Zephyrhills, Florida

Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. The population was counted at 17,194 in the 2020 census.[5] The city is the headquarters of the Zephyrhills bottled water company. The current mayor is Melonie Monson.[6]

"Zephyrhills" redirects here. For the brand of water, see Zephyrhills (water).

Zephyrhills, Florida
City
5th Avenue in the Zephyrhills Downtown Historic District
5th Avenue in the Zephyrhills Downtown Historic District
Nickname: 
"Z-hills"
Motto: 
"City of pure water"
Location in Pasco County and the state of Florida
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
 • MayorMelonie Monson
 • City ManagerBilly Poe
 • City ClerkLori Hillman
Area
[1]
 • Total9.61 sq mi (24.88 km2)
 • Land9.55 sq mi (24.74 km2)
 • Water0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation
95 ft (29 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total17,194
 • Estimate 
(2021)[2]
18,154
 • Density1,799.85/sq mi (694.91/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
33539–33544
33599 (original code)
Area code813
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 Howard 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.[7] In 1910 the town voted to change its name to Zephyrhills; it was incorporated in 1914.[8]

In 1941, one resident reported that Zephyrhills had a sundown town policy forbidding African Americans from living within the city limits.[9]

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.[8] A Founders Day celebration is held annually in March.[10]

Geography

Zephyrhills is known for its rolling topography, hence the name.

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.[11]

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) 72.1
(22.3)		 74.7
(23.7)		 78.4
(25.8)		 83.0
(28.3)		 88.6
(31.4)		 90.8
(32.7)		 91.3
(32.9)		 91.4
(33.0)		 89.5
(31.9)		 84.9
(29.4)		 78.9
(26.1)		 73.6
(23.1)		 83.1
(28.4)
Average low °F (°C) 49.3
(9.6)		 52.0
(11.1)		 55.6
(13.1)		 59.6
(15.3)		 65.9
(18.8)		 71.4
(21.9)		 72.9
(22.7)		 73.1
(22.8)		 71.6
(22.0)		 65.2
(18.4)		 57.8
(14.3)		 51.9
(11.1)		 62.2
(16.8)
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) 3.20
(81)		 3.12
(79)		 3.69
(94)		 2.22
(56)		 3.60
(91)		 7.39
(188)		 7.43
(189)		 7.79
(198)		 6.65
(169)		 2.66
(68)		 2.50
(64)		 2.78
(71)		 53.03
(1,347)
Source 1: [12]
Source 2: [13]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
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%
202017,19429.4%
2022 (est.)19,285[5]12.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
Zephyrhills racial composition as of 2020[15]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[lower-alpha 1]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 11,655 67.79%
Black or African American (NH) 1,326 7.71%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 41 0.24%
Asian (NH) 300 1.74%
Pacific Islander (NH) 13 0.08%
Some Other Race (NH) 73 0.42%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 735 4.27%
Hispanic or Latino 3,051 17.74%
Total 17,194

As of the 2020 United States census,[18] there were 17,194 people, 7,178 households, and 4,174 families residing in the city.

Of the total population, 4.4% were under 5 years old, 18.1% were under 18 years old, and 35.7% were 65 years and over. 54.9% of the population were female. There were 1,548 veterans living in the city and 8.0% were foreign born persons.

89.8% of households had a computer and 81.6% of households had a broadband internet subscription.

18.1% of the population under the age of 65 lived with a disability and 20.1% of that same population did not have health insurance.

The median household income was $36,799 and the per capita income was $21,848. 17.8% of the population lived below the poverty threshold.

Arts and culture
Capt. Howard B. Jeffries House
First United Methodist Church in the downtown historic district

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."[19]

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 October 20, 1998.

Infrastructure

Major roads
See also: List of county roads in Pasco County, Florida
  • US 301 (Fort King Highway/Gall Boulevard) is the main road through Zephyrhills running north and south through the city.
  • SR 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".
  • CR 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.
  • SR 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.
  • SR 56 (State Road 56) is a 2002-built road between SR 54 and runs 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.[20]

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.

Railroads

CSX Transportation's Wildwood Subdivision goes through the eastern parts of Zephyrhills.[21]

Public safety

The Zephyrhills Police Department consists of about 35 officers.[22][23][24] The Zephyrhills Fire Department consists of career and volunteer firefighters.[25][26]

Notable people

Notes
  1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[16][17]

References
  1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. "Census.gov Quick Facts Zephyrhills city, Florida". Census.gov. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  6. "Spina and Monson take election victories - Zephyrhills Free Press". April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  7. Blackstone, Lillian (March 23, 1952). "Into center of state". St. Petersburg Times. p. 19. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  8. "Historic Tour | Zephyrhills, FL". www.ci.zephyrhills.fl.us.
  9. "Down in Florida". Marengo Republican-News. Marengo, Illinois. January 23, 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.'
  10. Founders Day Library of Congress
  11. "Zephyrhills, Florida Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
  12. "Zipcode 33542". www.plantmaps.com. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  13. "Zephyrhills, Florida Climate". www.bestplaces.net. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  14. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  15. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  16. https://www.census.gov/
  17. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  18. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Zephyrhills city, Florida; United States". www.census.gov. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  19. ""Library"".
  20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 24, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. JACKSONVILLE DIVISION TIMETABLE NO. 4. CSX Transportation. 2005. pp. 179–183.
  22. "Chief of Police | Zephyrhills, FL". ci.zephyrhills.fl.us. City of Zephyrhills. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  23. "Police Department | Zephyrhills, FL". City of Zephyrhills. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  24. "Zephyrhills Police Department". City of Zephyrhills. Archived from the original on August 10, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  25. "Fire Department | Zephyrhills, FL". ci.zephyrhills.fl.us. City of Zephyrhills. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  26. "Fire Chief's Office". City of Zephyrhills. Archived from the original on May 5, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2010.

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.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Zephyrhills.
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