St. Petersburg is located in
Pinellas County just across the bay from
Tampa, between
Clearwater and
Bradenton Beach. It lies along Interstate 275 near Hillborough and Tampa bays, and the
Gulf of Mexico. St. Petersburg has 234 miles of shoreline on Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
The present city was established by J. C. Williams, son of an early founder of Detroit, and Peter Demens, an engineer from Russia who constructed the first railroad into town in 1888.
Today, the city's population is estimated at more than 248,323. A resort community, St. Petersburg is often called the Sunshine City. Egmont Key State Park and the Boyd Hill Nature Park are nearby, as well as plenty of boating, fishing, and sailing venues. The city has six museums, several galleries and a performing arts community. City celebrations include the Festival of States and the Mainsail Arts Festival. St. Petersburg is part of the state's High Tech Corridor, which extends from St. Petersburg east across Central Florida.
