Tampa is located in
Hillsborough County, northeast of
St Petersburg. It lies along I-75 near Hillsborough Bay and the
Gulf of Mexico. I-275 and I-4 go through the city. The area is served by
Tampa International Airport.
Spaniards landed in the Tampa Bay area in the 1500s. The first American settlement came when Fort Brooke was erected here in 1823.
Tampa enjoys a mild winter climate and is a tourist destination. Among the attractions are the Ybor State Museum, fishing and beaches, a downtown aquarium and numerous golf courses. It also is a departure point for several cruise ships. Tampa boasts a large Hispanic population, particularly in the section known as Ybor City. The city is the home of the University of South Florida.
Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida metro area. It is also part of Tampa Bay; originally the name of a bay on the west coast of Florida, Tampa Bay now comprises a region of many distinct communities connected by the Bay waters.
