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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Rio Vista (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Rio Vista. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Rio Vista is located in Pinellas County.

To see how the shape of Florida's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Pinellas County: Hillsborough & Pasco.

Below are the counties that are near Rio Vista. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Rio Vista:

  • Pinellas County     (The home county of Rio Vista)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rio Vista, with the one closest to Rio Vista listed first.
    • Gandy
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Gandy is located in Pinellas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gandy
    • Lealman
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Lealman is located in Pinellas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lealman
    • Pinellas Park
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Feather Sound
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Saint Petersburg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Kenneth City
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • High Point
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • High Point is located in Pinellas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Point
    • South Highpoint
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • South Highpoint is located in Pinellas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Highpoint
    • Four Corners
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Four Corners is located in Pinellas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Corners
    • Bayview ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Bayview is located in Pinellas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayview
    • Gulfport
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Bay Pines
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Largo
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Largo is located in Pinellas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Largo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 84,681 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Largo <1>
  • Hillsborough County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rio Vista, with the one closest to Rio Vista listed first.
    • Port Tampa
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Port Tampa is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Tampa
    • Culbreath Isles
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Culbreath Isles is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Culbreath Isles
    • Barr City
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Barr City is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barr City
    • Culbreath Bayou
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Culbreath Bayou is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Culbreath Bayou
    • Bayport Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Bayport Village is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayport Village
    • Bayside Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Bayside Village is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayside Village
    • Mecca City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Mecca City is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mecca City
    • Gray Gables
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Gray Gables is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gray Gables
    • Holiday Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Holiday Village is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holiday Village
    • Rocky Point Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Rocky Point Village is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rocky Point Village
    • Bungalow City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Bungalow City is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bungalow City
    • Courier City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Courier City is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Courier City
    • Park City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Park City is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park City
  • Manatee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rio Vista, with the one closest to Rio Vista listed first.
    • Terra Ceia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Anna Maria
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Memphis
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Memphis is located in Manatee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Memphis
    • Parrish
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Ellenton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Palma Sola
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Palmetto
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Bradenton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Holmes Beach
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • West Bradenton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • West Bradenton is located in Manatee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Bradenton
    • Bradenton Beach
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Cortez
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Samoset
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Samoset is located in Manatee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Samoset
  • Pasco County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rio Vista, with the one closest to Rio Vista listed first.
    • Odessa
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Trinity
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Holiday
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Beacon Square
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Beacon Square is located in Pasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beacon Square
    • Elfers
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • New Port Richey
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Land O' Lakes
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Port Richey
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Jasmine Estates
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jasmine Estates is located in Pasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jasmine Estates

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Rio Vista, see our County-by-County Page for Rio Vista.

Cemeteries Near Rio Vista ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rio Vista.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Rio Vista - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Rio Vista covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Rio Vista, with the one closest to Rio Vista listed first.

  • Royal Palm North Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Eternal Light Mausoleums and Gardens
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Sunnyside Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Woodlawn Memory Gardens
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodlawn Memory Gardens
    • The Woodlawn Memory Gardens has also been known as:
    • Woodlawn Cemetery
  • Royal Palm South Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Lincoln Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Chapel Hill Memorial Park
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Bay Pines National Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • American Legion Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (64 more) ...
    • McMullen Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Rousseau Pioneer Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • The Garden Sanctuary
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<3>

While we didn't find Rio Vista in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Rio Vista.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Rio Vista, with the one closest to Rio Vista listed first.

  • Port Tampa
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Port Tampa is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Tampa
  • Tampa
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Tampa is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tampa
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 407,599 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tampa <1>
  • Gulf City
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Gulf City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gulf City
  • Ybor City
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Ybor City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ybor City
  • Terra Ceia
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
  • Peru ‑ Historic
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Peru is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
  • Keystone Park
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Keystone Park is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keystone Park
  • Erie
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Erie is located in Manatee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erie
  • Limona
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Limona is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limona
  • Brandon
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
  • Mango
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Palma Sola
    (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (12 more) ...
    • Palmetto
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Ellenton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Odessa
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Rio Vista. See our List of 1890's Communities around Rio Vista.

Newspapers Published in Rio Vista ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 20 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rio Vista.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rio Vista, there are papers which were published within 8 miles [12.9 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Rio Vista.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Rio Vista:

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<3>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Rio Vista, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Rio Vista) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.