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St. Petersburg, Florida

"The Sunshine City"
Perched on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf, St. Pete promised sunshine — and delivered. Its Dalí Museum, craft beer scene, and revitalized waterfront made it one of Florida's coolest cities.
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Founded 1888 | Population 271,017 | Peak 271,017 (2024) | County Pinellas County

Top 10 Most Important Events for St. Petersburg, Florida

1
1914World's First Airline Flight: The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line launched the world's first scheduled commercial airline service on January 1, 1914. Pilot Tony Jannus flew across Tampa Bay in 23 minutes.
2
1982Salvador Dalí Museum Opens: The Dalí Museum opened with the world's most comprehensive collection of Salvador Dalí works, including 96 oil paintings. The museum became one of Florida's most visited cultural attractions.
3
1888City Founded: Russian émigré Peter Demens brought the railroad to the peninsula and named the terminus after Saint Petersburg, Russia, after winning a coin toss.
4
1998Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field: Major League Baseball came to St. Petersburg with the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field, though the team has debated stadium relocation ever since.
5
1910Sunshine Promise: St. Petersburg's newspaper pledged to give away free papers any day the sun didn't shine. It reportedly had to fulfill the promise only a handful of times in decades.
6
1926Florida Land Boom and Bust: The 1920s land boom brought explosive growth, but the 1926 hurricane and subsequent bust devastated the speculative real estate market.
7
2020Downtown Arts District Boom: St. Pete's downtown transformed into one of Florida's premier arts and dining districts, with murals, galleries, and craft breweries.
8
1950Retiree Capital: St. Petersburg became known as 'God's Waiting Room' as thousands of retirees settled in the sunny city, filling the famous green benches along the waterfront.
9
1968Sanitation Workers Strike: Black sanitation workers struck for better wages and conditions, part of the civil rights movement in a racially segregated Southern city.
10
2023Rays Stadium Debate: The ongoing debate over replacing Tropicana Field and redeveloping the stadium site continued to dominate city politics and development planning.
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Population Over Time

0 67,754 135,509 203,263 271,017 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

Latest News in St. Petersburg

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Complete Historical Timeline

1888 Government
Peter Demens brings railroad and names city
1903 Government
City incorporated
1910 Culture
Sunshine guarantee makes national news
1914 Transport
World's first commercial airline flight
1926 Business
Florida land boom and bust
1950 Social
Retiree migration transforms demographics
1968 Civil Rights
Sanitation workers civil rights strike
1982 Culture
Dalí Museum opens with world's largest collection
1998 Sports
Tampa Bay Devil Rays begin at Tropicana Field
2010 Culture
Craft brewery and arts scene emerges
2020 Culture
Downtown arts district recognized nationally
2024 Government
Population surpasses 271,000

Did You Know?

1
The world's first scheduled commercial airline flight took off from St. Petersburg on January 1, 1914 — the 23-minute flight across Tampa Bay cost $5 (about $150 today).
2
The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg houses 2,400+ works by Salvador Dalí, including 96 oil paintings — the most comprehensive collection of his art anywhere in the world.
3
St. Petersburg once had such a reputation as a retiree haven that green benches along the waterfront became its symbol — the city has since transformed into one of Florida's hippest destinations.
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