Palm Harbor, FL

Settled in 1877, Palm Harbor is an unincorporated community in Florida's Sun Coast that sits about 23 miles northwest of Tampa. Once the site of citrus farms, present-day Palm Harbor is an affluent residential suburb in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area and is dotted with historic buildings and a quaint downtown area featuring several small shops and restaurants. There has been much talk about Palm Harbor incorporating in recent years.

Palm Harbor covers about 27 square miles, 33 percent of which is covered in water. The unincorporated community has a population of approximately 59,000.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Palm Harbor is roughly 45 minutes from downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa. It is a largely residential community. Downtown Palm Harbor has a charming atmosphere with dozens of small shops and eateries along with a handful of historic buildings. The historic downtown district also has numerous festivals and craft fairs throughout the year.

Unlike most of Florida, which tends to be as flat as a map, Palm Harbor has several areas of elevation, such as the Forest Hills, Red Oak Hills and Harbor Hills neighborhoods.

Most of the population in the city of Palm Harbor is urban, with nearly 28,000 houses, of which more than 25,000 are occupied. Of the occupied houses, about 80 percent are owner-occupied, while renters occupy the remaining 20 percent.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Construction and health care are the most common areas of employment. There is a large population of professional, management and financial workers in Palm Harbor, making up nearly 40 percent of residents.

Among the businesses in Palm Harbor are banking and financial, automotive, health and wellness, and retails. Palm Harbor is home to Florida Infusion Inc., one of the nation's largest specialty distributors of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.

EVENTS

Several festivals and craft fairs are held in the historic downtown district. These include:

• Palm Harbor's First Friday celebrations, featuring local arts and crafts, local food, rides and games.
• Taste of Palm Harbor Festival, which offers live music and sample tastings from at least 20 local eateries. Proceeds benefit the Palm Harbor Young Women's Club and their scholarship fund.
• Palm Harbor Sunset Bazaar featuring local arts and crafts, as well as local plants and herbs. This event takes place weekly at the Harbor Hall Main Street Center Complex.
• Palm Harbor Parrot Head Party, which features tributes to Jimmy Buffet, arts and crafts, and entertainment for children.
• Palm Harbor Bike Fest, a family-oriented motorcycle rally with music and a classic car show.
• Suncoast Animal League Dog Walk and Run.
• Palm Harbor also pays tribute to its heritage in the citrus industry with the Palm Harbor Citrus Festival. The carnival-like event begins in 2009 and will include the very first Miss Palm Harbor Citrus beauty pageant.

BEST BETS

• The North Pinellas Historical Museum is also located in Palm Harbor in a home built around 1915 by one of the area's early settlers. The museum features exhibits of the history of the region from the 1800s through today.
• With access to the Gulf of Mexico, Palm Harbor offers plenty to do when it comes to the water, including fishing, boating and diving. The Pinellas Trail has 34 miles of biking, walking and jogging.
• Nearby unincorporated East Lake is home of the John Chesnut Sr. Park, a large county park, and Brooker Creek Preserve, which is the largest urban wilderness preserve. Access to Lake Tarpon is available at no cost through the John Chesnut Park. Lake Tarpon is well known for its excellent bass fishing.
• The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Nature Park in Palm Harbor is a volunteer-run rehabilitation haven for primates.
• Golfers can take advantage of two golf courses within the community of Palm Harbor: Highland Lakes and the Westin Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, one of the premier golf destinations in the United States.

Palm Harbor residents also take advantage of all that the nearby Tampa Bay has to offer, including:

• Adventure Island
• Busch Gardens
• The Florida Aquarium
• Gulf Coast Museum of Art
• Florida Museum of Natural History
• Florida Strawberry Festival
• Gasparilla Pirate Festival
• Lowry Park Zoo
• Salvador Dali Museum

FUN FACTS

The White Chapel in Palm Harbor was built in 1924 and has been designated a historic landmark, while at the same time being available for weddings. The chapel was part of a recent downtown revitalization program spearheaded by Pinellas County officials. The renovations were completed in 2002, and a banquet hall accommodating 150 guests was opened to the public.

SPORTS TEAMS

Palm Harbor sports fans also turn to the Tampa Bay area for entertainment, following the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays and hockey's Tampa Bay Lightning. Minor league baseball is also a favorite. Hardcore baseball fans can also head to the Tampa Bay area for Grapefruit League action with the New York Yankees' spring training site at Legends Field.

LOCAL MEDIA

Palm Harbor supports a handful of locally related newspapers and magazines, including the Palm Harbor Panther, the East Lake Eagle, and Youth Sports News.

Radio and television stations are primarily located in Tampa and St. Petersburg, but oldies station WJQB 106.3 FM is licensed in Palm Harbor.