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TAMPA BAY

FAST FACTS

Unlock Tampa Bay with the latest news from Florida’s most hip, authentic, and urban tourism destination. With new hotels, amazing dining and thrilling attractions, the treasures of Tampa Bay are yours to discover! For more information and photography:

Media Room ➜

 

DEMOGRAPHICS

Fireworks in Tampa

  • The Tampa Bay region is home to 3 million people – among the Top 20 MSAs in the nation
  • Tampa Bay is the 12th largest media market
  • Hillsborough County: 1,048 square miles of land, 24 square miles of inland water
  • Three incorporated cities: Tampa (398,000 population), Temple Terrace, & Plant City
    • Tampa is Florida’s 3rd-largest city
    • 13% of Tampa Bay’s population has Cuban ancestry
  • Major unincorporated areas: Brandon, Ruskin, Apollo Beach

 

Tampa International Airport  

Tampa International Airport food court Ulele

  • #1 Large Airport in North America for Traveler Satisfaction - JD Power
  • 24 airlines
  • International: British Airways, Cayman Airways, Copa Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air Transat (seasonal), Norwegian, Swoop, Delta (seasonal) from Amsterdam.
  • Domestic: Alaska Airlines, America Airlines, American Eagle (seasonal), Delta, Frontier, Jet Blue, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines, Southern Airways Express, Spirit Airlines, Swift Air, Sun Country United Airlines, WestJet, United Airlines.
  • 21.5 million passengers in 2022 
  • 292 daily flights to 90 non-stop destinations and 57 weekly departures to ten international cities, allowing easy connections to every major city in the world. 
  • 66 shops and restaurants
  • 4 Airside terminals, each with their own security screening, shops, restaurants, and children’s play area
  • Phase 3 of TPA’s Master Plan enables further growth and calls for the construction of a new 16-gate terminal- Airside D. The $787 million project received approval from the Aviation Authority’s Board of Directors in September 2022. Construction is set to start in 2024 and take three years to complete. 

 

Climate

kayaking on Hillsborough River

  • Summer – Avg temp: 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 C) ∙ highs 91F (33C) /lows 75F (24C)
  • Winter – Avg temp: 62 degrees Fahrenheit (16C) ∙ highs 72F (22C)/lows 52F (11C)
  • Year-round average rainfall totals 53 inches (134 cm)

 

Port Tampa Bay

Port Tampa Bay Norwegian Dawn ship docked in Sparkman Wharf

  • Largest port in the southeast
  • Serves as a pleasure & industrial port (phosphate is main export; refined fuel major import)
  • Four cruise lines: Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. Tampa Bay homeports six vessels from the four cruise lines offering a variety of 4 to 14-day cruise itineraries.  

 

Transportation

TECO Streetcar in Ybor by Jose Marti Park

  • TECO Historic Streetcar (right) runs between downtown and Ybor City district
  • Pirate Water Taxi operates on the Hillsborough River & Tampa Bay
  • Downtowner, a system of free electric shuttles, offers a transportation alternative in downtown 
  • Uber and Lyft provide ride-sharing services

 

Sports

Raymond James Stadium (Bucs)

  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Super Bowl LV Champions – Professional (American) Football
  • Tampa Bay Lightning, 2020 & 2021 Stanley Cup Champions – Professional Hockey
  • Tampa Bay Rays, 2020 East USL Champions – Professional Baseball
  • Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2020 League Championship Finalists – Professional Soccer
  • New York Yankees– Professional Baseball Spring Training
  • Tampa Tarpons – Class A Minor League Baseball
  • University of South Florida Bulls – College Athletics
  • Home of WrestleMania 2021

 

MacDill Air Force Base

SOFIC air show helicopter demonstrating in downtown Tampa

  • Home to the 6th Air Mobility Wing 
  • More than 15,000 military personnel 
  • Hosts & provides direct support to U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command & 39 other tenant units
  • $4.9 billion annual economic impact to the region

 

Education

The University of Tampa

  • Hillsborough County, 8th largest school district in the nation and the region’s largest employer
  • University of South Florida (USF) is the second largest public university system in Florida & the 18th largest in the U.S. USF has one of the largest MBA programs in the Southeast
  • University of Tampa is a private, liberal arts college popular with students from the Northeast U.S.

 

Major Attractions & Venues

Iron Gwazi Busch Gardens

  • Adventure Island
  • Amalie Arena
  • Armature Works
  • Big Cat Rescue
  • Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay
  • Canoe Escape
  • Columbia Restaurant
  • Straz Center for the Performing Arts
  • Dinosaur World
  • The Florida Aquarium
  • Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
  • Glazer Children's Museum
  • Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
  • Henry B. Plant Museum
  • MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry)
  • Raymond James Stadium
  • Tampa Convention Center
  • Tampa Bay History Center
  • Tampa Museum of Art
  • Tampa Riverwalk
  • Tampa Theatre
  • Ybor City (Entertainment District)
  • Ybor City State Museum
  • ZooTampa at Lowry Park

 

Major Events & Festivals

The Gasparilla Music Festival stage glowing orange from stage lights.

January

  • ReliaQuest Bowl
  • Black Heritage Festival 
  • Gasparilla Children’s Parade & Piratechnic Extravaganza 
  • Gasparilla Pirate Fest 

February

  • Florida State Fair 
  • Fiesta Day 
  • Sant’Yago Illuminated Night Parade 
  • Gasparilla Distance Classic 
  • Florida Strawberry Festival 
  • New York Yankees Spring Training
  • Bay Area Renaissance Festival
  • Black Heritage Festival

March

  • Gasparilla Festival of Arts 
  • Gasparilla Music Festival
  • Tampa Bay Beer Week 
  • St. Patrick’s Day
  • Gasparilla International Film Festival 
  • Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival  
  • Apollo Beach Manatee & Arts Festival 
  • National Cuban Sandwich Festival
  • Tampa Pride 

April

  • Bern’s Winefest 
  • RiverFest
  • Asia Fest
  • Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races

 

May

  • Brews With Attitude
  • Cuban Cultural Fest
  • FamilyFest

June

  • Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay Summer Nights
  • Adventure Island Island Nights

July

  • Freedom Fest
  • Tampa Bay Comic Con 

August / September

  • Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival
  • Tampa Bay Boat Show
  • Tampa Bay MegaCon

October

  • NSRA Southeast Street Rod Nationals 
  • Tampa Bay Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival 
  • Brews by the Bay
  • Oktoberfest Tampa
  • Tampa Pig Jig
  • Creatures of the Night at ZooTampa
  • Ybor City March of the Pumpkin King
  • Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay 

November  

  • Ruskin Seafood & Arts Festival 

December

  • Snow on 7th Holiday Parade
  • Busch Gardens Christmas Town
  • ZooTampa Christmas in the Wild
  • Winter Village
  • Gasparilla Bowl  
  • Victorian Christmas Stroll 

 

 

 

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