Tampa, Florida

Tampa
Nicknames: 
Cigar City, The Big Guava
Interactive map of Tampa
Tampa
Tampa
Coordinates: 27°56′51″N 82°27′31″W / 27.94750°N 82.45861°W / 27.94750; -82.45861
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountyHillsborough
Settled
(Fort Brooke)
1823
Incorporated
(Village of Tampa)
January 18, 1849
Incorporated
(Town of Tampa)
September 10, 1853 and
August 11, 1873
Incorporated
(City of Tampa)
December 15, 1855 and
July 15, 1887
Government
 • TypeStrong mayor–council
 • MayorJane Castor (D)
 • LegislativeTampa City Council
Area
 • City
175.83 sq mi (455.40 km2)
 • Land114.02 sq mi (295.30 km2)
 • Water61.81 sq mi (160.10 km2)  35.3%
 • Urban
968.9 sq mi (2,509.5 km2)
 • Metro
2,554 sq mi (6,610 km2)
Elevation
10 ft (3.0 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City
384,959
 • Estimate 
(2024)
414,547
 • Rank49th in the US
 • Density3,376.4/sq mi (1,303.6/km2)
 • Urban
2,783,045 (US: 17th)
 • Urban density2,870/sq mi (1,109/km2)
 • Metro
3,175,275 (US: 18th)
Demonym(s)Tampan, Tampanian, Tampeño
GDP
 • Metro$243.268 billion (2023)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
33601–33626, 33629–33631, 33633–33635, 33637, 33646, 33647, 33650, 33655, 33660–33664, 33672–33675, 33677, 33679–33682, 33684–33689, 33694
Area codes813, 656
FIPS code12-71000
GNIS feature ID2405568
Websitetampa.gov

Tampa (/ˈtæmpə/ TAM-pə) is a major city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Hillsborough County. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. It is the third-most populous city in Florida (after Jacksonville and Miami), thirteenth-most populous in the Southeast, and 49th-most populous city in the country, with a population of 403,364 at the 2020 census. The Tampa Bay metropolitan area, at over 3.42 million residents, is the second-largest metropolitan area in Florida and 17th-largest in the United States. The Greater Tampa Bay area has over 4 million residents and generally includes the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas.

Tampa's origins can be traced to the establishment of Fort Brooke in 1824, soon after the United States acquired the Florida territory from Spain. The surrounding settlement of Tampa was formally incorporated in 1849 but remained small and isolated until the mid-1880s, when the arrival of Henry B. Plant's railroad and Vicente Martinez Ybor's cigar factories jump-started a period of rapid economic and population growth. "Tampa Town" was reincorporated into the city of Tampa in 1887 and had evolved into a prosperous modern community by the early 20th century.

In the 21st century, Tampa's economy is driven by tourism, health care, finance, insurance, technology, construction, and the maritime industry. The bay's port is the largest in the state, responsible for over $15 billion in economic impact. The city hosts a number of major employers, including Bloomin' Brands, WellCare, and Fortune 500 companies Crown Holdings and The Mosaic Company. Tampa's cultural landscape features the Tampa Museum of Art, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, and the historic Ybor City district, which reflects the city's Cuban and Spanish heritage. The city is also home to prominent educational institutions, including the University of South Florida and University of Tampa. The area's major league professional sports teams include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL), Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), and Tampa Bay Rays (MLB).