

* Valrico * Westchase * Wimauma

Unincorporated communities

* Adamsville * Alafia *

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

* Bay Crest Park * Boyette (former CDP, now part of Riverview) * Clair-Mel City * Del Rio * Durant * East Lake * East Tampa * Egypt Lake * Fort Lonesome * Gulf City * Hopewell * Keysville *

Knights A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

* Lake Fern *

Leto In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Leto (; ) is a childhood goddess, the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe (Titaness), Phoebe, the sister of Asteria, and the mother of Apollo and Artemis.Hesiod, ''Theogony' ...

* Limona * Lithia * Nowatney * Orient Park *

Palma Ceia Palma Ceia is a neighborhood located southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida in South Tampa. It is bounded by Miguel Street West of MacDill Avenue and Neptune Street East of MacDill Avenue to the north; Bay to Bay Boulevard from Dale Mabry to Hime ...

* Palm River *

Picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...

* Pinecrest * Port Sutton *

Rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genus, genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting sm ...

* Remlap * Rocky Creek * Snows Corner * Sulphur Springs * Sun City * Sweetwater Creek *

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

* Trapnell * 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 Brooke was a historical military post established at the mouth of the Hillsborough River (Florida), Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida in 1824. Its original purpose was to serve as a check on and trading post for the native S ...

* 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 * 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 A welcome is a kind of greeting designed to introduce a person to a new place or situation, and to make them feel at ease. The term can similarly be used to describe the feeling of being accepted on the part of the new person. Overview In ...

* Weldon * Willow * Youmans

Notes

References

External links

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