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.

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. In 1910 the town voted to change its name to Zephyrhills; it was incorporated in 1914.
In 1941, one resident reported that Zephyrhills had a sundown town policy forbidding African Americans from living within the city limits.
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. A Founders Day celebration is held annually in March.

Demographics

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. There were 6,167 housing units at an average density of 983.8 per square mile. 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, 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

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

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." 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 west of its original location. Restoration of the 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. The Zephyrhills Fire Department consists of career and volunteer firefighters.
The State of Florida Department of Corrections maintains the Zephyrhills Correctional Facility one mile south of the city limits. The prison population is adult males, with a capacity of over 700 inmates.

Notable people

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.