Tarpon Springs is a city in

Pinellas County, Florida 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 ...

, United States. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and underwent beautification in 2010. It is part of the

Tampa Bay area The Tampa Bay area is a major metropolitan area surrounding Tampa Bay on the Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, Florida, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, Florida, Clea ...

. The population was 25,117 at the 2020 census. As of 2000, Tarpon Springs had the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US, with 10.4% of residents who had Greek ancestry.

History

The region, with a series of

bayou In usage in the Southern United States, a bayou () is a body of water typically found in a flat, low-lying area. It may refer to an extremely slow-moving stream, river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), marshy lake, wetland, or creek. They ...

s feeding into 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 ...

, was settled by farmers and fishermen around 1876. Some of the newly arrived visitors spotted tarpon jumping out of the waters and so named the location Tarpon Springs. The name is said to have originated with a remark by an early settler who said, "See the tarpon spring!" (most fish splashing here were mullet). In 1882, Hamilton Disston, who in the previous year had purchased the land, ordered the creation of a town plan. On February 12, 1887, Tarpon Springs became the first incorporated city in what is now Pinellas County. Less than a year later on January 13, 1888, the Orange Belt Railway, the first railroad line to be built in what is now Pinellas County, arrived in the city. During this time the area was developed as a wintering spot for wealthy northerners. In the 1880s, John K. Cheyney founded the first local

sponge Sponges or sea sponges are primarily marine invertebrates of the animal phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), a basal clade and a sister taxon of the diploblasts. They are sessile filter feeders that are bound to the seabed, and a ...

business. The industry continued to grow in the 1890s. Many people from

Key West Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...

and the

Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of its population. ...

settled in Tarpon Springs to hook sponges and then process them. A few Greek immigrants also arrived in this city during the 1890s to work in the sponge industry. In 1905, John Cocoris introduced the technique of

sponge diving Sponge diving is underwater diving to collect soft natural sponges for human use. Background Most sponges are too rough for general use due to their structural spicules composed of calcium carbonate or silica. But two genera, '' Hippospongia' ...

to Tarpon Springs by recruiting divers and crew members from Greece. The first divers came from the

Saronic Gulf The Saronic Gulf ( Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος, ''Saronikós kólpos'') or Gulf of Aegina in Greece is formed between the peninsulas of Attica and Argolis and forms part of the Aegean Sea. It defines the eastern side of the isthmus of C ...

islands of

Aegina Aegina (; ; ) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina (mythology), Aegina, the mother of the mythological hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and became its king. ...

and Hydra, but they were soon outnumbered by those from the

Dodecanese The Dodecanese (, ; , ''Dodekánisa'' , ) are a group of 15 larger and 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Anatolia, of which 26 are inhabited. This island group generally define ...

islands of Kalymnos,

Symi Symi, also transliterated as Syme or Simi (), is a Greece, Greek island and Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality. It is mountainous and has the harbour town of Symi and its adjacent upper town Ano Symi, as well as several smaller ...

and Halki. The sponge industry soon became one of the leading maritime industries in Florida and the most important business in Tarpon Springs, generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film ''

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef ''Beneath the 12-Mile Reef'' is a 1953 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Robert Wagner, Terry Moore and Gilbert Roland. The screenplay was by A.I. Bezzerides. The film was the third motion picture m ...

'', depicting the sponge industry, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs. The city's Rose Cemetery, where Black residents are interred, is believed to contain burials which began in the late 1800s; the earliest legible marked burial is from 1904. The cemetery contains the grave of Richard Quarls, a Confederate veteran of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

who fought alongside his enslaver before moving to Tarpon Springs and choosing the new name "Christopher Columbus", and veterans of subsequent wars. In 1947, a

red tide A harmful algal bloom (HAB), or excessive algae growth, sometimes called a red tide in marine environments, is an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms by production of natural algae-produced toxins, water deoxygenation, ...

algae bloom wiped out the sponge fields in the

, causing many of the sponge boats and divers to switch to shrimping for their livelihood, while others left the business. Eventually, the sponges recovered, allowing for a smaller but consistent sponge industry today. In the 1980s, the sponge business experienced a boom due to a sponge disease that killed the Mediterranean sponges. There is still a small active sponge industry.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city of Tarpon Springs has a total area of , of which is land and (45.83%) is water.

Climate

Tarpon Springs' climate borders on humid subtropical and tropical savanna, with warm temperatures year-round, although winter nights are cool. Annual precipitation is around . Winters are warm, with daytime highs of , and nightly lows of . Freezing temperatures ( or lower) occur infrequently, while snowfall is extremely rare; there was accumulation in 1977 and 1989, while the years

1899 Events January * January 1 ** Spanish rule formally ends in Cuba with the cession of Spanish sovereignty to the U.S., concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas.''The American Monthly Review of Reviews'' (February 1899), p ...

, 1954, 1958, 1973, 2001, 2006, 2010, and 2014 either saw light snow mixed with rain, or flurries. The record low temperature of was observed on four different dates: December 1, 1962, December 13, 1962, December 14, 1962, and January 13, 1985. Summers are hot and very humid, causing frequent afternoon

thunderstorms A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are som ...

that can occasionally produce

hail Hail is a form of solid Precipitation (meteorology), precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailsto ...

, and, even

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

es or

waterspout A waterspout is a rotating column of air that occurs over a body of water, usually appearing as a funnel-shaped cloud in contact with the water and a cumuliform cloud. There are two types of waterspout, each formed by distinct mechanisms. ...

s off the

. Daytime temperatures usually range from , with temperatures over very rare. The record high temperature of was observed on July 10, 1997. Spring and fall are generally warm.

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,117 people, 10,971 households, and 6,191 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 23,484 people, 9,870 households, and 6,113 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 21,003 people, 9,067 households, and 5,947 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 10,759 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.07%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 6.15%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.29% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.81% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races.

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 were 4.33% of the population. In 2000, there were 9,067 households, out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% 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, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.78. In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $38,251, and the median income for a family was $46,316. Males had a median income of $36,356 versus $25,252 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 city was $21,504. About 7.7% of families and 9.8% 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 16.1% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over. In 2000, 84.99% of the population spoke English as a

first 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 hypothesis, critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' ...

, while the second most spoken language was

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

, at 8.87% of residents. 3.46% spoke Spanish, 1.09% at French, German 0.56%, and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

was spoken by 0.55% of people living in Tarpon Springs. In total, 15% of the population spoke a language other than English as a mother tongue.

Arts and culture

Elaborate religious ceremonies are hosted by the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, part of the

Greek Orthodox Church Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Christianity in Greece, Greek Christianity, Antiochian Greek Christians, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christian ...

, including the January 6 Epiphany celebration. The first Greek immigrants depended on the sea and their boats for their livelihood. The Metropolitan of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

usually presides over the blessings, sometimes joined by the Archbishop of America. The blessings conclude with the ceremonial throwing of a wooden cross into the city's Spring Bayou, and boys ages 16 to 18 dive in to retrieve it: whoever recovers the cross is said to be blessed for a full year. Museums include: *Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum in Craig Park, which features the history and culture of the Greek Community. *Safford House Museum *The Depot Museum Notable districts and properties listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

include: * Tarpon Springs Greektown Historic District * Tarpon Springs Historic District * Arcade Hotel * Old Tarpon Springs City Hall, which houses the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center. * Old Tarpon Springs High School * Safford House * Tarpon Springs Depot Sites related to the sponge industry include: * E.R. Meres Sponge Packing House * N.G. Arfaras Sponge Packing House

Library

The Tarpon Springs Public Library was founded in 1916 by Julia Roswell Smith Inness and other leading members of the Tarpon Springs community.Schnur, James Anthony, "The Tarpon Springs Public Library : A Cultural Treasure for Nearly a Century" (2013). USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications. 3082. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fac_publications/3082 The library began in the northern portion of the second floor of the Tarpon Springs City Hall and was supported by the Library Association and public dues. The Tarpon Springs Public Library has moved five times over the course of its history to accommodate its increasing collection to support the growing population of Tarpon Springs. "Tarpon Springs Public Library" (1998). Florida Library History Project. 35. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fl_library_history/35In 1921, the library moved into a house on Orange Street owned by Miss Richey, who also managed the collection. After the sale of the house on Orange Street and some financial difficulties for the library due to the Great Depression, the library was set up in the Tarpon Hotel thanks to the support from the Tarpon Springs Enterprise Association. In 1937, a plot of land was donated by John and Mabel Cheyney to build a new library on what later became known as Library Lane. Groundbreaking for this building began in July 1938. The library was located here until 1964 when a new library building opened in Coburn Park. The library was housed in this building until the current library building, located at 138 East Lemon St. Tarpon Springs, FL 34689, opened in January of 1997. The current Tarpon Springs Public Library building is 20,000 square feet and is located in the downtown area of Tarpon Springs. The front of the building is adorned with a fountain showcasing two life size Tarpons springing forth from the water in celebration of the city's namesake. The building entrance is decorated with Mediterranean green marble which was also used to create both the Circulation and Reference desks. Tarpon Springs Library is a member of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative. It offers Pinellas County residents access to its wide collection, free computer use, as well as one-on-one Genealogy assistance.

Media

Tarpon Springs is the setting and primary filming location of the 1953 film '' Beneath the Twelve-Mile Reef'' which follows the lives of a family of Greek sponge fishermen and depicts the annual Epiphany celebration.

Infrastructure

Tarpon Springs Police Department has 57 total police officers, with 32 assigned to patrol.Women of The Tarpon Springs Police Department
The Patch, February 25th 2025, Alympia Peaceful Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue has 46 total firefighters in three fire stations. AdventHealth North Pinellas is a hospital in Tarpon Springs.

Notable people

* 2 Pistols, rapper * Doug Ault, professional baseball player, Texas Rangers and

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

* Michael Bilirakis, former U.S. Representative *

Gus Bilirakis Gus Michael Bilirakis ( ; born February 8, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 2013. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, ...

, U.S. Representative * Wesley Charpie, soccer player * Chris Coghlan, professional baseball player * Mason Cole, professional football player,

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

, and

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

* Dieselboy, electronic music artist * Billy "The Kid" Emerson, preacher and former rock and roll pianist and songwriter * Michael Koulianos, preacher, writer and YouTuber * Elaine Esposito, former record holder of the longest coma * Wayne Fontes, NFL coach for the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

* Bertie Higgins, singer of "Key Largo" * William W. Kingsbury, United States House of Representatives, territorial delegate from Minnesota Territory * Themistocles Leftheris, 2006 Olympian (with Naomi Nari Nam) in pairs figure skating *

Lois Lenski Lois Lenore Lenski Covey (October 14, 1893 – September 11, 1974) was a Newbery Medal-winning author and illustrator of picture books and children's literature. Beginning in 1927 with her first books, ''Skipping Village'' and ''Jack Horner's Pie: ...

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

-winning children's author * Bertram Chapman Mayo (1865–1920), American newspaper promoter *

Melanie Safka Melanie Anne Safka Schekeryk (February 3, 1947 – January 23, 2024), professionally known as Melanie or Melanie Safka, was an American singer-songwriter. Melanie is widely known for the 1971–72 global hit " Brand New Key", her 1970 version o ...

, singer-songwriter *

Savatage Savatage () is an American heavy metal band founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in 1979 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The band was first called Avatar, but, shortly before the release of their debut album '' Sirens'' (1983), they changed t ...

, heavy metal band and precursor to

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is an American rock band founded in 1996 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill (producer), Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli (both members of Savatage) and keyboardist and co-pr ...

* Artavis Scott, wide receiver for the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

Sister cities

In 2007 and 2008, the Tarpon Springs established sister city relationships with Kalymnos, Halki,

, Hydra, and Larnaca, Cyprus, recognizing the historical link with those Greek-speaking islands.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Florida Cities in Pinellas County, Florida Greek-American culture in Florida Greektowns in the United States Populated places on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida Sponge diving 1876 establishments in Florida Populated places established in 1876