Lithia, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lithia, Florida
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Lithia Springs canoe ride
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 Lithia, Florida
Location in Florida
Lithia, Florida
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Hillsborough |
| Elevation | 105 ft (32 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
33547, 33596
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| Area code(s) | 813 |
| GNIS feature ID | 285575 |
Lithia is a small community in Hillsborough County, Florida, USA. It's like a neighborhood near the big city of Tampa. Its postal codes are 33547 and 33596. The phone area code is 813. Lithia is part of a larger area called Fish Hawk.
Lithia is also home to two large nature areas. These are the Alafia River Corridor (about 2,963 acres) and the Chito Branch Reserve (about 5,515 acres).
Contents
About Lithia, Florida
Lithia is a small community with several parks. You can visit Lithia Springs Regional Park, Alderman's Ford Regional Park, and the C.W. Bill Young Reservoir. The land here is mostly flat. It ranges from less than 8 feet above sea level at Lithia Springs to 105 feet near the post office.
This area has a long history. People here used to farm, run sawmills, and mine for phosphate. In the late 1990s, a company bought a large piece of land. They developed a new community called Fishhawk Ranch. Other companies also built homes and stores. More public services and shops are still being built today.
Lithia's History
Long before European settlers arrived in 1846, different Native American tribes lived in Lithia. These included the Tocobaga, Muskogan (Creek), Tomokan, and Caloosa tribes. The Spanish mentioned some of these tribes in the 1600s. Later, the Seminole tribe also lived here.
Settlers from Georgia came to Lithia in 1847. In 1848, a man named James Alderman built a crossing on the Alafia River. This spot is now Alderman's Ford Regional Park. By the time of the American Civil War, Alderman had a huge cattle ranch. He owned about 30,000 cows!
Around 1900, a special mineral called lithium was found in the water of a spring. This spring is now called Lithia Spring Major. Because of this discovery, the community was named "Lithia."
In 2017, United Parcel Service (UPS) did something cool here. They tested a drone that launched from a delivery truck in Lithia. Also, Lithia is famous for a fun fact from a book. In Jules Verne's 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon, he said the launch site was near Lithia.
Where is Lithia?
Lithia is located at coordinates 27.85 N latitude and -82.19 W longitude. This means it is about 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Tampa.
Schools in Lithia
Lithia has several public and private schools for students.
Public Schools
- Barrington Middle School (grades 6–8)
- Bevis Elementary (grades K-5)
- FishHawk Creek Elementary (grades K-5)
- Lithia Springs Elementary (grades K-5)
- Newsome High School (grades 9–12)
- Pinecrest Elementary (grades K-5)
- Randall Middle School (grades 6–8)
- Stowers Elementary (grades K-5)
Private Schools
- Foundation Christian Academy (grades K-12)
- St Stephen's Catholic School (grades K-8)
Lithia's Economy
Lithia is home to the international phosphate division of The Mosaic Company. Phosphate is a mineral used to make fertilizer. While many people living in Lithia travel to jobs in other places, like MacDill Air Force Base, farming is still important here. Farmers grow strawberries, citrus fruits, and blueberries. They also raise tropical fish. Lithia is also a popular place for shooting sports. It has public and private shooting ranges.
Notable People
Some well-known people are from Lithia:
- Mike Beltran, a politician
- Orlando Greene, an Olympic runner
- Will Worth, a football player
