When the pioneer community living near the U.S. Army outpost of Fort Brooke was incorporated in 1849, it was called "Tampa Town" and the name was shortened to simply "Tampa" in 1855. The earliest instance of … See more

The shores of Tampa Bay have been inhabited for thousands of years. A variant of the Weeden Island culture developed in the area by about 2000 years ago, with archeological evidence suggesting that these resid… See more

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 175.3 sq mi (453.9 km ), including 113.4 sq mi (293.7 km ) of land and 61.8 sq mi (160.1 km ) (35.3%) of water. The highest point in the city is o… See more

Tampa first appeared in the 1850 U.S. Census with a total recorded population of 974, which included soldiers stationed at Fort Brooke. Tampa did not report separately in 1860.
As of the … See more