The city is a sea port, and a popular destination for tourism and
retirement by people from parts of the United States with colder climate.
With an average of some 360 days of sunshine each year, it is nicknamed "The
Sunshine City".
History
The city was founded by John C. Williams, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, who
purchased the land in 1876 and, with the help of Peter Demens, was
instrumental in bringing a railroad connection there in 1888. Saint
Petersburg was incorporated on February 29, 1892, when it had a population
of only some 300 people.
It was named after the Saint Petersburg in Russia, the birthplace of Peter
Demens. A local legend says that John C. Williams and Peter Demens flipped a
coin to see who would have the honor of naming the city. Peter Demens won
and named the city after his birthplace, while John C. Williams named the
first hotel after his birthplace, Detroit. The Detroit Hotel still exists
downtown.
Dredging of a deeper shipping channel from 1906 to 1908 opened St.
Petersburg to larger shipping. Further dredging improved the port facilities
through the 1910s.
In 1914, airplane service across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa and
back was initiated, generally considered the first commercial airline. The
company name was the "Airboat Line" and the pilot was Anthony Jannus. Air
service was discontinued in 1924 with the opening of Gandy Bridge, the first
across Tampa Bay, which allowed automobile traffic between the two cities.
Historical population:
1900 1,575
1910 4,127
1920 14,237
1930 40,425
1940 60,812
1950 96,738
1960 181,298
1970 216,159
1980 238,647
1990 240,318
2000 248,232
2002 248,546 (estimate)
Sources: City of St. Petersburg 2000 Demographic Profile and U.S. Census
Bureau, Population Division.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
344.7 km˛ (133.1 mi˛). 154.4 km˛ (59.6 mi˛) of it is land and 190.2 km˛
(73.4 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 55.19% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 248,232 people, 109,663 households, and
61,630 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,607.3/km˛
(4,163.1/mi˛). There are 124,618 housing units at an average density of
806.9 persons/km˛ (2,090.0 persons/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is
71.36% White, 22.36% African American, 0.31% Native American, 2.67% Asian,
0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.07% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more
races. 4.23% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 109,663 households out of which 24.0% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 38.3% are married couples living together, 13.8%
have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 43.8% are non-families.
35.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.1% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.20 and the average family size is 2.88.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18,
7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100
females there are 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $34,597, and the median
income for a family is $43,198. Males have a median income of $30,794 versus
$25,860 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,107. 13.3% of
the population and 9.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 19.1% are under the age of 18 and 10.8% are
65 or older.
Attractions and points of interest
Saint Petersburg has a branch of the state university, the University of
South Florida St. Petersburg, as well as St. Petersburg College, Eckerd
College, and Stetson University College of Law.
The city has a Museum of Fine Arts, a History Museum, and the Salvador Dalí
Museum, which houses one of the two best collections of Dalí's work
including a number of famous paintings.
Sports
St. Petersburg is home to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays major league baseball
team
