Zephyrhills, Florida

Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. The population was estimated at 13,288 in the 2010 census. It is a suburb of the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. Zephyrhills is also known as the headquarters of the Zephyrhills bottled water company and is a member of Tree City USA.

"Zephyrhills" redirects here. For the brand of water, see Zephyrhills (water).
The City of Zephyrhills
City
5th Avenue in the Zephyrhills Downtown Historic District
Nickname(s): 
Z-hills
Motto(s): 
"City of pure water"
Location in Pasco County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 28°14′14″N 82°10′46″W
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountyPasco
SettledApril 18, 1888
Incorporated (town)1910
Incorporated (city)1914
Government
 • MayorGene Whitfield
 • City ManagerSteve Spina
 • City ClerkLori Hillman
Area
 • Total9.43 sq mi (24.42 km2)
 • Land9.37 sq mi (24.28 km2)
 • Water0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation
95 ft (29 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total13,288
 • Estimate 
(2019)[2]
16,456
 • Density1,409/sq mi (544/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
33539–33544
Area code(s)813
FIPS code12-79225[3]
GNIS feature ID0293620[4]
Websitewww.ci.zephyrhills.fl.us

History

Zephyrhills began as the town of Abbott on April 18,1888 and consisted of 280.74 acres. A voting district was established in 1893 followed by a post office in 1896. In 1909, Captain Harold B. Jeffries, a Civil War Union veteran from Pennsylvania purchased 35,000 acres and created the Zephyrhills Colony Company with a plan to create a community for Civil War veterans.[5] In 1910 the town voted to change its name to Zephyrhills; it was incorporated in 1914.[6]

In 1941, one resident reported that Zephyrhills had a sundown town policy forbidding African Americans from living within the city limits.[7]

The city created a historic district in 1999; in 2001 the Zephyrhills Historic District was nominated for and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6] A Founders Day celebration is held annually in March.[8]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1920577—
193074829.6%
19401,25267.4%
19501,82645.8%
19602,88758.1%
19703,36916.7%
19805,74270.4%
19908,22043.2%
200010,83331.8%
201013,28822.7%
Est. 201916,456[2]23.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 10,833 people and 2,986 families in the city. The population density was 1,728.2 inhabitants per square mile (667.1/km²). There were 6,167 housing units at an average density of 983.8 per square mile (379.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.63% White, 2.79% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.60% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.03% of the population.

There were 4,944 households out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 46.5% were married couples living with others, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.63.

The population contained 18.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 44.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city in 2005 was $33,100,[10] and the median income for a family was $33,502. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $21,648 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,047. About 9.3% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transport

Major roads
See also: List of county roads in Pasco County, Florida
  • U.S. Route 301 (Fort King Highway/Gall Boulevard) is the main road through Zephyrhills running north and south through the city.
  • State Road 39 (Paul S. Buchman Highway/Gall Boulevard) runs northwest and southeast from Plant City into US 301 in Zephyrhills, and joins US 301 as a "hidden state road."
  • County Road 41 (Fort King Highway/Fort King Road) is an extension of SR 41, which is a hidden state road along US 301 from the Hillsborough County Line.
  • State Road 54 (Fifth Avenue) is the main east-west road that runs through southern Pasco County, from US 19 near Holiday to US 301 in Zephyrhills. A County extension (CR 54/Eiland Boulevard) from the intersection of SR 54 and CR 579 to U.S. Route 98 in Branchborough also exists, and a western extension to CR 577 in Wesley Chapel is planned for construction.
  • State Road 56 is a 2002-built road between SR 54 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Wesley Chapel, that is planned to be extended to US 301 south of Zephyrhills.
  • County Road 579 (Morris Bridge Road/Eiland Boulevard/Handcart Road) is a bi-county extension of State Road 579 that runs from northern Tampa, through the western edge of the city, to west of Dade City. County Road 54 overlaps CR 579 north of SR 54 until it branches off to the east.
  • County Road 535 (Chancey Road/Old Lakeland Highway) runs along the southern and eastern edge of the city and north into County Road 35 Alternate in Vitis.

Public transportation

Zephyrhills is served by Pasco County Public Transportation on routes #30, #33, and #54.[11]

Train Wreck 2004

In the early morning hours of November 29, 2004, CSX Train Q441 Pulled by Dash 8-40CW #7803 & SD70M #4695, collided head on into CSX Train K916 pulled by SD40-2 #8101 & SD70MAC #4810. 7803 & 8101 were totaled and scrapped in between late 2004 and early 2005. 4695 & 4810 were repaired and are still in service today. The cause of the accident was because K916 ran a red signal in the fog.

Airport

The city is served by Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. It was also once served by the 1927-built Zephyrhills Depot on the Atlantic Coast Line, which is now the Zephyrhills Depot Museum at a city park near the airport. More than 70,000 skydives are performed annually on the airport at Skydive City, Inc., the largest woman-owned drop zone in the world, founded in 1990 by Joannie Murphy and Susan Perkins Stark.

Public library

The Zephyrhills Public Library was founded in 1912. According to the city's website, "The Library provides open and equal access to the resources and services of the library. The Library seeks to encourage reading and the use of technology for life-long learning and the enhancement of the community's quality of life."[12] Library personnel also staff the City‟s Depot Museum. The library is managed by a Library Advisory Board and is a member of the Pasco County Library Cooperative. A new library was built in 2014 just north of the old library.

The Zephyrhills Depot Museum originated with the 1989 purchase of the 1927 Atlantic Coast Line Depot from CSX Railroad by the City of Zephyrhills. The original depot was relocated 200 feet (61 m) west of its original location. Restoration of the 2,700 square feet (250 m2) building began in 1997 with a Grant from the State Department of Transportation. The Historical Preservation Committee and the Zephyrhills Historical Association worked together to complete the restoration. The Zephyrhills Depot Museum opened on 20 October 1998.

Public safety

The Zephyrhills Police Department consists of about 35 officers. The current chief of police is Derek Brewer.[13][14][15] The Zephyrhills Fire Department consists of career and volunteer firefighters.[16][17]

Historic Jeffries house.
First United Methodist Church in the downtown historic district.

Notable people

Geography

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and warm, generally dry winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Zephyrhills has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[18]

Climate data for Zephyrhills, Florida
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 87
(31)		 90
(32)		 94
(34)		 98
(37)		 102
(39)		 103
(39)		 101
(38)		 99
(37)		 98
(37)		 96
(36)		 92
(33)		 88
(31)		 103
(39)
Average high °F (°C) 72
(22)		 75
(24)		 79
(26)		 84
(29)		 89
(32)		 92
(33)		 92
(33)		 92
(33)		 91
(33)		 85
(29)		 79
(26)		 74
(23)		 84
(29)
Average low °F (°C) 48
(9)		 50
(10)		 54
(12)		 58
(14)		 64
(18)		 70
(21)		 72
(22)		 72
(22)		 70
(21)		 63
(17)		 56
(13)		 50
(10)		 61
(16)
Record low °F (°C) 18
(−8)		 16
(−9)		 24
(−4)		 38
(3)		 46
(8)		 54
(12)		 64
(18)		 62
(17)		 53
(12)		 39
(4)		 27
(−3)		 18
(−8)		 16
(−9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.41
(87)		 3.38
(86)		 4.06
(103)		 2.35
(60)		 3.89
(99)		 7.13
(181)		 7.69
(195)		 7.47
(190)		 6.54
(166)		 2.75
(70)		 2.52
(64)		 2.65
(67)		 53.84
(1,368)
Source: [19]

References
  1. "2016 US Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. Retrieved Jul 7, 2017.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. Blackstone, Lillian (23 March 1952). "Into center of state". St. Petersburg Times. p. 19. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  6. Historic Home Tour/City History (accessed 10 April 2020)
  7. "Down in Florida". Marengo Republican-News. Marengo, Illinois. 23 January 1941. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com. 'Believe it or not, we have 'black-outs' here. Negroes are not allowed to live in the city. They must live either in the country or on the R.-R. right-of-way.'
  8. Founders Day Library of Congress
  9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  10. "Zephyrhills, Florida (FL 33540) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders". www.city-data.com.
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 July 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. "Library"
  13. "Chief of Police | Zephyrhills, FL". ci.zephyrhills.fl.us. City of Zephyrhills. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  14. "Police Department | Zephyrhills, FL". City of Zephyrhills. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  15. "Zephyrhills Police Department". City of Zephyrhills. Archived from the original on 10 August 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  16. "Fire Department | Zephyrhills, FL". ci.zephyrhills.fl.us. City of Zephyrhills. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  17. "Fire Chief's Office". City of Zephyrhills. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  18. "Zephyrhills, Florida Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
  19. "Historical Averages for Zephyrhills FL". Retrieved 10 May 2015.

Further reading
  • Harrison, Benjamin (1997). Undying Love - The Shocking True Story of a Passion That Defied Death. St. Martin's. ISBN 0-312-97802-2.
  • Trottman, Rosemary W. (1978). The History of Zephyrhills, 1821-1921. Vantage Press. ISBN 0-533-02882-5.
  • Wise, Madonna Jervis (2008). Tapestry-Zephyrhills: An Anthology of Its History Through Education. BookSurge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4196-9640-4.
  • Wise, Madonna Jervis (2010). Zephyrhills (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-6676-4.
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