Tampa Bay Area

The Tampa Bay Area is an important urban area and tourist destination on the West Coast of Florida.

Cities

 * – main city in Manatee County south of the bay
 * – eastern suburb of Tampa
 * – famous for its Scientology church, but also a popular tourist destination for its beach
 * – state parks on barrier islands in the Gulf
 * – jointly the main city of the region, with Tampa
 * – beach extension of St. Petersburg
 * – the largest city in Hillsborough County, home to Busch Gardens

Other destinations

 * – tourist-friendly alternative to Pinellas County beaches

Understand
The Tampa Bay stands out in Florida's geography as the only major indentation along hundreds of miles of coastline, apart from the Intracoastal Waterway. The surrounding areas are among the most populated in the state and Tampa Metro, with over 2 million inhabitants, is one of the most important tourist and economic regions of the state, after Greater Miami and Greater Orlando.

The region is anchored by two major cities, Tampa and St. Petersburg. Tampa is the greatest in population and is the location of the University of South Florida, while St. Petersburg's location on a peninsula near the Gulf attracts high levels of tourism. Other regional cities &mdash; essentially, suburbs &mdash; such as Bradenton and Clearwater contribute to the population and variety. Clearwater is famous for its Scientology church, even though there is much more in the city than this unusual denomination. Smaller communities are also known for their unique characteristics, such as Tarpon Springs, which has one of the largest Greek communities in the U.S.

Virtually the whole Gulf coast in this region consists of resorts, condos, and beach tourism, as many of the beaches are stunning and are popular both north and south of the bay.

The regional climate is mild in winter, though occasionally winter days get cold. Summers are warm to hot and humid.

By car
I-4, also known as the "I-4 Corridor," is the main, suburban Florida route that crosses the state, connecting four of its main metro areas: Daytona, Orlando, Lakeland and of course Tampa. It's a fast, busy highway frequented by tourists and thrill seekers alike, with few alternatives. I-75 runs parallel to the Gulf Coast, but inland, connecting it to The Villages area in the north and Southwest Florida in the south.

By train
A major AMTRAK line goes to Tampa from Orlando, connecting these cities to the rest of the country.

By bus

 * Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) operates public transportation in and around Tampa and the surrounding areas of Hillsborough County.
 * Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) serves the south Bay areas of Bradenton, W Bradenton, Palmetto in Manatee County.
 * Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) operates public transportation in and around St Petersburg, Largo and Clearwater. They also operate inter-county, cross bay service from St Petersburg to Tampa (Rt #100, 300) and to Bradenton via Palmetto (Rt #203).

See

 * Busch Gardens - An African themed park in Tampa
 * Tampa Riverwalk - Two and a half mile long waterfront walkway in downtown Tampa with attractions such as the Florida Aquarium, Tampa History Center, various parks with playgrounds and greenery, the Tampa Art Museum, and Armature Works Public Market.
 * Beaches of Pinellas County - Consistently rated as some of the best in the world, the beaches of Pinellas County have sugar soft white sand, calm clear water, and a wide selection of places to stay and play.