Fact About Pinellas

Did you know these facts about Pinellas County, Florida?

The Name Pinellas Pinellas is derived from the Spanish words Punta Pinal meaning point of pines. It was an accurate description for this area when it was discovered by Panfilo de Narvaez in 1528, 36 years after Columbus arrived in the Caribbean and 37 years before the founding of the city of St. Augustine.	Birth of a County Established January 1,1912 after a local referendum passed calling for the separation from Hillsborough County. It became the state's 48th county.	Most Densely Populated County in Florida There are 3,339 people per square mile in Pinellas County. The next closest county with a highly concentrated population is Broward with 1,347 people per square mile.
280 Square Miles, 24 Municipalities Clearwater is the County Seat, St. Petersburg is the largest city with a population of 248,232, and Tarpon Springs was the first incorporated city in 1887. Pinellas is Florida's second smallest county in land mass, larger only than Union County. Pinellas County is 38 miles long, and 15 miles at it's broadest point, for a total of 280 square miles. 587 miles of coastline. It is the 2nd smallest county in the State of Florida.	Visit a Park The Pinellas County Park Department maintains 4,242 acres of the county's most beautiful examples of pristine Florida landscapes. Sun-drenched beaches, tranquil lakes, and lush emerald green expanses of native habitat along with playgrounds, learning centers, and convenience facilities provide park visitors immeasurable opportunities for relaxation and recreation! In addition, Pinellas County has 15,525 acres of preserves.	Getting Around There are 4,521 miles of paved roads in the county, which cross 142 bridges. The first bridge to span Tampa Bay was the Gandy Causeway in 1924, and shortened the traveling distance between St. Petersburg and Tampa from 43 to 19 miles. Pinellas connected with Manatee County when the Sunshine Skyway bridge opened in 1954.
Hit the Beach For swimming, boating and fishing, you can't beat Pinellas County's 35 miles of powdery white beaches and nearly 588 miles of coastline. And, with an average of 361 days of sunny weather each year, you can enjoy the surf, sun and sand just about whenever you would like. Two of the top ten beaches in the nation are located in Pinellas County(Fort De Soto Park who won best beach in 2006 and Caladesi Island State Park)	Business Sense Pinellas County’s top key business sectors are health services, tourism services, manufacturing and financial services. Over 40,000 businesses call Pinellas County home. Over 467,000 people are currently employed in our county, and our median household income is $41,945.	2006 Census Population (next census due out in late 2010) 924,413 residents make Pinellas County the 6th most populous in the state. Females constitute 52. % of the population, with males making up the remaining 48.%. The average age of a citizen in Pinellas is 43.
Additional Pinellas County Facts:
Pinellas County has 43 golf courses and 1059 tennis courts 2865 shuffle board courts More than 17,852,361 visitors to Pinellas County Parks in FY06 3,638 miles of sidewalks countywide; 1,072 miles of sidewalks in unincorporated neighborhoods 469 signalized intersections 50 miles of recreational trails—Pinellas Trail and Friendship Trail Bridge – largest in eastern US (plus 9 miles of ancillary trail spurs.) 1164 commercial vessels registered in Pinellas County; 56,695 boats overall (2005) The highest natural point in Pinellas County is 110 Ft. NGVD, and located north and east of the intersection of State Rd. 580 and Countryside Blvd. Aviation history is made in Pinellas County as Tony Jannus pilots the world’s first scheduled airline flight from St. Petersburg to Tampa. The Young Rainey “STAR” center (Scientific Technology and Research Center) is the first and only Department of Energy plant in the nation to be transitioned from nuclear weapons production to a commercially viable high tech center. IN ONE DAY, Commercial fisherman haul in 82,000 pounds of fish (5,345,683/yr), 1,769 pounds of crabs, clams and lobsters (645,694/yr) and 2,128 pounds of shrimp (776,732/yr) (SOURCE: Florida Wildlife Commission) 5735 PSTA bus stops, 208 buses, 16 trolleys, 11.4 million riders annually/39,000 daily 8.6 million miles of transit each – and growing 911 received 583,592 calls in 2007 121,089 patients transported by EMS/SUNSTAR/YR—172, 391 responses overal
Demographics Photos of Pinellas County, Florida