Pinellas Park, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pinellas Park
City
Motto(s):  "Simply Centered"
Location in Pinellas County and the state of Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Pinellas
Settled	1911
Incorporated	October 14, 1914 (1914-10-14)
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	16.80 sq mi (43.51 km2)
• Land	16.13 sq mi (41.76 km2)
• Water	0.68 sq mi (1.75 km2)
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	53,093
• Estimate  (2023)	53,456
• Density	3,292.59/sq mi (1,271.27/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	33780–33782
Area code(s)	727
FIPS code	12-56975
GNIS feature ID	0288936

Pinellas Park is a city in the middle of Pinellas County, United States. In 2020, about 53,093 people lived there. It is the fourth largest city in Pinellas County. Pinellas Park officially became a city in 1914. It is part of the larger Tampa Bay Area.

History of Pinellas Park

The city was started by Philadelphia publisher F. A. Davis around 1911. He bought a large piece of land, about 12,800 acres (52 square kilometers). Davis used special flyers to invite people from the northern states, especially Pennsylvania, to move to the town. He told them about the nice winter weather and good farming conditions.

A company called The Florida Association built special farms to show people. They also offered a free city lot if someone bought ten acres of farmland nearby. A two-story building called the Colony House was built to house people who were thinking about buying land. The first main crop they planned to grow was sugar cane. By 1912, city lots were sold on their own. Pinellas Park officially became a city on October 14, 1914.

Even though Pinellas Park was not on the first Orange Belt Railway line, it did have a train station. This station was on the railway line between Clearwater and St. Petersburg. The city was also on the main road connecting St. Petersburg to Tampa. The city grew steadily, and after World War II, its population more than tripled.

Geography of Pinellas Park

Pinellas Park covers a total area of about 16.13 square miles (41.76 square kilometers) of land. It also has about 0.68 square miles (1.75 square kilometers) of water.

Pinellas Park shares its borders with several other cities. These include St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Seminole, and Kenneth City. Some areas of Pinellas County that are not part of any city also border Pinellas Park. Land can become part of the city if both the property owner and the City Council agree.

Because the city is quite low and flat, it used to flood a lot. But now, thanks to a system of drainage canals and other efforts by the Pinellas Park Water Management District, flooding is much less of a problem.

Climate in Pinellas Park

The weather in Pinellas Park has hot and humid summers. The winters are usually mild. The city has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets a lot of rain, especially in summer, and generally warm temperatures all year.

Population and People

Population Changes (2010 and 2020)

The table below shows the different groups of people living in Pinellas Park. The numbers for Hispanic or Latino people include people of any race.

In 2020, there were 53,093 people living in Pinellas Park. There were 20,746 households and 12,344 families. In 2010, there were 49,079 people, 20,565 households, and 12,553 families in the city.

Arts and Culture in Pinellas Park

Fine Arts and Performances

The Pinellas Park Civic Orchestra and the Sunsation Show Chorus often perform. They play at the city's Performing Arts Center, which has 500 seats. The City Auditorium hosts special concerts on a "Mighty Wurlitzer" theatre organ. This organ was restored by a local group.

The Pinellas Park Arts Society holds art contests every month. These are held in the Park Station building, which is near the Creative District. To help artists live and work in the area, the city has created two places for them. These are called Studios at 5663 and the Artist Live/Work building.

Automobile Fun

The Tampa Bay Automobile Museum has a large collection of old cars. It focuses on cars that showed new engineering ideas. The museum even has a working, full-size copy of the first self-moving vehicle. This vehicle was invented by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot.

Car and truck fans often show off their vehicles on 49th Street. They also compete in regular car shows. For those who like speed, the Showtime Dragstrip is a place for drag racing. Nearby, at Tampa Bay Grand Prix, young people can race fast go-karts on an indoor track.

Community Events

Korean War memorial in Freedom Lake Park

Pinellas Park is well-known for its community events. These events happen every year at a city-owned stage called a bandshell. It is located behind City Hall.

One of the most popular events is "Country in the Park." This festival happens every year, usually in March. It is always after the Florida State Fair and Florida Strawberry Festival. The festival is popular because it has many things to do. These include arts and crafts, NASCAR displays, fun amusement park rides, and concerts with many artists. The best part is that parking, entry, and the concert are all free! This festival has been held for over 20 years.

Another popular event is "Pride in the Park." This celebration takes place during the week before Country in the Park. The night before Country in the Park, firefighters have a chili cook-off at the bandshell.

Pinellas Park also has a memorial for the Korean War. It is located in Freedom Lake Park.

Economy of Pinellas Park

Pinellas Park is close to the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay. Because of this, many businesses related to the ocean are located here. These include companies that make marine products, offer services, and sell supplies. Large companies that make optical products, like Transitions Optical, are also in Pinellas Park.

In 2024, the city reported that the unemployment rate in the area was 3.10%. This means only a small number of people who want jobs do not have them.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has a facility in Pinellas Park. They specialize in shaping metal and putting together parts for military and civilian airplanes. They have worked on planes like the F/A-22 and the C-130J.

The C.W. Bill Young Armed Forces Reserve Center is a large training center. It opened in 2005 and cost $47 million. It trains thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army Reserve and Florida Army National Guard every year.

Several big companies in Pinellas County are located near the city. These include Raymond James Financial, Transamerica Financial, Cisco, and Home Shopping Network.

The city has three main areas for shopping and businesses, all along Park Boulevard. Near the old center of town, you can find traditional shops and restaurants. Further east, there are large stores and a big movie theater. On the western side of the city, you can find more large stores, unique ethnic shops, and big flea markets called Wagon Wheel and Mustang.

Pinellas Park has a large community of people from Vietnam, Laos, India, and other Southeast Asian countries. Because of this, the city has many restaurants and businesses that serve these communities. The city's library has special collections of books and materials in Vietnamese. The population also includes people whose families came from Germany, Poland, Eastern Europe, Russia, Armenia, India, Lebanon, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.

The Pinellas Park Chamber of Commerce helps local businesses. It works to make the economy in the middle of the county strong and cooperative.

Education in Pinellas Park

The Pinellas County Schools district serves the city. Most high school students in Pinellas Park go to Pinellas Park High School or Dixie M. Hollins High School.

The Caruth Health Education Center is part of St. Petersburg College. It offers college programs related to healthcare. It has a special hospital unit for nursing students to practice. It also has a dental hygiene clinic and a lab for making artificial limbs.

Library in Pinellas Park

Madalya Fagan was the first president of the library association. Thanks to this group of volunteers, the Pinellas Park Public Library opened in December 1948. Fifteen years later, the city of Pinellas Park took over running the library. Marjorie Trimble was the first paid librarian.

The first library building was in Park Station, an old pump house. The second library was built at 5795 Park Boulevard, but that building is no longer there. The current library was built in 1969. It is located at 7770 52nd St, across from City Hall and Pinellas Park Elementary School. The library was last updated in 2001. It has grown from 7,000 square feet to 30,972 square feet. It now has many computers for adults and children, a teen lounge, a quiet room, and two meeting rooms.

Barbara S. Ponce Public Library

On June 6, 2014, the library was renamed the Barbara S. Ponce Public Library. This was to honor its former director, Barbara S. Ponce. She was in charge of the library, parks and recreation, and public events from 1999 until she retired in 2008.

Library Collection

The library has over 100,000 physical items. These include books, audiobooks, newspapers, magazines, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. People with a library card from the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative can check these out. The library also offers e-books and other digital services.

Special collections include books in Asian languages like Hindi, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. There is also a Spanish Collection. The library has a large collection of graphic novels and Manga.

Library Programs

The Barbara S. Ponce Public Library offers many programs for people in the community. Many of these are for children and teens.

These programs include educational activities related to art, music, and literature. There are also chess clubs, board game events, and help with homework for schoolchildren.

Adult programs include monthly craft nights, an adult coloring club, free movie showings, and technology classes. The library also hosts classes for English as a Second Language (ESOL), American Sign Language, Origami, and Ukulele.

Transportation in Pinellas Park

Major roads like U.S. Route 19, Florida State Road 693, and Florida State Road 694 run through Pinellas Park. The city also has an exit off I-275.

Public transportation in Pinellas Park is provided by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA).

While a railroad line called the Clearwater Subdivision goes through Pinellas Park, there are no train stops in the city.

Most people who fly use Tampa International Airport. Smaller airlines, which fly to smaller cities, use St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Most of these flights are only available during certain times of the year.

Notable People from Pinellas Park

• Nick Andries, a racing car driver
• Mike Cope, a NASCAR driver
• Jesse Litsch, a former baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
• Browning Nagle, a former NFL football player
• Stephen Nasse, a racing car driver
• Roy Smith, a former baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians
• Fez Whatley, a radio personality

Images for kids

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  U.S. soldiers with the Army Reserve Medical Command at the C.W. Bill Young Armed Forces Reserve Center

• 

  Inside view of Teen Lounge. Reserved for students in grades 6–12.

• 

  Young Adult books lining the shelves inside the Teen Lounge

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  Interior shot of Park Station

• 

  1929 Ruxton at the
  Tampa Bay Automobile Museum

• 

  Clearwater Subdivision of CSX Transportation in Pinellas Park, 2016

See also

In Spanish: Pinellas Park para niños