Port Richey, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Port Richey | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 28°16′29″N 82°43′23″W / 28.27472°N 82.72306°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Pasco |
| Area | |
| - Total | 2.7 sq mi (7.1 km2) |
| - Land | 2.1 sq mi (5.5 km2) |
| - Water | 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 3,021 |
| - Density | 1,118.9/sq mi (425.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 727 |
| FIPS code | 12-58600[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0289237[2] |
Port Richey is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,021 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,294 [1].
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[edit] History
Port Richey was incorporated as a municipality in May, 1925. Charles H. Hoffman served as its first mayor. Perhaps the first indication that Port Richey was destined to enjoy a reputation of uniqueness was the fact that the little city was politically ahead of its time, for in its first year as a municipality a woman was elected to the council and chosen to be Vice Mayor. Her name was Susan Clark and she retained her position through four terms.
Long before Port Richey was incorporated, however, it was a Mecca for fisherman and trappers. In fact, it was once an industrious Indian community and has been the home and burial ground for two separate Indian tribes.
In 1883, Aaron M. Richey arrived from St . Joseph, Missouri and settled near the mouth of the Pithlachascotee , later called Richey Point. Needing a dock to moor his schooner he purchased a small piece of river front property from a member of the pioneer Clark family and immediately named that piece of property "Port Richey." It was because of his ownership of the schooner that Mr. Richey was subsequently called "Captain." He was not truly a seafaring man. After he settled in the area he found that mail was being carried from Brooksville to Anclote by horseback and so he decided to establish a post office, naming it the "Port Richey Post Office." He served as the first postmaster and also operated a small general store on Richey Point.
As other early settlers arrived, word was gradually spread among the northern states about the mild winters on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The lure of the fish and game abundance in this area spelled paradise to many adventurous northerners. The sparkling gleam of the jumping mullets, together with the grouper, kings, snappers and others brought the anxious anglers. Dolphins dancing over the waves in the Gulf of Mexico were a dream come true to many and the catch of a tarpon the thrill of a lifetime to be mounted for proof of the proverbial fish story.
Today, Port Richey remains internally much as it has always been. With an almost explosive growth taking place over the entire surrounding area, it remains a picturesque port for commercial fisherman teeming with serenity and charm. Typical of the traditional values that still hold sway in this unique town is the pride its citizens take in living in a debt free city.
Port Richey has certainly grown in spite of traditional efforts on the part of many of its citizens to keep the city as small as possible. The population of Port Richey in 1935 was only 249. In 2004 the population is 3077.
[edit] Geography
Port Richey is located at 28°16′29″N 82°43′23″W / 28.27472°N 82.72306°W (28.274651, -82.723009)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.1 km² (2.7 mi²). 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (22.99%) is water.
The City of Port Richey is served by the Port Richey Police Dept. and The Port Richey Fire Dept. Ambulance Service is provided by Pasco County Fire-Rescue. there are no hospitals in the city limits.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,021 people, 1,424 households, and 770 families residing in the city. The population density was 552.8/km² (1,433.9/mi²). There were 1,746 housing units at an average density of 319.5/km² (828.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.13% White, 0.63% African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.88% of the population.
There were 1,424 households out of which 15.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.61.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 27.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,404, and the median income for a family was $40,050. Males had a median income of $30,473 versus $22,139 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,711. About 9.1% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.6% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Port Richey, Florida is at coordinates 28°16′29″N 82°43′23″W / 28.274651°N 82.723009°WCoordinates: 28°16′29″N 82°43′23″W / 28.274651°N 82.723009°W
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