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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 Tampa (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 Tampa. 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.

Tampa is located in Hillsborough County and is the County Seat.

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

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

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

  • Hillsborough County     (The home county of Tampa)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tampa, with the one closest to Tampa listed first.
    • Ybor City
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ybor City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ybor City
      • Ybor City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Citrus Park
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Citrus Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Citrus Park
      • Citrus Park is located in Hillsborough County
    • Martin Luther King Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Martin Luther King Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin Luther King Village
      • Martin Luther King Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Richardsons Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richardsons Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richardsons Village
      • Richardsons Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Maudot Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maudot Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maudot Village
      • Maudot Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Catherine City
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Catherine City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Catherine City
      • Catherine City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Central Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Central Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central Village
      • Central Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Montana City
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montana City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montana City
      • Montana City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Shadowlawn Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shadowlawn Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shadowlawn Village
      • Shadowlawn Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Wellswood
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellswood
      • Wellswood is located in Hillsborough County
    • Bungalow City
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bungalow City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bungalow City
      • Bungalow City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Courier City
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Courier City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Courier City
      • Courier City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Park City
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park City
      • Park City is located in Hillsborough County
  • Manatee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tampa, with the one closest to Tampa listed first.
    • Parrish
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Terra Ceia
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Ellenton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Memphis
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Memphis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Memphis
      • Memphis is located in Manatee County
  • Pasco County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tampa, with the one closest to Tampa listed first.
    • Odessa
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Land O' Lakes
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Wesley Chapel South
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wesley Chapel South
      • Wesley Chapel South is located in Pasco County
    • Wesley Chapel
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Trinity
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Crystal Springs
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Springs
      • Crystal Springs is located in Pasco County
    • Elfers
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Holiday
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Fivay ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fivay. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fivay
      • Fivay is located in Pasco County
    • Zephyrhills
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Beacon Square
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beacon Square have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beacon Square
      • Beacon Square is located in Pasco County
    • Fivay Junction ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fivay Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fivay Junction
      • Fivay Junction is located in Pasco County
    • New Port Richey
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Pinellas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tampa, with the one closest to Tampa listed first.
    • Gandy
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gandy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gandy
      • Gandy is located in Pinellas County
    • Feather Sound
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Oldsmar
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Safety Harbor
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Bayview ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayview have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayview
      • Bayview is located in Pinellas County
    • High Point
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for High Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Point
      • High Point is located in Pinellas County
    • South Highpoint
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Highpoint have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Highpoint
      • South Highpoint is located in Pinellas County
    • East Lake
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Lake
      • East Lake is located in Pinellas County
    • Lealman
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lealman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lealman
      • Lealman is located in Pinellas County
    • Pinellas Park
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Saint Petersburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Four Corners
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Corners
      • Four Corners is located in Pinellas County
    • Dunedin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  • Polk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tampa, with the one closest to Tampa listed first.
    • Nichols
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Willow Oak
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willow Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Oak
      • Willow Oak is located in Polk County
    • Winston
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston
      • Winston is located in Polk County
    • Kathleen
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Medulla
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Medulla have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medulla
      • Medulla is located in Polk County
    • Mulberry
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Gibsonia
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gibsonia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gibsonia
      • Gibsonia is located in Polk County
    • Lakeland Highlands
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeland Highlands
      • Lakeland Highlands is located in Polk County
    • Lakeland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Tampa ...

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 74 newspapers that have been published in the area around Tampa.

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 websites either 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 Tampa:

Cemeteries Near Tampa ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Tampa.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Oaklawn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodlawn Cemetery
  • Centro Espanol Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • La Unione Italiana Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Memorial Park
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memorial Park
  • Centro Asturiano Cemetery (Old)
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Centro Asturiano Cemetery (Old) is a large cemetery that is located in Tampa.
    • The Centro Asturiano Cemetery (Old) has also been known as:
    • Old Centro Asturiano Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Centro Asturiano Cemetery (Old)
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2346261 <4>
  • Beth Israel Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Beth Israel Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Tampa.
    • The Beth Israel Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Rodeph Sholom Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beth Israel Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2425075 <4>
  • Showmans Rest Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Woodlawn Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Tampa.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodlawn Cemetery
  • Garden of Memories
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Garden of Memories is a very large cemetery that is located in Tampa.
    • The Garden of Memories has also been known as:
    • Garden of Memories Cemetery
    • Tampa Garden of Memories Cemetery
    • Tampa Garden of Memories
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Garden of Memories
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #72022 <4>
  • Jackson Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jackson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jackson Cemetery
  • The Home Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • The The Home Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Oakland Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the The Home Cemetery
  • Continue List   (89 more) ...
    • Marti Cemetery
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • American Legion Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the American Legion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the American Legion Cemetery
    • Centro Espanol Memorial Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Centro Espanol Memorial Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Tampa.
      • The Centro Espanol Memorial Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Centro Espanol Cemetery
      • Memorial Cemetery
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Centro Espanol Memorial Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #71837 <4>

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Tampa had a population of 5,532 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Tampa had a population of 407,599 people.

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

  • Ybor City
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ybor City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ybor City
    • Ybor City is located in Hillsborough County
  • Port Tampa
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Port Tampa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Tampa
    • Port Tampa is located in Hillsborough County
  • Limona
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Limona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limona
    • Limona is located in Hillsborough County
  • Mango
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Peru ‑ Historic
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peru have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
    • Peru is located in Hillsborough County
  • Brandon
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Seffner
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Thonotosassa
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Valrico
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Bloomingdale
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bloomingdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingdale
    • Bloomingdale is located in Hillsborough County
  • Sydney
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Odessa
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Gulf City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gulf City
      • Gulf City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Keystone Park
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Keystone Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keystone Park
      • Keystone Park is located in Hillsborough County
    • Plant City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)

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

The official website for Tampa: www.tampagov.net/

The official website for Hillsborough County: www.hillsboroughcounty.org/

The official website for State of Florida: www.myflorida.com/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>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.
<5>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 Tampa, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024