Plant City, Florida

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Plant City is an incorporated city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 39,764 at the 2020 census.

Despite many thinking it was named for flora grown at plant nurseries (especially vegetables and fruits, as well as tropical houseplants) in its subtropical Gulf Coast climate, it was named after prominent railroad developer Henry B. Plant<ref name = plant>Plant City - History</ref> (see Plant System).

Plant City is known as the winter strawberry capital of the world<ref name=SB/><ref name=WSB/> and hosts the annual Florida Strawberry Festival in the late winter (usually in February or early March), which is attended by people from all over the world.

History

Plant City's original name given during the middle 1800s was Ichepuckesassa, after the Native American village that once occupied the territory.<ref name = plant /> In 1860, the community was renamed "Cork", after the postmaster's Irish hometown. It was finally given the name "Plant City" in commemoration of Henry B. Plant and his South Florida Railroad, which significantly boosted the commerce in this primarily agricultural community by incorporating it on January 10, 1885.<ref name=PCInc/><ref name=TownOfPC/> In 1911, it was officially reincorporated from the "Town of Plant City" to the "City of Plant City".<ref name=PCInc/>

Plant City was the spring training home of baseball's Cincinnati Reds, who played exhibition games at Plant City Stadium from 1988 to 1997.

Geography

File:Map of Florida highlighting Plant City.svg

Location of Plant City in Hillsborough County, Florida

The approximate coordinates for Plant City is located in northeastern Hillsborough County at Template:Coord (28.0142, –82.1289).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Interstate 4 runs through the northern part of the city, with access from Exits 17 through 25. I-4 leads east Template:Convert to Lakeland and west Template:Convert to Tampa. U.S. Route 92 is the main highway through the center of Plant City, running generally parallel to I-4. Florida State Road 39 crosses US 92 in the center of Plant City and leads north Template:Convert to Zephyrhills and south Template:Convert to Hopewell.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Plant City has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are land and Template:Convert, or 3.31%, are water.

Plant City and its surrounding area are in the Southern Flatwoods ecological community as defined by the US Department of Agriculture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The region as a whole is noted for its sandy, infertile, and poorly drained soils. In and around the city, high organic matter content and scattered phosphate nodules make much of the soil more fertile than typical for the flatwoods.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Climate

Plant City, as does most of Florida, has a humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen climate classification: Cfa), with humid and hot summers and warm, drier winters. It is close to having a tropical climate zone, since only one month (January) does not have a mean temperature over Template:Convert. Template:Weather box

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2010 and 2020 census

**Plant City racial composition**
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race	Pop 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	18,555	18,735	53.44%	47.12%
Black or African American (NH)	5,051	5,388	14.55%	13.55%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	128	75	0.37%	0.19%
Asian (NH)	487	641	1.40%	1.61%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	11	21	0.03%	0.05%
Some other race (NH)	38	144	0.11%	0.36%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)	467	1,283	1.35%	3.23%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	9,984	13,477	28.75%	33.89%
Total	34,721	39,764	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 39,764 people, 14,223 households, and 9,449 families residing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 34,721 people, 11,992 households, and 8,640 families residing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 29,915 people, 10,849 households, and 7,843 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 11,797 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 71.67% White, 17.42% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 16.16% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.10% from other races, and two or more races were 1.77% of the population.

As of 2000, there were 10,849 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.20.

In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $37,584, and the median income for a family was $43,328. Males had a median income of $33,417 versus $23,585 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,815. About 11.3% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Template:See also The Hillsborough County School District operates all public schools in Plant City

Public high schools

Durant High School (9–12)
Plant City High School (9–12)
Simmons Exceptional Center (9–12)
Strawberry Crest High School (Dover, FL) (9–12)

Public middle schools

Marshall Middle School (6–8)
Tomlin Middle School (6–8)
Turkey Creek Middle School (6–8)

Public elementary schools

Bryan Elementary School (K–5)
Burney Elementary School (Pre K–5)
Cork Elementary School (K–5)
Knights Elementary School (K–5)
Lincoln Elementary School (K-5)
Springhead Elementary School (K–5)
Stonewall Jackson Elementary (K–5)
Trapnell Elementary School (K–5)
Walden Lake Elementary School (K–5)
Woodrow Wilson Elementary (K–5)

Other public schools

Plant City Adult Learning Lab (GED Prep)
Simmons Career Center (6–12)
Teen Parent East Program (K–12)

Private schools

Autumn Leaf Academy (PK)
Evangelical Presbyterian Church Learning Center (PK)
Faith Christian Academy of Plant City (K–12)
First Presbyterian Learning Center II (PK–K)

Bruton Memorial Library

The Quintilla Geer Bruton Memorial Library is located in Plant City and was built in 1960. It is a part of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative but is under the jurisdiction of the City of Plant City. There are 44,000 members as of 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bruton Memorial Library offers programs for children, young adults, and adults. Bruton Memorial Library also offers free access to multiple databases, tutoring websites, ebooks, emagazines, and movie streaming. Computers are available for use, as are laptops that can be used only within the library. A variety of activities and services are available to a variety of patrons, from book clubs to extensive workshops regarding the beginnings and upkeep of the cultivation of homes and gardens, as well as crafts available on Mondays and hobbyists convening for fabric arts like knitting or crocheting two Fridays a month. Crafts also extend to children and teens as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Economy

Wish Farms, the largest strawberry producer in Florida, has a large presence in Plant City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Transportation

Aviation

Plant City Airport is a public-use airport located Template:Convert southwest of the central business district.

Railroad

Plant City Union Depot served both the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) and Seaboard Air Line Railroad even after their merger into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad until passenger service ceased operations in 1971.<ref name="AboutUs">Template:Cite web</ref> It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.<ref name="NRHPNomination">Template:Cite web</ref> The east-west ACL tracks cross the north-south Seaboard tracks at a 90-degree angle at the southeast corner of the station, forming a diamond junction. Both tracks are now owned and run by Class 1 railroad CSX. Amtrak's Floridian & Silver Meteor trains uses the line's west-to-eastbound ACL tracks, although it does not stop at the station. A train observation deck is present where railfans can watch CSX freight trains and the Amtrak Floridian & Silver Meteor train pass, as well as an 24/7 online webcam operated by YouTube channel Virtual Railfan.<ref name="AboutUs"/> The closest other passenger stations are Tampa or Lakeland.

Major highways

Law enforcement

File:Plant City, FL Police.jpg

Template:Center

The Plant City Police Department (PCPD) is the law enforcement agency for the city of Plant City. The annual budget for the police department for 2017-2018 was $10,413,994.<ref>https://www.plantcitygov.com/622/Budget sum of budgets starting on page 95</ref>