Pasco County is located on the west central coast of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. According to the 2020 census, the population was 561,691. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Dade City Dade City is a city in and the county seat of Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is located in the Tampa Bay Area. The population was 6,437 at the 2010 census. Dade City is popular with tourists for its antique stores, restaurants, and h ...

, and its largest city is

Zephyrhills Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. The population was counted at 17,194 in the 2020 census. It is a suburb of the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. Zephyrhills is also known as the headquarters of the Zephyrhil ...

. The county is named after

Samuel Pasco Samuel Pasco (June 28, 1834March 13, 1917) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Florida. Biography Pasco was born in London, England, to a family of Cornish ancestry. His family moved to Prince Edward Island in 1841 befo ...

. Pasco County is included in the

Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the Unite ...

and is primarily a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for Tampa and St. Petersburg. It includes numerous parks and trails located along rivers, the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

, lakes, and highway/railroad right-of-ways. Several

nudist resort A naturist resort or nudist resort is an establishment that provides accommodation (or at least camping space) and other amenities for guests in a context where they are invited to practise naturism – that is, a lifestyle of non-sexual socia ...

s are located in Pasco. It has become known as the "naturist capital of the United States," beginning with a development in 1941. West Pasco includes retirement areas, commercial fishing, and suburbs of Tampa. The

Suncoast Parkway Suncoast may refer to: * Florida Suncoast, a 1980s marketing term for peninsular (non-panhandle) Florida's Gulf of Mexico coastal counties ** Florida Suncoast Dome, the original name of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida ** Suncoast Center, ...

as well as U.S. 19, U.S. 41, U.S. 98, U.S. 301, and

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...

all pass through Pasco. The county is directly west of Polk and Sumter counties, north of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and south of Hernando County.

History

Pasco County was created on June 2, 1887, from the southern third of Hernando County. The same legislation also created Citrus County from the northern third of Hernando County. The county was named after

, who had just been elected to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. Dade City was named the temporary county seat until a popular vote was held in 1889, at which time voters made Dade City the permanent county seat. As early as 1917, residents of the western part of the county proposed forming a separate county or merging with Pinellas County, as Dade City was not centrally located in the county. The issue was finally resolved in the late 1970s with the construction of identical government centers in both Dade City and New Port Richey. The earliest towns were Anclote, Blanton,

, Earnestville, Fort Dade (not to be confused with Fort Dade on

Egmont Key Egmont may refer to: * Egmont Group, a media corporation founded and rooted in Copenhagen, Denmark * Egmond family (often spelled "Egmont"), an influential Dutch family, lords of the town of Egmond ** Lamoral, Count of Egmont (1522–1568), the bes ...

), Macon (

Trilby A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in Britain Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. Barnes & Noble. and ...

), Lacoochee, St. Leo, and

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. Citrus was an important industry when the county was formed, although a decline followed a freeze in 1895. Several large sawmills operated in the county in the early part of the 20th century. During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, New Port Richey became the winter home of silent screen star

Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he co ...

and golfer Gene Sarazen; Meighan attempted to bring other Hollywood figures to the city. The county has experienced significant population growth since the 1960s. The growth began along the Gulf coast but is now occurring most rapidly in areas north of Tampa.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (14.0%) is water. A portion of Eastern Pasco County contains rolling topography with elevations from , along with San Antonio and St. Leo.

Adjacent counties

Hernando County Hernando County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 194,515. Its county seat is Brooksville, and its largest community is Spring Hill. Hernando County is incl ...

—north * Sumter County—northeast *

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

—southeast * Hillsborough County—south *

Pinellas County Pinellas County (, ) is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 959,107. The county is part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg– Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical ...

—southwest

Climate

The county has a humid subtropical climate (''Cwa'') and average temperatures in Dade City range from 59.2 °F in January to 82.1 °F in July and August while in Port Richey they range from 59.0 °F in January to 82.2 °F in August
PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 561,891 people, 209,483 households, and 139,278 families residing in the county. As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

, there were 344,765 people, 147,566 households, and 99,016 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 173,717 housing units at an average density of 233 per square mile (90/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.70%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 2.07%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.35% Native American, 0.94%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.52% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.38% from two or more races. 5.69% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 147,566 households, out of which 23.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.77. In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.20% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 26.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 92.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,969, and the median income for a family was $39,568. Males had a median income of $30,974 versus $23,802 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $18,439. About 7.60% of families and 10.70% 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 t ...

, including 15.20% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Though the county seat is in Dade City, duplicate county government offices and court facilities are also located in the New Port Richey area on the west side of the county. Politically, the county has been a swing area over the past quarter century. However, three of the last four elections have trended strongly Republican in Presidential elections, with 2008 being the exception. Although the GOP had the most votes in 2008, it was by a much smaller margin than the previous 2004 election or the subsequent 2012 and 2016 elections.

Transportation

Aviation

* Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH) * Pilot Country Airport (X05) * Tampa North Aero Park (X39) * Hidden Lake Estates Airport (FA40, private airport near Moon Lake)

Bus service

Pasco County Public Transportation provides bus service throughout Pasco County.

Railroads

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

operates three rail lines within the county. Dade City and Zephyrhills are served with a line from Plant City.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

formerly provided passenger rail service to

on that line, but the stop was terminated in late 2004. The other two lines include the Brooksville Subdivision which runs close to

US 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...

and the Vitis Subdivision, which runs southeast into Lakeland. Notable abandoned railroad lines include a former branch of the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...

northwest of Trilacoochee (formerly Owensboro Junction) that became part of the

Withlacoochee State Trail Withlacoochee State Trail is a long paved, multi-use, non-motorized rail trail in Florida located in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties. It follows along the Withlacoochee River and passes through the Withlacoochee State Forest. It is the ...

, a segment of the

Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, t ...

branch stretching from Zephyrhills to Trilacoochee, the former

Tampa and Thonotosassa Railroad The Tampa and Thonotosassa Railroad was a 13-mile railroad line running from Tampa, Florida northeast to Thonotosassa. The line began operation in 1893 and began at a junction with the South Florida Railroad in Tampa. The line had a station in ...

along the east side of US 301 that spanned from

Sulphur Springs Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produces hard water, water that contains dissolved minerals. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the spring water during its passage under ...

to Zephyrhills, part of the

Orange Belt Railway The Orange Belt Railway (later known as the Sanford & St. Petersburg Railroad) was a narrow gauge railroad established in 1885 by Russian exile Peter Demens in Florida. It was one of the longest narrow gauge railroads in the United States at th ...

which became the

which ran from

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

and entered the county in what is today

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

to Trilby (abandoned during the early to mid-1970s), and a branch of the Seaboard Air Line that ran through Holiday, Elfers and into

New Port Richey New 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 counted at 16,728 in the 2020 census. History B ...

. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad until 1957 ran the ''

Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...

'' through Trilby and

Tarpon Springs Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,484 at the 2010 census. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal po ...

, en route to St. Petersburg. The train was unusual for providing passenger service direct from Chicago (via the

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

), Cincinnati and Atlanta on a direct route through the western part of the Florida peninsula, bypassing

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

. The

Seaboard Coast Line The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971. Eventually, the railroad was merged with its affiliate lin ...

(a merged line from the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Coast Line) until 1971 ran a local train (the last passenger train for the region north of St. Petersburg and west of Dade City) through those towns from Jacksonville and Gainesville, bound for St. Petersburg. Prior to the 1967 merger for the SCL that service had been the western branch of the ACL's ''

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...

'' from New York City. Until 1968 the SCL ran its ''Sunland'' from Washington, DC and Portsmouth, VA to Tampa. The SAL Tarpon Springs branch line from Tarpon Junction 14 miles west of Tampa to Elfers and thence to Newport Richey to New Port Richey was lost its passenger service and became listed as freight only between 1932 and 1938. The freight branch was truncated to Elfers in 1943. The tracks from Elfers and Chemical (an industrial area in the extreme southwest part of the county along the

Anclote River The Anclote River, running for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 near Tarpon Springs, Florida flows westward towards the Gulf of Mexico from its source of c ...

west of Holiday) to

were removed in the late 1980s, leaving the western half of the county without freight rail service.

Major roads

runs north and south across the eastern part of the county. Once a major connecting point with Tampa, I-75 has been made obsolete for western residents of the county by the Suncoast Parkway. * Toll Florida 589

enters the county in the south halfway between Gunn Highway and US 41, and ends in the far northern part of the county at County Line Road (Exit 37), The Suncoast Parkway is a recently constructed toll road that connects Pasco County with Hillsborough County, where it becomes the Veterans Expressway and heads directly into Tampa International Airport before reaching Interstate 275. SR 589 has four Pasco County exits: SR 54 (Exit 19), Ridge Road (Exit 25), SR 52 (Exit 27), and County Line Road (Exit 37). * US 19

U.S. Route 19 U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie. The highway's southern ...

is a major commercial center running beside to the Gulf of Mexico on the western edge of the county, and used as a primary connecting route to cities down the west coast of Florida, including Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg to the south, as well as Spring Hill, Weeki Wachee, Homosassa and Crystal River to the north. * Alt plate

Alternate 19 is a former section of US 19 that runs closer to the Gulf of Mexico in Pinellas and southern Pasco County than US 19. * US 41

U.S. Route 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...

(Land o' Lakes Boulevard) is the main south-to-north U.S. Highway through Central Pasco County. It enters the county from Lutz in Hillsborough County and serves as a commercial strip through most of Land o' Lakes. Further north the road becomes more rural, passing through Gowers Corner, and eventually enters Masaryktown at the Hernando County Line. * US 98

U.S. Route 98 runs northwest and southeast from Hernando County to Polk County. Concurrent with

US 301 U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...

between Trilacoochee and Clinton Heights. * US 301

U.S. Route 301 (Fort King Highway/Gall Boulevard) is the main south-to-north U.S. highway in eastern Pasco County. It enters the county from

Hillsborough River State Park Hillsborough River State Park is located in the northeast corner of Hillsborough County, Florida near Zephyrhills (which is itself in Pasco County). It is a popular park due to its proximity to the city of Tampa. The park consists of over 3,38 ...

in Hillsborough County and becomes the main road in Zephyrhills, Clinton Heights, and Dade City. North of Dade City, the road runs through Trilacoochee and Trilby before it enters Ridge Manor in Hernando County at a bridge over the Withlacoochee River. * Florida 39

State Road 39 runs northwest and southeast from

Plant City Plant City is an incorporated city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. The population was 39,764 at the 2020 census. Despite many thinking it was named for flora ...

into US 301 in

County Road 41 (Fort King Highway/17th Street/21st Street/Blanton Road) begins as a hidden state road along US 301 until it branches off to the northwest as a county road in Zephyrhills and runs parallel to US 301 until it reaches Dade City. From here it moves further to the west through Blanton and Jessamine, and after crossing over I-75 curves back north into rural Hernando County where it becomes CR 541. * Pasco County Road 578 FL

County Line Road (CR 578) is a major county road running entirely along the border with Hernando County beginning at US 19, intersects the Suncoast Parkway, and ends at US 41. Due to increased congestion, it is planned to be upgraded from two to four lanes, and possibly upgraded from a county road to a state road. * Florida 52

State Road 52 (Colonel Schrader Memorial Highway) an east–west route that runs primarily through the center of the county from US 19 in Bayonet Point to US 98–301 in Dade City. * Florida 54

State Road 54 (Gunn Highway/Fifth Avenue) another east–west road that runs through southern Pasco County, from US 19 near Holiday to US 301 in

. *

State Road 56 is an east–west route that extends from SR 54 near Land o' Lakes, to just east of

Bruce B. Downs Boulevard State Road 581 (SR 581), also known as Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, is a north–south road in Pasco County, extending from State Road 56, north to SR 54 in Wesley Chapel. SR 581, along with County Road 581 (CR 581), which extends to the ...

and the new campus of

Pasco–Hernando State College Pasco–Hernando State College (PHSC) is a public college in Florida with campuses in Pasco and Hernando counties. It is part of the Florida College System and has additional campuses in Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey, Spring Hill, a ...

in Wesley Chapel. The road was constructed in 2002, and is planned, , to be extended to US 301 south of

. *

State Road 575 the northernmost state road in Pasco County. * Florida 581

Rowan Road/East Lake Road (CR 77) * Florida 597

Dale Mabry Highway Dale Mabry Highway is a north–south road in Tampa, Florida. The majority of its length consists of three lanes each direction plus a central turn-lane and often includes a right-turn lane. It begins at the MacDill Air Force Base entrance in ...

Moon Lake Road/Decubellis Road/Massachusetts Avenue (CR 587) (N) * Pasco County Road 587 FL

Gunn Highway (CR 587) (S) is a short north and south extension of Gunn Highway(SR 54) that runs through Northern Hillsborough County towards

and Busch Boulevard. * Pasco County Road 1 FL

Little Road (CR 1) is a major four to six lane county road in western Pasco County bypassing US 19 between southeast of Aripeka and Trinity. * Pasco County Road 996 FL

Trinity Boulevard (CR 996)

Education

Public schools in the county are operated by

Pasco County Schools Pasco County Schools (also known as District School Board of Pasco County) is a school district that serves Pasco County in the U.S. state of Florida. It is headquartered in Land o' Lakes. The district includes the entire county. History Sch ...

. The county has seen explosive growth in student enrollment, increasing from 46,458 students in the 1999-2000 year to 65,126 in the 2007-2008 year, an increase of 18,668 or 40.2%. The projected enrollment for the 2007-2008 was 64,674, so the actual enrollment was 452 students over the projection. Yearly, the school district has grown 2,489 or 5.4%, which has led to the building of one new school a year. The enrollment in 2017 is up to 73,538.

High schools

Anclote High School Anclote High School is a public high school in Holiday, Florida, United States. The school opened in August 24, 2009 with grades 9 through 12; the first graduating class was in 2011. Vanessa Moon is the principal. History The school, designated a ...

- Holiday * Cypress Creek High School - Wesley Chapel * Fivay High School - Hudson *

Gulf High School Gulf High School is a four-year public high school in New Port Richey, Florida. It is part of the Pasco County School System in Pasco County, Florida. It is the first high school in western Pasco County and the second school in Pasco County to ...

- New Port Richey * Hudson High School - Hudson * J. W. Mitchell High School - New Port Richey * Land o' Lakes High School - Land o' Lakes * Pasco eSchool * Pasco High School - Dade City * Ridgewood High School - New Port Richey * River Ridge High School - New Port Richey *

Sunlake High School Sunlake High School is a public high school in Pasco County, Florida, located off Sunlake Boulevard and State Road 54 in Land o' Lakes, Florida. It is adjacent to Charles S. Rushe Middle School, both of which opened in August 20, 2007. Sunlake ...

- Land o' Lakes * Wesley Chapel High School - Wesley Chapel * Wiregrass Ranch High School - Wesley Chapel * Zephyrhills High School - Zephyrhills

Middle schools

* Bayonet Point Middle School - New Port Richey * Centennial Middle School - Dade City * Charles S. Rushe Middle School - Land o' Lakes * Chasco Middle School - Port Richey * Crews Lake Middle School - Spring Hill * Cypress Creek Middle School - Wesley Chapel * Dr. John Long Middle School - Wesley Chapel * Gulf Middle School - New Port Richey * Hudson Middle School - Hudson * Pasco eSchool * Pasco Middle School - Dade City * Paul R. Smith Middle School - Holiday * Pine View Middle School - Land o' Lakes * River Ridge Middle School - New Port Richey * Raymond B. Stewart Middle School - Zephyrhills * Seven Springs Middle School - New Port Richey * Thomas E. Weightman Middle School - Wesley Chapel

Elementary schools

* Anclote Elementary School - New Port Richey * Bexley Elementary School - Land o' Lakes * C. W. Taylor Elementary School - Zephyrhills * Calusa Elementary School - New Port Richey * Centennial Elementary School - Dade City * Chasco Elementary School - Port Richey * Connerton Elementary School - Land o' Lakes * Cotee River Elementary School - New Port Richey * Cypress Elementary School - New Port Richey * Deer Park Elementary School - New Port Richey * Denham Oaks Elementary School - Lutz * Double Branch Elementary School - Wesley Chapel * Fox Hollow Elementary School - Port Richey * Gulf Highlands Elementary School - Port Richey * Gulf Trace Elementary School - Holiday * Gulfside Elementary School - Holiday * Hudson Elementary School - Hudson * J. M. Marlowe Elementary School - New Port Richey * Lacoochee Elementary School - Dade City * Lake Myrtle Elementary School - Land o' Lakes * Longleaf Elementary School - New Port Richey * M. P. Locke Elementary School - New Port Richey * Mary Giella Elementary School - Shady Hills * Moon Lake Elementary School - New Port Richey * New River Elementary School - Wesley Chapel * Northwest Elementary School - Hudson * Oaksted Elementary School - Land o' Lakes * Odessa Elementary School - New Port Richey * Pasco Elementary School - Dade City * Pine View Elementary School - Land o' Lakes * Quail Hollow Elementary School - Wesley Chapel * R. B. Cox Elementary School - Dade City * Richey Elementary School - New Port Richey * San Antonio Elementary School - Dade City * Sand Pine Elementary School - Wesley Chapel * Sanders Memorial Elementary School - Land o' Lakes * Schrader Elementary School - New Port Richey * Seven Oaks Elementary School - Wesley Chapel * Seven Springs Elementary School - New Port Richey * Shady Hills Elementary School - Spring Hill * Sunray Elementary School - Holiday * Trinity Elementary School - New Port Richey * Trinity Oaks Elementary School - New Port Richey * Veterans Elementary School - Wesley Chapel * Watergrass Elementary School - Wesley Chapel * Wesley Chapel Elementary School - Wesley Chapel * West Zephyrhills Elementary School - Zephyrhills * Wiregrass Elementary School - Wesley Chapel * Woodland Elementary School - Zephyrhills

Special education centers

* F. K. Marchman Technical College - New Port Richey *

Harry Schwettman Education Center Harry may refer to: TV shows *Harry (American TV series), ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin *Harry (British TV series), ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons *Harry ...

- New Port Richey * James Irvin Education Center - Dade City

Private schools

* Academy at the Lakes (JK–12) - Land o' Lakes * Bishop Larkin Catholic School (EC–8) - Port Richey *

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School (BMCHS) is a private high school located in northern Pasco County, Florida, United States, not far from Spring Hill, in the Diocese of St. Petersburg. BMCHS is fully accredited by the Southern Associati ...

(9–12) - Spring Hill * Center Academy (4-12) - Lutz * East Pasco Adventist Academy (K–10) - Dade City * First Christian Academy (K-8) - New Port Richey * Genesis Preparatory School (6–12) - New Port Richey * Saint Anthony Catholic School (K–8) - San Antonio

Colleges and universities

Rasmussen College Rasmussen University is a private for-profit university with multiple locations throughout the United States. It offers associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at 23 campuses in Minnesota, Illinois, North Dakota, Florida, Wiscons ...

Saint Leo University Saint Leo University is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts university in St. Leo, Florida. It was established in 1889. The university is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine mon ...

Trinity College of Florida Trinity College of Florida is a private interdenominational evangelical Bible college in Trinity, Florida. It was founded in 1932. History The institution was founded as Florida Bible Institute in 1932, in Temple Terrace by Dr. William T. ...

* Webster College

Libraries

Pasco County Library Cooperative

The

Pasco County Library Cooperative The Pasco County Library Cooperative (PCLC) is the public library system that serves all residents of Pasco County, Florida, and is a member of the Tampa Bay Library Consortium. The Pasco County Library System, as it was originally known, was esta ...

(PCLC) is the public library system that serves residents of Pasco County. It consists of seven branch libraries and one cooperative partner, the Zephyrhills Public Library. The Pasco County Libraries operated on a budget of $6,205,291 for fiscal year 2016–2017. Pasco Libraries circulated 2,623,024 items during that period. The head of library services reports to the Assistant County Administrator for Public Services.

=Pasco County Library Cooperative Libraries

= * Centennial Park Branch Library * Hudson Library * Hugh Embry Branch Library * Land o' Lakes Branch Library *

New River Branch Library The New River Branch Library is a public library that primarily serves the Wesley Chapel, Florida Wesley Chapel is a census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States. Wesley Chapel is a suburb in the Tampa Bay Area. Wesley Cha ...

* Regency Park Branch Library * South Holiday Branch Library * Zephyrhills Public Library

New Port Richey Public Library

The New Port Richey Public Library is located in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County. It is the only public library in Pasco County that is not a part of the Pasco County Library Cooperative. Since the library is independent, it issues its own library cards. Cards are free for all Pasco County residents and for those who pay property taxes to the city of New Port Richey. Members of libraries which have reciprocal borrowing agreements with the NPR library are also issued free cards.

Parks and recreation

Recreational areas include Hudson Beach, The New Port Richey Recreation & Aquatic Center, Odessa Community Park, Moon Lake Park, Land o' Lakes Heritage Park, Land o' Lakes Recreation Complex, Robert K Rees Memorial Park, Veterans Memorial Park, J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex, the Jay Starkey Preserve,

Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park is a Florida state park located in Pasco County, Florida near Port Richey, Florida, along the Gulf of Mexico on the Atlantic coastal plain. An entrance to this park is at the intersection of Scenic Drive ...

, a section of the Suncoast Trail, a section of the

Conner Preserve Conner Preserve is a natural area in central Pasco County, Florida, preserved for water management since 2003. The landscape includes steep sandhill ridges, marshes, cypress sloughs and pine flatwoods and is "part of a wildlife habitat corridor env ...

, Cypress Creek Preserve, Withlacoochee River Park, and

Crews Lake Wilderness Park Crews Lake Wilderness Park is located off Shady Hills Road in Pasco County, Florida. The park includes hiking trails, a short paved bike trail, playground, wooden tower, athletic fields, and the gauge Central Pasco & Gulf Railroad. Rides on the ...

. Kayaking, canoeing, sailing, power boating, jet skiing, and fishing are popular along the coast, and large tracts are preserved from development. Environmental lands acquired for preservation include Aripeka Sandhills Preserve, Boy Scout Preserve, Cypress Creek Preserve, Pasco County,

Jumping Gully Preserve Jumping Gully Preserve is an area of protected land in Spring Hill, Florida. The are located north of SR 52 and west of U.S. Highway 41 at 18812 Fishburne Drive, northeast of the Crews Lake Wilderness Area. Prescribed burns are used to maintain t ...

, Pasco Palms Preserve, Tierra Del Sol Preserve and Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve.

Communities

Unincorporated communities

* Blanton * Branchborough * Darby * Gulf Harbors * Hudson Beach * Jessamine * Lumberton * Richland * Seven Springs * St. Joseph *

Starkey Ranch Starkey may refer to: Places United States * Starkey, New York, a town ** Starkey United Methodist Church, on the National Register of Historic Places * Starkey, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Starkey, Virginia, an unincorporated community ...

* Trilacoochee *

Vitis ''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, ...

Notable residents

The Bellamy Brothers The Bellamy Brothers are an American pop and country music duo consisting of brothers David Milton Bellamy (born September 16, 1950) and Homer Howard Bellamy (born February 2, 1946), from Dade City, Florida. The duo had considerable musical succ ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

duo from Darby known for the hit "

Let Your Love Flow "Let Your Love Flow" is the debut single by country music duo the Bellamy Brothers, recorded in the autumn of 1975 and released in January 1976. The song was written by Larry E. Williams and produced by Phil Gernhard and Tony Scotti. It became an i ...

" *

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...

, actor and professional wrestler; resides in Land o' Lakes. * Debbie Deb, freestyle singer; resides in New Port Richey *

Mudcat Grant James Timothy "Mudcat" Grant Jr. (August 13, 1935 – June 11, 2021) was an American baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos ...

, professional baseball player * Brooke Magnanti, scientist and author of

Secret Diary of a Call Girl ''Secret Diary of a Call Girl'' is a British drama television series that aired from 27 September 2007 to 22 March 2011 on ITV2, based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous Belle de Jour. It stars Billie Piper as Belle, a high-end London ...

was born in New Port Richey.

Notes

References

History of Pasco County
(1943) by Jefferson Alexis Hendley. * Horgan, James J., Alice F. Hall, and Edward J. Herrmann, ''The Historic Places of Pasco County'', Pasco County Historical Preservation Committee, Pasco County, Florida.

External links

Official County Website

Pasco Economic Development Council

The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce

History of Pasco County
{{authority control Florida counties 1887 establishments in Florida Counties in the Tampa Bay area Populated places established in 1887