| Zephyrhills, Florida | |
| Official Name: | City of Zephyrhills |
| Nickname: | "Z-hills" |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | "City of Pure Water" |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States of America |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Florida |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Pasco |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Melonie Monson |
| Leader Title1: | City Manager |
| Leader Name1: | Billy Poe |
| Leader Title2: | City Clerk |
| Leader Name2: | Lori Hillman |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | April 18, 1888 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated (town) |
| Established Date2: | 1910 |
| Established Title3: | Incorporated (city) |
| Established Date3: | 1914 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 24.88 |
| Area Land Km2: | 24.74 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.14 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 9.61 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 9.55 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.05 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 17194 |
| Population Density Km2: | 694.91 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1799.85 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Coordinates: | 28.2372°N -82.1794°W |
| Elevation M: | 29 |
| Elevation Ft: | 95 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 33539–33544 33599 (original code) |
| Area Code: | 813 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 12-79225[2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0293620[3] |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2021 |
| Pop Est Footnotes: | [4] |
| Population Est: | 18154 |
Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. The population was counted at 17,194 in the 2020 census.[5] The city is the headquarters of the Zephyrhills bottled water company. The current mayor is Melonie Monson.[6]
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.[7] In 1910 the town voted to change its name to Zephyrhills; it was incorporated in 1914.[8]
In 1941, one resident reported that Zephyrhills had a sundown town policy forbidding Black people from living within the city limits.[9] 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.[8] A Founders Day celebration is held annually in March.[10]
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.[11]
| White (NH) | 10,936 | 11,655 | 82.30% | 67.79% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 578 | 1,326 | 4.35% | 7.71% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 22 | 41 | 0.17% | 0.24% |
| Asian (NH) | 185 | 300 | 1.39% | 1.74% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 3 | 13 | 0.02% | 0.08% |
| Some other race (NH) | 12 | 73 | 0.09% | 0.42% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 166 | 735 | 1.25% | 4.27% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,386 | 3,051 | 10.43% | 17.74% |
| Total | 13,288 | 17,194 | ||
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,194 people, 7,178 households, and 4,174 families residing in the city.[14]
Of the total population in 2020, 4.4% were under 5 years old, 18.1% were under 18 years old, and 35.7% were 65 years and over. 54.9% of the population were female. There were 1,548 veterans living in the city and 8.0% were foreign born persons.
In 2020, 89.8% of households had a computer and 81.6% of households had a broadband internet subscription.
In 2020, 18.1% of the population under the age of 65 lived with a disability and 20.1% of that same population did not have health insurance.
In 2020, the median household income was $36,799 and the per capita income was $21,848. 17.8% of the population lived below the poverty threshold.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 13,288 people, 5,977 households, and 3,643 families residing in the city.[15]
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."[16]
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 200feet west of its original location. Restoration of the 2700square feet 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.
See also: List of county roads in Pasco County, Florida.
Zephyrhills is served by Pasco County Public Transportation on routes #30, #33, and #54.[17]
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.
CSX Transportation's Wildwood Subdivision goes through the eastern parts of Zephyrhills.[18]
The Zephyrhills Police Department consists of about 35 officers that cover the incorporated City of Zephyrhills.[19] [20] [21] In September 2020, Pasco County Fire Rescue took over all fire and rescue service responsibilities for the City of Zephyrhills.[22]