Pasco County, Florida | |
|---|---|
 Pasco County Courthouse in 2024 | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "We Fight As One"[2] | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofFlorida | |
 Florida's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:28°18′N82°26′W / 28.3°N 82.44°W /28.3; -82.44 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| Founded | June 2, 1887 |
| Named after | Samuel Pasco |
| Seat | Dade City |
| Largest CDP | Wesley Chapel |
| Area | |
• Total | 868 sq mi (2,250 km2) |
| • Land | 747 sq mi (1,930 km2) |
| • Water | 122 sq mi (320 km2) 14.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 561,891 |
• Estimate (2024[1]) | 659,114 |
| • Density | 910/sq mi (352/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 12th,15th |
| Website | www |
Pasco County is acounty located on the west central coast in theU.S. state ofFlorida. As of 2025, the population of the county was estimated to be 682,179, making it the tenth-most populous county in the state. Itscounty seat isDade City, and its largest city isZephyrhills. The county is named afterUnited States senatorSamuel Pasco.
Pasco County is included in theTampa Bay Area and historically has been abedroom community for theTampa and St. Petersburg cities. It is 30 miles away from the city of Tampa. The county includes numerous parks and trails located along rivers, theGulf of Mexico, lakes, and highway/railroad right-of-ways. Severalnudist resorts are located in Pasco County. The county has become known as the "naturist capital of the United States", starting in 1941.
West Pasco includes retirement areas, commercial fishing, and suburbs of Tampa. TheSuncoast Parkway as well as U.S. 19, U.S. 41, U.S. 98, U.S. 301, andInterstate 75 all pass through Pasco County. The county is directly west ofPolk andSumter counties, north ofHillsborough andPinellas counties, and south ofHernando County.
Recent companies are creating major centers in the county, such asMoffit Cancer Center's Speros campus. They are expected to bring many jobs, changing the area.
The earliest known residents of Pasco County were the TimucuansNative American tribe who lived on the land in the early 1200s. Settlers in Florida brought diseases to the area though, wiping out the tribe.[3] Other Native American tribes like theCalusa also lived along theGulf of Mexico in Pasco County. The tribe had a deep-rooted connection between the land and its inhabitants.[4]
In the 1500s,Spanish explorers came into the Florida region, encountering with the Native American tribes. This started major cultural exchanges for the groups. Pasco County, at that point became a point of interest to the Spanish explorers because of its strategiccoastal location.[4]
TheCreek Native tribe fromGeorgia andAlabama migrated to Florida with one tribe becoming known as theSeminoles in the region. The tribe fought with theBritish against American settlers during theFirst Seminole War and had constant fighting with the Spanish until the buying of Florida to the United States in 1819. The United States military had major conflict with the Native Americans in theSecond Seminole War that included the destruction ofFort Dade, of whichDade City is named after.[3]
When Civil War broke out in 1861, Florida joined theConfederate States of America. Though Pasco County was too far to be changed by the war in much of the conflicts, men from Pasco County supported both sides of the conflict. The closest engagement of Pasco County soldiers was inBayport, Hernando County, Florida.[3]
Pasco County was founded on June 2, 1887, from the southern third ofHernando County. The legislation was passed by former GovernorEdward A. Perry to divide the former Hernando County into three counties.[5] The legislation also createdCitrus County from the northern third of Hernando County. The county was named afterSamuel Pasco, who had just been elected to theUnited States Senate,[6] though he never visited the county.[7]
Pasco County's early towns were Anclote, Blanton,Dade City,Earnestville, Fort Dade (not to be confused withFort Dade onEgmont Key), Macon (Trilby),Lacoochee,St. Leo,[8] andSan Antonio.[9][10]
Dade City was named the temporary county seat with the same legislation to make Pasco County. It stayed temporary until March 14, 1889, when W.B. Lynch got a petition with 320 signatures to hold an election for the county seat. The board accepted the petition with the election for April 11, 1889. On April 16, 1889, Dade city won with 432 votes of the 765.[5]
Citrus was an important industry when the county was formed in 1887.[11] Though, in December 1894 and then again in February 1895, temperatures fell throughout the state, in an event calledThe Great Freeze. Many citrus growers lost their crops from the freeze in Pasco County.[12]
As early as 1914, residents of the western part of the county proposed forming a separate county or merging with Pinellas County, as Dade City was not centrally located in the county.[13] Several large sawmills operated in the county in the early part of the 20th century.[14][15] The issue was finally resolved in 1979 with the construction of identical government centers in both Dade City and New Port Richey, now called West Pasco Government Center and East Pasco Government Center.[16]
The SAL Tarpon Springs branch line from Tarpon Junction 14 miles west of Tampa to Elfers and thence to New Port Richey lost its passenger service and became listed as freight only between 1932 and 1938.[17][18] The freight branch was truncated to Elfers in 1943. The tracks from Elfers and Chemical (an industrial area in the extreme southwest part of the county along theAnclote River west of Holiday) toTarpon Springs had its last freight train on December 24, 1986, leaving the western half of the county without freight rail service.[19]
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad until 1957 ran theSouthland through Trilby andTarpon Springs, en route to St. Petersburg. The train was unusual for providing passenger service direct from Chicago (via thePennsylvania), Cincinnati and Atlanta on a direct route through the western part of the Florida peninsula, bypassingJacksonville.[20][21] TheSeaboard Coast Line (a merged line from the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Coast Line) until 1971 ran a local train (the last passenger train for the region north of St. Petersburg and west of Dade City) through those towns from Jacksonville andGainesville, bound for St. Petersburg.[22] Prior to the 1967 merger for the SCL that service had been the western branch of the ACL'sChampion from New York City.[23] Until 1968 the SCL ran itsSunland from Washington, DC and Portsmouth, VA to Tampa.[24]
During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, New Port Richey became the winter home of silent screen starThomas Meighan and golferGene Sarazen; Meighan attempted to bring other Hollywood figures to the city.[25] The county has experienced significant population growth since the 1970s, growing by over 600%.[26] The growth began along the Gulf coast but is now occurring most rapidly in areas north of Tampa.[27]
Pasco County has historically been abedroom community forTampa and St. Petersburg.[28] Though, recent companies are constructing major centers in the county, such asMoffit Cancer Center's Speros campus, which is expected to bring over 11,000 jobs.[29]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, Pasco County has a total area of 868 square miles (2,250 km2), of which 747 sq mi (1,930 km2) is land and 122 sq mi (320 km2) (14.0%) is water.[30] It is located on the FloridaNature Coast and theTampa Bay Area, being 30 miles north from the city of Tampa, and 50 miles west fromOrlando.[3]
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There are six named hills in Pasco County, with the highest hill being Nursery Hill, which rises 246 feet (75 m), though the highest point in Pasco County is Clay Hill, which is 301 feet (92 m).[31] Greer Hill, the third largest summit, has 66 homes and 120,000 square feet of office space on and around it.[32]
Pasco County has an average elevation of 59 feet (18 m). The western part of Pasco County is relatively flat,[33] and hastidal flats on the coast.[34] The lowest point of the county is −3.3 feet (−1.0 m). In the eastern areas there are hills, where elevations can reach between 100 and 300 feet above sea level. The rolling terrain appears especially around communities such asSan Antonio andSt. Leo.[33]
TheAnclote[35] andPithlachascotee rivers both run through Pasco County.[36] The two rivers have been flood-prone, and were watched duringHurricane Idalia in 2023.[37] The Anclote river also flooded duringHurricane Milton in 2024, where it crested at 26.57 feet high.[38]
There are 70lakes in Pasco County, with a total of about 6,250 acres (2,530 ha) of lake.[39] Hancock Lake is the largest lake in the county, covering 478 acres (193 ha). There are three state parks nearby to Hancock Lake.[40] The smallest lake, Little Moss Lake, in Pasco County only covers 2 acres (0.81 ha).[41]
Pasco County has four islands, which three of them are minor islandsand bars. They tend to change shape with eachtropical storm that blows through. One of the islands includesAnclote Key, which one of theAnclote Key Preserve State Park islands. The side of Anclote Key facing the mainland is composed ofmangrove forest and grass marshland.[42] It is three miles off the coast[42][43] ofTarpon Springs and is only accessible by boat.[43]
Pasco County also has smaller abarrier island with four miles of beach covering it.[44]
The county has ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) and average temperatures in Dade City range from 59.2 °F in January to 82.1 °F in July and August while in Port Richey they range from 59.0 °F in January to 82.2 °F in August.[45]
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| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 4,249 | — | |
| 1900 | 6,054 | 42.5% | |
| 1910 | 7,502 | 23.9% | |
| 1920 | 8,802 | 17.3% | |
| 1930 | 10,574 | 20.1% | |
| 1940 | 13,981 | 32.2% | |
| 1950 | 20,529 | 46.8% | |
| 1960 | 36,785 | 79.2% | |
| 1970 | 75,955 | 106.5% | |
| 1980 | 193,643 | 154.9% | |
| 1990 | 281,131 | [47] | 45.2% |
| 2000 | 344,765 | [47] | 22.6% |
| 2010 | 464,697 | [48] | 34.8% |
| 2020 | 561,890 | [49] | 20.9% |
| 2025 (est.) | 680,706 | [50] | 21.1% |
| 1890-1980[51] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[52] | Pop 1990[53] | Pop 2000[54] | Pop 2010[55] | Pop 2020[56] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 184,022 | 264,308 | 310,066 | 372,239 | 392,375 | 95.03% | 94.02% | 89.94% | 80.10% | 69.83% | -10.27% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,960 | 5,303 | 6,833 | 19,010 | 31,601 | 2.05% | 1.89% | 1.98% | 4.09% | 5.62% | +1.53% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 362 | 740 | 1,049 | 1,236 | 1,388 | 0.19% | 0.26% | 0.30% | 0.27% | 0.25% | -0.02% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 387 | 1,404 | 3,194 | 9,609 | 16,408 | 0.20% | 0.50% | 0.93% | 2.07% | 2.92% | +0.85% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[57] | x[58] | 95 | 223 | 308 | x | x | 0.03% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 206 | 67 | 319 | 686 | 2,771 | 0.11% | 0.02% | 0.09% | 0.15% | 0.49% | +0.34% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[59] | x[60] | 3,606 | 7,158 | 23,883 | x | x | 1.05% | 1.54% | 4.25% | +2.71% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,706 | 9,309 | 19,603 | 54,536 | 93,157 | 2.43% | 3.31% | 5.69% | 11.74% | 16.58% | +4.84% |
| Total | 193,643 | 281,131 | 344,765 | 464,697 | 561,891 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 561,891 people, 209,483 households, and 139,278 families residing in the county.[61] As of 2025, with a population of 682,179. Pasco County is the tenth-most populous county in Florida.[62]
In 2020, 20.3% of people were below 18 years old, 22.7% over 65, with the age median being 45. 48.3% of people were male and 51.7% female. The average family size in 2010 was about 3.00.[63] In 2025, the population density was 913 per square mile (328/km2).[62] 10.5% of people are in poverty as of 2023, with the averageper capita personal income being $56,734 a person.[63]
Though the county seat is in Dade City,[64][65] duplicate county government offices and court facilities are also located in the New Port Richey area on the west side of the county.[65]
The Pasco CountyBoard of County Commissioners (BCC) is the legislative and policy-making group of the county's government. Representatives from five different Pasco County districts are elected from throughout the county and serve four-year terms in BCC. The Board of County Commissioners creates policies through the adding of ordinances and adoption of resolutions.[66]
For elections to theFlorida Senate, Pasco County is part of districts11,21 and23.
For elections to theFlorida House of Representatives, Pasco County is part of districts53,54,55, and56.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 0 | 0.00% | 471 | 83.22% | 95 | 16.78% |
| 1896 | 70 | 12.46% | 482 | 85.77% | 10 | 1.78% |
| 1900 | 32 | 5.51% | 492 | 84.68% | 57 | 9.81% |
| 1904 | 96 | 16.84% | 453 | 79.47% | 21 | 3.68% |
| 1908 | 81 | 14.21% | 436 | 76.49% | 53 | 9.30% |
| 1912 | 60 | 8.34% | 485 | 67.45% | 174 | 24.20% |
| 1916 | 236 | 19.82% | 779 | 65.41% | 176 | 14.78% |
| 1920 | 630 | 33.44% | 1,166 | 61.89% | 88 | 4.67% |
| 1924 | 472 | 32.42% | 780 | 53.57% | 204 | 14.01% |
| 1928 | 1,591 | 54.26% | 1,308 | 44.61% | 33 | 1.13% |
| 1932 | 806 | 24.35% | 2,504 | 75.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 1,159 | 34.21% | 2,229 | 65.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 1,362 | 30.59% | 3,091 | 69.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 1,352 | 34.89% | 2,523 | 65.11% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,839 | 37.68% | 2,375 | 48.66% | 667 | 13.67% |
| 1952 | 4,562 | 56.24% | 3,549 | 43.76% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 5,501 | 56.82% | 4,181 | 43.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 7,188 | 55.21% | 5,832 | 44.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 7,606 | 48.32% | 8,135 | 51.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 9,743 | 42.36% | 6,292 | 27.36% | 6,966 | 30.29% |
| 1972 | 29,249 | 71.91% | 11,330 | 27.85% | 97 | 0.24% |
| 1976 | 28,306 | 45.11% | 33,710 | 53.72% | 731 | 1.16% |
| 1980 | 50,120 | 56.67% | 34,054 | 38.50% | 4,268 | 4.83% |
| 1984 | 66,618 | 61.92% | 40,962 | 38.07% | 8 | 0.01% |
| 1988 | 63,820 | 55.59% | 50,385 | 43.89% | 598 | 0.52% |
| 1992 | 47,735 | 35.11% | 53,130 | 39.08% | 35,097 | 25.81% |
| 1996 | 48,355 | 36.23% | 66,475 | 49.80% | 18,641 | 13.97% |
| 2000 | 68,607 | 48.05% | 69,576 | 48.73% | 4,586 | 3.21% |
| 2004 | 103,230 | 54.07% | 84,749 | 44.39% | 2,937 | 1.54% |
| 2008 | 110,104 | 51.07% | 102,417 | 47.51% | 3,068 | 1.42% |
| 2012 | 112,427 | 52.48% | 98,263 | 45.86% | 3,558 | 1.66% |
| 2016 | 142,101 | 58.41% | 90,142 | 37.06% | 11,022 | 4.53% |
| 2020 | 179,621 | 59.36% | 119,073 | 39.35% | 3,927 | 1.30% |
| 2024 | 197,779 | 61.87% | 117,450 | 36.74% | 4,435 | 1.39% |
Pasco County was a swing county for much of the 20th Century. It has supportedRepublicans in every election since 2004 when it supportedGeorge W. Bush before swinging more leftward in the 2008 election (though DemocratBarack Obama lost the county, it was only by less than 4 percent). Since then, the county has trended more Republican in every election.[68] Most recently in 2024,Donald Trump had 62% of the popular vote for the first time since 1984.[69]
| Political Party | Number of registered voters (October 24, 2025)[70] | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 175,662 | 45.40% | |
| Democratic | 96,623 | 24.98% | |
| Third parties | 15,825 | 4.09% | |
| Independent | 98,763 | 25.53% | |
| Total | 386,873 | 100.00% | |
Pasco County Public Transportation (GoPasco) provides several bus services throughout Pasco County.[75]
As of September 2025, GoPasco has 13 routes that serve the county.[76] Notable routes includeRoute 18, connecting up to thePinellas County Bus System (PSTA) andClearwater Jolley Trolley,Route 19, connecting up to the PSTA,Routes 20 and 21, connecting toHernando County Transit (TheBus), andRoute 54, taking you to from New Port Richey to Zephyrhills, and connecting toHillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART).[77]
CSX Transportation operates three freight rail lines within the county. Dade City and Zephyrhills are served by theWildwood Subdivision. The other two lines include theBrooksville Subdivision which runs close toUS 41 and theVitis Subdivision, which runs southeast intoLakeland.Amtrak formerly providedpassenger rail service toDade City on that line, but the stop was terminated in late 2004.[78]
Interstate 75 runs north and south across the eastern part of the county.[79] Once a major connecting point with Tampa, I-75 has been made obsolete for western residents of the county by the Suncoast Parkway.
Suncoast Parkway enters the county in the south halfway between Gunn Highway and US 41, and ends in the far northern part of the county at County Line Road (Exit 37), The Suncoast Parkway is a recently constructed toll road that connects Pasco County with Hillsborough County, where it becomes the Veterans Expressway and heads directly into Tampa International Airport before reaching Interstate 275. SR 589 has four Pasco County exits:SR 54 (Exit 19), Ridge Road (Exit 25),SR 52 (Exit 27), and County Line Road (Exit 37).
U.S. Route 19 is a major commercial center running beside to the Gulf of Mexico on the western edge of the county, and used as a primary connecting route to cities down the west coast of Florida, including Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg to the south, as well as Spring Hill, Weeki Wachee, Homosassa and Crystal River to the north.
Alternate 19 is a former section of US 19 that runs closer to the Gulf of Mexico in Pinellas and southern Pasco County than US 19.
U.S. Route 41 (Land O' Lakes Boulevard) is the main south-to-north U.S. Highway through Central Pasco County. It enters the county from Lutz in Hillsborough County and serves as a commercial strip through most of Land O' Lakes. Further north the road becomes more rural, passing through Gowers Corner, and eventually enters Masaryktown at the Hernando County Line.
U.S. Route 98 runs northwest and southeast from Hernando County to Polk County. Concurrent withUS 301 between Trilacoochee and Clinton Heights.
U.S. Route 301 (Fort King Highway/Gall Boulevard) is the main south-to-north U.S. highway in eastern Pasco County. It enters the county fromHillsborough River State Park in Hillsborough County and becomes the main road in Zephyrhills, Clinton Heights, and Dade City. North of Dade City, the road runs through Trilacoochee and Trilby before it enters Ridge Manor in Hernando County at a bridge over the Withlacoochee River.
State Road 39 runs northwest and southeast fromPlant City into US 301 inZephyrhills
County Road 41 (Fort King Highway/17th Street/21st Street/Blanton Road) begins as a hidden state road along US 301 until it branches off to the northwest as a county road in Zephyrhills and runs parallel to US 301 until it reaches Dade City. From here it moves further to the west through Blanton and Jessamine, and after crossing over I-75 curves back north into rural Hernando County where it becomes CR 541.
County Line Road (CR 578) is a major county road running entirely along the border with Hernando County beginning at US 19, intersects the Suncoast Parkway, and ends at US 41. Due to increased congestion, it is planned to be upgraded from two to four lanes, and possibly upgraded from a county road to a state road.
State Road 52 (Colonel Schrader Memorial Highway) an east–west route that runs primarily through the center of the county from US 19 in Bayonet Point to US 98–301 in Dade City.
State Road 54 (Gunn Highway/Fifth Avenue) another east–west road that runs through southern Pasco County, from US 19 near Holiday to US 301 inZephyrhills.
State Road 56 is an east–west route that extends fromSR 54 nearLand O' Lakes, to just east ofBruce B. Downs Boulevard and the new campus ofPasco–Hernando State College inWesley Chapel. The road was constructed in 2002, and is planned, as of 2016[update], to be extended to US 301 south ofZephyrhills.
State Road 575 the northernmost state road in Pasco County.
Bruce B. Downs Boulevard
Rowan Road/East Lake Road (CR 77)
Dale Mabry Highway
Moon Lake Road/Decubellis Road/Massachusetts Avenue (CR 587) (N) Gunn Highway (CR 587) (S) is a short north and south extension of Gunn Highway(SR 54) that runs through Northern Hillsborough County towardsDale Mabry Highway andBusch Boulevard.
Little Road (CR 1) is a major four to six lane county road in western Pasco County bypassing US 19 between southeast of Aripeka and Trinity.
Trinity Boulevard (CR 996)ThePasco County Sheriff's Office is thelaw enforcement agency responsible for Pasco County and is the county's largest law enforcement agency.[80] The Pasco County Jail is managed by the Pasco County Corrections Department.[81]
Pasco County Fire Rescue (PCFR) providesfire protection andemergency medical services throughout the county. Pasco County Fire Rescue has 30 stations placed around Pasco County. Their headquarters, located inLand O' Lakes holds the administration, staff chief, public information, community risk reduction, and ambulance billing departments.[82] The ambulance billing department oversees all ambulance billing includingCitrus County, andHernando County fire rescue.[83]
Pasco County Fire Rescue also has a mobile integrated health program to help those after anoverdose. The program can help patients with medical and dental needs, mental health and therapy, transportation to medical appointments, withdrawal management, counseling, and shelter/housing.[84] The agency has two arson investigators and three fire investigators that determine the origin and cause of fires throughout unincorporated Pasco County. Pasco County Fire Rescue conducts all fire inspections within the unincorporated portions of the county.[85]
Public schools in the county are operated byPasco County Schools.[86] The school board was founded in 1887, the year the county was founded, with Augustine H. Ravesies appointed as the county's firstsuperintendent of schools.[87]
Today, it is the 48th largest school district in the United States compared to over 14,000 schools, and the 10th largest school district in Florida out of 67 schools.[88] As of the 2024–2025school year, there were a total of 106 schools in Pasco County Schools.[89]
The Aripeka Historical Museum sits in the Aripeka Library and offers displays ofchert andflint from Native Americans.[91]
The Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum sits in where the old Dade City Train Depot sat.[92]
ThePioneer Florida Museum & Village sits in the former Trilby Depot, one-room school house, and a restored house from 1860. The museum offers displays of how the pioneers of Florida lived.[93]
The MAPS museum is located atWendell Krinn Technical High School and offers artifacts from civilizations such as theInca andAztec.[94]
The National Comedy Hall of Fame is located in Holiday, Florida. The museum offers memorabilia of comedians such asJack Benny andRobin Williams.[95]
Also called the Rao Musunuru, M.D. Museum & Library, theWest Pasco Historical Society Museum and Library is located in Sims Park in New Port Richey, Florida. It offers sections such as Native American history and the history of New Port Richey.[96]
theZephyrhills Museum of Military History is located at theZephyrhills Municipal Airport and offers a vast collection of military planes and artifacts, mostly from World War II.[97]
The Zephyrhills Train Depot Museum sits on the 1927Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in Zephyrhills, Florida. It offers a collection with a model train, and several displays.[98]
ThePasco County Library Cooperative is the public library system that serves residents of Pasco County.[99] It consists of eight branch libraries and one cooperative partner, the Zephyrhills Public Library.[100]
TheNew Port Richey Public Library[110] is located in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County. It is the only public library in Pasco County that is not a part of the Pasco County Library Cooperative. Since the library is independent, it issues its own library cards. Cards are free for all Pasco County residents and for those who pay property taxes to the city of New Port Richey. Members of libraries which have reciprocal borrowing agreements with the NPR library are also issued free cards.[111]
While the Aripeka Library is small and is not a "public" library, it has over 5,000 books.[112] Being in the same building as the Aripeka Historical Museum,[91] volunteers work on it to keep it open and to maintain its connection to the area's history.[113]
Pasco Films is amovie production company based in Pasco County. Pharmboy is one of the produced films made by Pasco Films, which got funded by Pasco County Commissioners.[114] The movie was played at The Gasparilla International Film Festival in 2013, winning the audience award in the Narrative Feature category.[115]
A Pasco County home inLutz, Florida was used as one of the main sets used in the movieEdward Scissorhands.[116][117] It is one of Tampa Bay's most famous cinematic homes.[117]
Pasco county has hundreds of recreational parks and activities, such as beaches, sports, historical, trails, playgrounds, recreational complexes and preserves. In total, Pasco County has 6,900 Acres of Environmentally Sensitive Land and 15,000 Acres of Park Land, Trails and Open Space.[118]
Many are operated by Pasco County themselves, but many are also city and state operated:
The list of state parks in Pasco County:[119]
The list of county parks in Pasco County
Pasco County has many trails, with over 65 miles of paved and 250 miles of unpaved trails in the county.[120] It also has 80 miles of designatedblueways.[121]
Pasco County is in an area known as Florida’s Sports Coast[122] after it opened Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County in Wesley Chapel. It is 98,000 square feet, providing a new venue for sports.[123] Pasco County has over 24 provided different sports.[124]
Pasco County’s sports tourism agency said that visitors spent more than $636 million in fiscal year 2022 in Pasco County, up 24% from 2021 for sports.[125]
Pasco County's largest city isZephyrhills,[3] a main location of theZephyrhills water brand,[126] with over 22,000 population as of 2024. The 2025 estimate of Zephyrhills is 23,300.[127]
West Pasco County includes many commercial fishing, retirement areas, and suburbs of Tampa.[128]
Severalnudist resorts are located in Pasco County. The county has become known as the "naturist capital of the United States", beginning with the development in 1941.[129]
| Name | Type of community | Population (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Aripeka (part) | Census-designated place | 320[130] |
| Bayonet Point | Census-designated place | 26,713[131] |
| Beacon Square | Census-designated place | 8,320[132] |
| Connerton | Census-designated place | 5,282[133] |
| Crystal Springs | Census-designated place | 1,268[134] |
| Dade City | City | 7,275[135] |
| Dade City North | Census-designated place | 3,002[136] |
| Elfers | Census-designated place | 14,573[137] |
| Heritage Pines | Census-designated place | 2,171[138] |
| Holiday | Census-designated place | 24,939[139] |
| Hudson | Census-designated place | 12,944[140] |
| Jasmine Estates | Census-designated place | 21,525[141] |
| Key Vista | Census-designated place | 1,680[142] |
| Lacoochee | Census-designated place | 1,124[143] |
| Land O' Lakes | Census-designated place | 35,929[144] |
| Meadow Oaks | Census-designated place | 2,842[145] |
| Moon Lake | Census-designated place | 4,817[146] |
| New Port Richey | City | 16,728[147] |
| New Port Richey East | Census-designated place | 11,015[148] |
| Odessa | Census-designated place | 8,080[149] |
| Pasadena Hills | Census-designated place | 11,120[150] |
| Port Richey | City | 3,052[151] |
| Quail Ridge | Census-designated place | 2,195[152] |
| River Ridge | Census-designated place | 13,591[153] |
| San Antonio | City | 1,297[154] |
| Shady Hills | Census-designated place | 11,690[155] |
| St. Leo | Town | 2,362[156] |
| Trilby | Census-designated place | 433[157] |
| Trinity | Census-designated place | 11,924[158] |
| Wesley Chapel | Census-designated place | 64,866[159] |
| Zephyrhills | City | 22,100 (in 2024)[127] |
| Zephyrhills North | Census-designated place | 2,663[160] |
| Zephyrhills South | Census-designated place | 4,985[161] |
| Zephyrhills West | Census-designated place | 5,533[162] |
Places adjacent to Pasco County, Florida | |
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Municipalities and communities ofPasco County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
28°18′N82°26′W / 28.30°N 82.44°W /28.30; -82.44
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