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 Zephyrhills bottled water company and is a member of Tree City USA.

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.[4] In 1910 the town voted to change its name to Zephyrhills; it was incorporated in 1914.[5]

In 1941, one resident reported that Zephyrhills had a sundown town policy forbidding African Americans from living within the city limits.[6]

Reuben Wesley Wells (1898-1964) was the city's first Police Chief, (1932-1958) according to his obituary, which states that he was born in Abbott (later Zephyrhills) Wells, also served as the city's Fire Chief (1941-1945)

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.[5] A Founders Day celebration is held annually in March.[7]

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

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.[8]

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,[12] 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.

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."[13] 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.

Zephyrhills is served by Pasco County Public Transportation on routes #30, #33, and #54.[14]

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.

The Zephyrhills Police Department consists of about 35 officers. The current chief of police is Derek Brewer.[15][16][17] The Zephyrhills Fire Department consists of career and volunteer firefighters.[18][19]

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.[20]