Pinellas County, Florida, is an area with a population of around 900,000. It is located on the western side of the state, just to the west of Tampa. It encompasses all of the small peninsula that has Tampa Bay on one end and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. Several small islands off the coast are within the boundaries as well. These include Honeymoon Island, Three Rooker Island, Caladasi Island, and others. The county seat of Pinellas County is Clearwater.
The Pinellas peninsula had once been a part of Hillsborough County to the east. At the time, it was rather isolated from the mainland because traveling to the peninsula was difficult. Dirt roads made the journey slow and arduous. As a result, the residents of the peninsula felt that they were being ignored by the rest of the county. Because of this they decided to become their own county. They broke from Hillsborough County in 1912, and named the county after the peninsula.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century, travelers from the mainland to the southern side of the peninsula would have to travel by ferry. However, in 1954 the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was built. The original bridge was destroyed in 1980 when it was hit by a freighter. The bridge that stands today is the newly incarnated version that was built seven years after the accident.
Today, the county is a beautiful place to live. With over 30 miles of beaches, and water on nearly every side, the entirety of Pinellas County feels like a vacation spot. There are many hidden treasures scattered throughout its boundaries, and residents and visitors have only to explore to find them.
Pinellas County Cities and Towns
St. Petersburg
Clearwater
Pinellas Park
Largo
Seminole
Tierra Verde