Plant City, Florida Explained

Plant City, Florida
Settlement Type:City
Official Name:City of Plant City
Named For:Henry B. Plant
Nickname:"Winter Strawberry Capital of the World"[1] [2]
Motto:"Preserving the Past·Embracing the Future"
Mapsize:250x200px
Pushpin Map:USA
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the United States
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2: Hillsborough
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Nathan A. Kilton[3]
Leader Title1:Vice Mayor
Leader Name1:Mary Thomas Mathis
Leader Title2:Commissioners
Leader Name2:William D. Dodson,
Michael S. Sparkman,
and Jason M. Jones
Leader Title3:City Manager
Leader Name3:Bill McDaniel
Leader Title4:City Clerk
Leader Name4:Kerri J. Miller
Established Title:Settled (Ichepuckesassa)
Established Date:[4]
Established Title1:Settled (Cork)
Established Title2:Incorporated (Town of Plant City)
Established Date2:January 10, 1885[5]
Established Title3:Incorporated (City of Plant City)
Established Date3:1911
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[6]
Area Total Km2:75.43
Area Land Km2:73.02
Area Water Km2:2.41
Area Total Sq Mi:29.12
Area Land Sq Mi:28.19
Area Water Sq Mi:0.93
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:39764
Population Density Km2:544.57
Population Density Sq Mi:1410.42
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Coordinates:28.0167°N -90°W
Elevation M:39
Elevation Ft:128
Postal Code Type:ZIP codes
Postal Code:33563-33567
Area Code:813, 656
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:12-57550[7]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:0289021[8]

Plant City is an incorporated city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 39,764 at the 2020 census.

Despite many thinking it was named for flora grown at plant nurseries (especially vegetables and fruits, as well as tropical houseplants) in its subtropical Gulf Coast climate, it was named after prominent railroad developer Henry B. Plant[9] (see Plant System). Plant City is known as the winter strawberry capital of the world[1] [2] and hosts the annual Florida Strawberry Festival in the late winter (usually in February or early March), which is attended by people from all over the United States as well as many people from around the world.

History

Plant City's original name given during the middle 1800s was Ichepuckesassa (also known as Idasukshed) after the Native American village that once occupied the territory. In 1860, the community was renamed "Cork", after the postmaster's Irish hometown. It was finally given the name "Plant City" in commemoration of Henry B. Plant and his South Florida Railroad, which significantly boosted the commerce in this primarily agricultural community by incorporating it on January 10, 1885.[4] [5] In 1911, it was officially reincorporated from the "Town of Plant City" to the "City of Plant City".[4]

Plant City was the spring training home of baseball's Cincinnati Reds, who played exhibition games at Plant City Stadium from 1988 to 1997.

Geography

The approximate coordinates for Plant City is located in northeastern Hillsborough County at (28.0142, –82.1289).[10]

Interstate 4 runs through the northern part of the city, with access from Exits 17 through 25. I-4 leads east to Lakeland and west to Tampa. U.S. Route 92 is the main highway through the center of Plant City, running generally parallel to I-4. Florida State Road 39 crosses US 92 in the center of Plant City and leads north to Zephyrhills and south 6miles to Hopewell.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Plant City has a total area of 72.8sqkm, of which 70.4sqkm are land and 2.4sqkm, or 3.31%, are water.

The city and its surrounding area are in the Southern Flatwoods ecological community as defined by the US Department of Agriculture.[11] The region as a whole is noted for its sandy, infertile, and poorly drained soils. In and around Plant City, however, high organic matter content and scattered phosphate nodules make many of the soils more fertile than typical for the flatwoods.[12]

Climate

Plant City, as does most of Florida, has a humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen climate classification: Cfa), with humid and hot summers and warm, drier winters. It is close to having a tropical climate zone, since only one month (January) does not have a mean temperature over .

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

Plant City racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
!Race!Pop 2010[13] !Pop 2020[14] !% 2010!% 2020
White (NH)18,55518,73553.44%47.12%
Black or African American (NH)5,0515,38814.55%13.55%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)128750.37%0.19%
Asian (NH)4876411.40%1.61%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)11210.03%0.05%
Some other race (NH)381440.11%0.36%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)4671,2831.35%3.23%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)9,98413,47728.75%33.89%
Total34,72139,764100.00%100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 39,764 people, 14,223 households, and 9,449 families residing in the city.[15]

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 34,721 people, 11,992 households, and 8,640 families residing in the city.[16]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 29,915 people, 10,849 households, and 7,843 families residing in the city. The population density was 1321.9sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 11,797 housing units at an average density of 521.3sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 71.67% White, 17.42% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 16.16% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.10% from other races, and two or more races were 1.77% of the population.

As of 2000, there were 10,849 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.20.

In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $37,584, and the median income for a family was $43,328. Males had a median income of $33,417 versus $23,585 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,815. About 11.3% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

See also: Hillsborough County Public Schools. The Hillsborough County School District operates all public schools in Plant City

Public high schools

Public middle schools

Public elementary schools

Other public schools

Private schools

Bruton Memorial Library

The Quintilla Geer Bruton Memorial Library is located in Plant City and was built in 1960. It is a part of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative but is under the jurisdiction of the City of Plant City. There are 44,000 members as of 2014.[17]

Bruton Memorial Library offers programs for children, young adults, and adults. Bruton Memorial Library also offers free access to multiple databases, tutoring websites, ebooks, emagazines, and movie streaming. Computers are available for use, as are laptops that can be used only within the library. A variety of activities and services are available to a variety of patrons, from book clubs to extensive workshops regarding the beginnings and upkeep of the cultivation of homes and gardens, as well as crafts available on Mondays and hobbyists convening for fabric arts like knitting or crocheting two Fridays a month. Crafts also extend to children and teens as well.[18]

Economy

Wish Farms, the largest strawberry producer in Florida, has a large presence in Plant City.[19]

Transportation

Aviation

Plant City Airport is a public-use airport located 2miles southwest of the central business district.

Railroad

Plant City Union Depot served both the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) and Seaboard Air Line Railroad even after their merger into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad until passenger service ceased operations in 1971.[20] It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.[21] The east-west ACL tracks cross the north-south Seaboard tracks at a 90-degree angle at the southeast corner of the station, forming a diamond junction. Both tracks are now owned and run by Class 1 railroad CSX. Amtrak's Silver Star uses the line's west-to-eastbound ACL tracks, although it does not stop at the station. A train observation deck is present where railfans can watch CSX freight trains and the Amtrak Silver Star train pass.[20] The closest other passenger stations are Tampa or Lakeland.

Major highways

Law enforcement

The Plant City Police Department (PCPD) is the law enforcement agency for the city of Plant City. The annual budget for the police department for 2017-2018 was $10,413,994.[22]

Parks, culture, recreation and attractions

National Register of Historic Places

There are several locations in Plant City which have been included in the National Register of Historic Places. They are:

Attractions

Parks

Mural ban

On October 12, 2009, the Plant City Commissioners voted 4-to-1 to essentially ban all new murals[23] in the Historic District of Plant City. Current murals being painted are not affected by this ban, but no new murals can be painted unless the owner of the building can prove there was an already existing mural on the wall before 1994. The ban was set in motion by a complaint that a recent mural by Blake Emory—a rendition of Norman Rockwell's "April Fools"—contained a sex organ in the painting. Even though the creators of the mural insisted it was not intentional, and immediately altered the section of the mural, City Commissioners hastily cast the vote adding that they may revisit this ban in the future. City Commissioner Bill Dodson was the only vote against the ban saying he was looking for a more thought out and complete ordinance over an immediate and outright ban.

Notable people

Sister cities

See also: List of sister cities in Florida. Plant City has formalized sister city agreements with the following city:[25]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: How Plant City became the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. WTSP.
  2. Web site: How Plant City became the winter strawberry capital of the world. NPR.
  3. Web site: Nathan Kilton City of Plant City Florida . 22 July 2022.
  4. Web site: Plant City, Florida, 1885-1940: A Study In Southern Urban Development (Pages 10, 16, 18, 29, & 68). University of Central Florida.
  5. Web site: GEORGE LANSING TAYLOR COLLECTION MAIN GALLERY: Town of Plant City Marker, Plant City, FL. University of North Florida.
  6. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. October 31, 2021.
  7. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. 2008-01-31.
  8. Web site: US Board on Geographic Names. 2008-01-31. United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25.
  9. https://www.plantcitygov.com/community/page/history Plant City - History
  10. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. 2011-04-23. 2011-02-12.
  11. Web site: MLRAs in Florida | NRCS MO15 . 2007-10-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101008050915/http://www.mo15.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/mlra_fl.html . 2010-10-08 .
  12. Web site: Web Soil Survey.
  13. Web site: P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Plant City city, Florida. United States Census Bureau.
  14. Web site: P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Plant City city, Florida. United States Census Bureau.
  15. Web site: S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: Plant City city, Florida. United States Census Bureau.
  16. Web site: S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: Plant City city, Florida. United States Census Bureau.
  17. Web site: About Your Library City of Plant City, Florida. www.plantcitygov.com. 2019-11-29.
  18. Web site: Adult Programs. templeterrace.com.
  19. Web site: FFVA - Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association Member Profile - Wishnatzki Farms. 2013-01-06. dead. https://archive.today/20130122235257/http://www.ffva.com/imispublic/Content/NavigationMenu2/NewsCenter/HarvesterOnline/MemberProfile0210/default.htm. 2013-01-22.
  20. Web site: About Us. Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum. October 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230603120037/https://www.willafordrailroadmuseum.com/aboutus. June 3, 2023.
  21. Web site: Englehardt. Gary. April 1975. National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form – Plant City Union Depot. National Park Service. October 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20200228160229/https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/fb286121-cfe7-4660-b443-f5f8139d42ec. February 28, 2020.
  22. https://www.plantcitygov.com/622/Budget sum of budgets starting on page 95
  23. http://plantcity2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct/13/131639/mural-alleged-questionable-content-helps-lead-plan/news/ "Armrest was mistaken for sex organ in mural, artist says"
  24. Web site: KiXX Sign Defenders Josh Rife and Clay Roberts. 4 August 2017. dead. https://archive.today/20071223140051/http://www.misl.net/news/?id=4204&cat=1. 23 December 2007.
  25. http://www.tampagov.net/information_resources/miscellaneous_documents/archives/_sister_cities.asp Tampa Sister Cities from City of Tampa website