The history of the Tampa Bay area begins with the early relatives of the Pohoy, Tocobaga, and other indigenous peoples. The Spanish explored Tampa Bay as early as 1528 but did not establish a permanent settlement. Florida switched hands several times in its early history—the British controlled Florida from 1763-1783, and the Spanish controlled it again from 1783 until 1821 when the area was purchased by the United States.
In 1824, the U.S. Army established Fort Brooke near the center of Tampa’s modern downtown area. The settlement of Tampa slowly grew around the fort, and the population didn’t change much for decades.
However, the discovery of phosphate—which is a mineral used for fertilizer—piqued national interest. The construction of connective railroads in the 1880s helped boost Tampa’s population from 720 in 1880 to over 15,000 by the year 1900.
Tampa has continued to grow over the years, and is currently home to about 350,000 people. Around 4 million people live in the Greater Tampa Bay area. Tampa’s port is the 7 th largest port in the country, and is a popular starting point for many Caribbean cruises. Tampa’s real estate market is booming, and is considered one of the one of the best cities for real estate investment.
