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Fast Facts:  Pinellas County
    
           
   
The name Pinellas - Pinellas is derived from the Spanish words Punta Pinal, meaning point of pines. It was an accurate description for this area when it was discovered by Panfilo de Narvaez in 1528, 36 years after Columbus arrived in the Caribbean and 37 years before the founding of the city St. Augustine.
    
   
   
   
Birth of a County - Pinellas County was established January 1, 1912, after a local referendum passed calling for the separation from Hillsborough County. It became the state's 48th county.
    
     
   
   

Most Densely Populated County in Florida - There are 3,291 people per square mile in Pinellas County. The next closest county with a highly concentrated population is Broward with 1,347 people per square mile.

280 Square Miles, 24 Municipalities - Clearwater is the County Seat, St. Petersburg is the largest city with a population of 248,232, and Tarpon Springs was the first incorporated city in 1887. Pinellas is Florida's second smallest county in land mass.
 
           
   
Business Sense - Pinellas County's top three key businesses are tourism services, manufacturing, and financial services. Nearly 50,000 businesses call Pinellas County home.
    
           
   
Getting Around - There are 3,477 miles of paved roads in the county, which cross 115 bridges. The first bridge to span Tampa Bay was the Gandy Causeway in 1924. Pinellas connected with Manatee County when the Sunshine Skyway bridge opened in 1954.
    
           
   
Natural Attractions - For swimming, boating, and fishing, you can't beat Pinellas County's 35 miles of sandy beaches and nearly 588 miles of coastline. And, with an average of 361 days of sunny weather each year, you can enjoy the surf, sun, and sand just about whenever you would like.
    
           
   
Use the special interest links on the left for more detailed information.