ZIP Code 33765

Clearwater is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 117,292. The city is separated by the Intracoastal Waterway from Clearwater Beach. Clearwater is the home of Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The global headquarters of the Church of Scientology is located in Clearwater. The name "Clear Water" is thought to have come from a fresh water spring flowing from near where the City Hall building is located today. The town began developing in the late nineteenth century, prompted by Peter Demens' completion of the first passenger railroad line into the city in 1888. The first road joining Clearwater and Tampa was built in 1849, which dramatically reduced the prior day-long commute between the cities. In 1915, a bridge was built across Clearwater Harbor, joining the city with Clear water Beach to the west. The remote and isolated Dan's Island, now the highrise-dominated Sand Key, was used as a target by U.S. Army Air Corps fighter-bombers for practice practice practice in World War II. The United States is at 27°58N 82°51W in the United States, and at 27.25°45W 82°50N in the Philippines. According to the United Nations, Clearwater has a total area of 39.2 square miles (101.6 km²), of which 25.6 square miles is land and 13.7 miles (354 km²) is water.

History

Clearwater is the primary city name, but also Belleair are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of Clearwater. Clearwater was originally the home of the Tocobaga people. The name "Clear Water" is thought to have come from a fresh water spring flowing from near where the City Hall building is located today. The town began developing in the late nineteenth century, prompted by Peter Demens' completion of the first passenger railroad line into the city in 1888. Clearwater was incorporated in 1891, with James E. Crane becoming the first mayor. The area's popularity as a vacation destination grew after railroad magnate Henry B. Plant built a sprawling Victorian resort hotel named Belleview Biltmore just south of Clearwater in 1897. In 1915, a bridge was built across Clearwater Harbor, joining the city with Clearwater Beach to the west. In World War II, Clearwater became a major training base for US troops destined for Europe and the Pacific. The remote and isolated Dan's Island, now the highrise-dominated Sand Key, was used as a target by U.S. Army Air Corps fighter-bombers for strafing and bombing practice. A new, much higher bridge now arcs over the bay, replacing the former drawbridge; the connecting road is part of State Road 60 and is called Clearwater Memorial Causeway. The city's oldest existing newspaper, the Clearwater Sun, was first published on March 14, 1914. It was reincorporated, this time as a city, on May 27, 1915, and designated the county seat for Pinellas County, which broke from Hillsborough County in 1912.

Geography

Clearwater is located at 27°5825N 82°4551W. The city has a humid subtropical climate. The dry season starts in October and runs through May, at which time the weather is sunny, dry, and there is little change in daily weather. Most of the annual rainfall comes in the wet season (June through September), when daily thundershowers erupt due to the strong solar heating. Clearwater's downtown has been undergoing major redevelopment in recent years. New bars, restaurants and other amenities are coming to the area, renamed the "Cleveland Street District" The Royalty Theatre is also slated to be renovated. It lies in the broad transition zone from subtropicals to tropical climates. As such, Clearwater is mostly warm to hot year round, with few nights of frost. It has a total area of 39.2 square miles (101.6 km²), of which 25.6 sq miles (66.2 km²) is land and 13.7sq miles (35.4km²) (34.86%) is water. It is located on the Gulf of Mexico, which is a major shipping route for the Florida Keys and Florida Panhandle. It also serves as a hub for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has a naval base in Clearwater, Florida. It was the site of the World War II Battle of the Bulge, and the Battle of St. Augustine, which took place in 1864.

Demographics

As of 2000, speakers of English as their first language were 84.43% of residents. In 2019, the city's population was spread out, with 18.7% under the age of 18, 59.4% between 18 and 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. Between 2014 and 2018, the median income for a household in the city was $47,070, and the medianincome for a family was $46,228. 15.9 per cent of the population fell below the poverty line. The average household size was 2.4, and there were 46,667 households with an average size of 2.0. The city is located on the banks of the Mississippi River, which runs through the center of the city. The Mississippi River is a tributary of the Ohio River. The Ohio River flows through the city, which is located in the eastern part of the state. The river is one of the few rivers in the state that flows through a central valley. It is also the only river in the area that runs through a valley, which means the city has a relatively flat topography. The waterway was built in the 19th century and was once known as the "Ohio River" or "Ohio Turnpike" The city's name is derived from the word "Ohio", which means "Ohio" or  "Ohio". The river was named after the town of Ohio, which was founded in the 17th century.

Economy

Clearwater's economy employs nearly 50,400 people. Major employers include Morton Plant Hospital, Tech Data, and Honeywell. The most common job groups include Service, Sales & Office, Science, and Business. The median household income for Clearwater is $44,569, which is below the average for both the United States as well as the state of Florida.

Art and culture

Clearwater was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by CBS Money Watch in 2012. Clearwater Public Art and Design Program, adopted by City Council in 2005, is funded through a 1% allocation on all city capital improvement projects valued at more than $500,000. In 1911, the city of Clearwater witnessed a vast population increase as well as acquiring telephones, electricity, paved streets and an ice factory. It is during this time that the Clearwater Library Association opened a subscription library on the second floor of the local People's Bank. In its first year, the library had over 1,277 visitors and 2,792 books borrowed. In 1950, the City Commission agreed to the building of the North Greenwood library, designed by the American Architect Eugene Beach, for many African American patrons to access the city's information sources. In 2011, a $2.5 million donation renamed the building the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre. In 2013, the Clear water Public Library system was expanded to include a new children's section. The library's collection grew from 18,047 to over 100,047 in the mid-twentieth century. In the 1930s, Clearwater was a vacation town, providing free access to materials for summer and winter visitors. As a result of the same threats seen at other libraries seen throughout the United States, the public library increased its staff from three assistants to five assistants in the 1940s, and in the 1950s, its staff grew from three to five.

Sports

BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater is the spring training home of Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies, as well as their Low-A affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers. The ballpark has a capacity of more than 1,000 people. It is located on the banks of the Florida Gulf Coast, near the town of Clearwater. It was built in the 1950s as the home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a minor league baseball team. The stadium was named after BayCare's namesake, BayCare Hospital. It opened in 1961. It has a history of hosting major league spring training games since the 1960s. It also hosts the Florida Marlins, the minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees, and the Tampa Yankees' Triple-A team, the Florida Timber Rattlesnakes.

Parks and recreation

Moccasin Lake Nature Park is a 51-acre nature preserve (21 ha) with a 5-acre lake (2.0 ha) The City of Clearwater contains five pools: Ross Norton, North Greenwood, Morningside, the Long Center, and Clearwater Beach. Swim lessons are offered throughout the year to patrons, and the pools have both a recreation summer pool league and the Clearwater Aquatics Team. These pools have participated in the World's Largest Swim Lesson. The preserve also features the MoccasinLake Environmental Education Center, which offers environmental education classes, programs and camps. The Center features live rehabilitated birds of prey, reptiles, amphibians and aquatic wildlife. It opened in 1982 and is owned and operated by the city. It is located in the city's downtown area, near the intersection of Interstate 75 and I-75. The park is open to the public during the summer months and is open year-round during the fall and winter months.

Government

The City of Clearwater is administered by a council-manager form of government. The city manager serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the city. The Clearwater City Council comprises the mayor and four council members, each of whom serves a four-year term. The council is responsible for setting policies and making decisions on local government issues including tax rates, annexations, property code variances and large contract awards. For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For confidential help in the United States, call theNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-844-788-8255. For support in the Middle East and Africa, contact the Salvation Army in the region on 888-744-8263. For information on the Commonwealth of Australia, visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Education

Clearwater High School is a private school in Florida. Clearwater is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy and the University of Florida. It is also home to a number of colleges and universities, including St. Petersburg College and Nova Southeastern University.Clearwater is also the home of the U of Florida Medical School and Clearwater Christian College. It also has its own high school, Clearwater Central Catholic High School, and a medical school, Ultimate Medical Academy. The school also has a high school and a private high school in the city. It's also home of Clearwater Academy International, a private Christian college, and the UF Medical School, which has a doctorate in medicine. It has a private day school and an elementary school, as well as a middle and high school.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida = 55.6. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 50. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 50. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Clearwater = 6.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 117,292 individuals with a median age of 44 age the population dropped by -1.80% in Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 4,488.62 residents per square mile of area (1,733.06/km²). There are average 2.18 people per household in the 47,146 households with an average household income of $44,765 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.90% of the available work force and has dropped -5.96% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 18.18%. The number of physicians in Clearwater per 100,000 population = 272.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Clearwater = 50.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 104. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 240. 90 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 52.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 28, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida which are owned by the occupant = 51.67%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 34 years with median home cost = $139,390 and home appreciation of -19.21%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.27 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,523 per student. There are 17.1 students for each teacher in the school, 705 students for each Librarian and 447 students for each Counselor. 7.66% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 15.69% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 8.45% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).