History
Pasco County was created in 1887 from the southern part of Hernando County. It was named for Samuel Pasco, who served in the Confederate Army, the state legislature and in the United States Senate from 1887 to 1899. The earliest towns were Anclote, Blanton, Dade City, Earnestville, Fort Dade, Macon (Trilby), Lacoochee and San Antonio. Citrus was an important industry when the county was formed, although a decline followed a freeze in 1895. Several large sawmills operated in the county in the early part of the twentieth century. During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, New Port Richey became the winter home of silent screen star Thomas Meighan and golfer Gene Sarazen; Meighan attempted to bring other Hollywood figures to the city. The county has experienced significant population growth since the 1960s. The growth began along the Gulf coast but is now occurring most rapidly in areas north of Tampa.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 344,765 people, 147,566 households, and 99,016 families residing in the county. The population density was 463 people per square mile (179/km²). There were 173,717 housing units at an average density of 233 per square mile (90/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.70% White, 2.07% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.52% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. 5.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 147,566 households out of which 23.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.20% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 26.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 92.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,969, and the median income for a family was $39,568. Males had a median income of $30,974 versus $23,802 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,439. About 7.60% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.20% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Service, retail, finance, insurance, and real estate play a vital role in the area's economy. Hillsborough County alone has an estimated 740,000 employees, a figure which is projected to increase to 922,000 by 2015. Many corporations, such as large banks and telecommunications companies, maintain regional offices in Tampa.

Downtown Tampa is undergoing significant development and redevelopment in line with a general national trend toward urban residential development. The Tampa Downtown Partnership notes development proceeding on 20 residential, hotel, and mixed-use projects as of April 2007. Many of the new downtown developments are nearing completion in the midst of a housing market slump, which has caused numerous projects to be delayed or revamped, and some of the 20 projects TDP lists have not broken ground and are being refinanced. Nonetheless several developments are nearing completion, which city leaders hope will make downtown into a 24-hour neighborhood instead of 9 to 5 business district.

Tampa's port is now the seventh largest in the nation and Florida’s largest tonnage port, handling nearly half of all seaborne commerce that passes through the state. Tampa currently ranks second in the state behind Miami in terms of cruise ship travel. Besides smaller regional cruise ships such as Yacht Starship and SunCruz Casino, Tampa also serves as a port of call for three cruiselines - Holland America's MS Veendam, Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas, and Carnival's Legend and Inspiration.

Three Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in the metropolitan area-- OSI Restaurant Partners (the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, and Bonefish Grill), TECO which provides energy for the surrounding area, and Raymond James Financial, the namesake of Buccaneers home field Raymond James Stadium. Fortune 500 company Tech Data is based across the bay in Clearwater, Florida.

Wikipedia is based in Tampa, with additional servers in Amsterdam and Seoul.

Attractions
Nighttime hot spots include the SoHo District, Channelside, and Ybor City.

Some well-known shopping areas are the International Plaza and Bay Street, WestShore Plaza, Westfield Brandon, Westfield Citrus Park and Hyde Park Village.

Events held annually in Tampa include the Outback Bowl (every New Year's Day), the Gasparilla Pirate Festival (every February), the Sant'Yago Knight Parade (usually 1 week after the day parade during the Pirate Festival), the Florida State Fair (mid-February), and Guavaween (every October near Halloween).

Tampa is also known for its significant landmarks. The Sulphur Springs Water Tower, a landmark in Sulphur Springs section of the city dates back to the late 1920s. Also during this time period was the construction of Bayshore Boulevard, which parallel Hillsborough Bay from Downtown Tampa to areas in South Tampa. The road has a 4.5-mile continuous sidewalk on the eastern end, the longest in the world. Babe Zaharias Golf Course in the Forest Hills area of Tampa has been designated a Historical Landmark by the National Register of Historic Places. It was bought in 1949 by the famous 'Babe' who had a residence nearby and closed at her death. In 1974, the City of Tampa opened the golf course to the public

The Story of Tampa, a public painting by Lynn Ash, is a 4' x 8' oil on masonite mural that weaves together many of the notable aspects of Tampa's unique character and identity. It was commissioned in 2003 by the City of Tampa's Public Art Program and can be found in the lobby of the Tampa Municipal Office Building.

Park Tower (originally the First Financial Bank of Florida), the first substantial skyscraper in Downtown Tampa. Completed in 1973, it was the tallest skyscraper in Tampa until the completion of One Tampa City Center in 1981.

Future landmarks include The Tampa Riverwalk, a proposed continuous pedestrian walkway along the eastern end of the Hillsborough River. The sidewalk will extend from the Channelside district to Tampa Heights. The schedule time for completion is around 2010.

Other landmarks within the city include theTampa Theatre, Museum of Science and Industry (which include the IMAX dome theater), Fun-Lan Drive-In (drive-in theater), and Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Downtown Tampa boasts a number of landmark high rises, including the Suntrust Building, Sykes Building, SkyPoint Condominium, Towers of Channelside, and the Bank of America Building.

South of Tampa, spanning the southern part of Tampa Bay, is the region's most endearing landmark. In much the same way that San Francisco is recognizable world-wide because of its Golden Gate Bridge, the Tampa Bay area holds its massive steel-span Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the same regard.

Education
Pasco County has seen explosive growth in its student enrollment, increasing from 46,458 students in the 1999-2000 year to 64,032 in the 2006-2007 year. The enrollment has grown at an average of 2510 over the past 7 years or 5.4% each year. The projected increase for the next school year is projected to grow by 1219 to reach 65,251 or 1.9%.

Transportation

• Tampa International Airport (IATA: TPA, ICAO: KTPA) is the city's main airport and, as of 2005, is ranked as the 27th-busiest in the US. In March 2003, Condé Nast Traveler magazine ranked the airport #1 in the US and #3 in the world for its creativity and interior design.
• Peter O. Knight Airport (IATA: TPF, ICAO: KTPF)is a small general aviation terminal located on Davis Islands near downtown.
• Vandenberg Airport (IATA: VDF, ICAO: KVDF) is another option for general aviation fliers.
• St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (IATA: PIE, ICAO: KPIE) is across the bay and offers another option for air travelers.

The Port of Tampa is by far the busiest port in Florida and one of the busiest commercial ports in North America. Traditionally, the largest bulk of shipments passing through the port have been phosphate and related materials, but petroleum products recently took over the mantle with an annual tonnage of over 19 million tons. Several cruise ships also make use of the Port of Tampa. Tampa's cruise ship terminals, located in the Channel District, are home to several Carnival Cruise Lines ships which regularly depart on Mexican and Caribbean sailings.