Clearwater is a contemporary city by any measure. Yet, it retains much of small town Florida charm that has made Clearwater so popular with its residents and visitors.
City of Clearwater Mission Statement:
"The Mission of the City of Clearwater is to provide cost effective municipal services and infrastructure necessary for a high quality of life for all our citizens."
City of Clearwater Vision Statement:
"Sparkling Clearwater is a uniquely beautiful and vibrant waterfront community that is socially and economically diverse, that reinvests in itself, and is a wonderful place to live, learn, work and play."
Location
The city of Clearwater is situated in the central Pinellas County, Florida- latitude 27.57 North and longitude 82.48 West - on the west side of Tampa Bay and is the smaller of the three largest cities that make the Tampa Bay area. According to the 2006 census estimates, the population within the 25 square mile city is 107,742 people with a population density of 4,301/mile².
Brief History of Clearwater
Historically, the area had been the home of an Indian tribe called Tocobagan. In 1835 during the Seminole wars, the U.S. army constructed Fort Harrison as an outpost on a bluff in the Clearwater harbor. The first settlements in the city can be traced back to 1841, after Fort Harrison was established.
The city was first incorporated in the year 1891. With the building of Belleview Biltmore Resort and Spa by Henry B. Plant in 1897, the city begin its fame as a popular tourist destination. This resort was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Until 1906, the area was called as Clearwater Harbor. As a matter of interest, the name of the city seems to have come from a freshwater spring that flows, adjacent to which the present City Hall building is located today.
Clearwater mainland and Clearwater Beach, separated by Clearwater Harbor, were connected by roadway and bridge in 1915. For the second time, Clearwater was incorporated in the year 1915. Clearwater has continued to gain its reputation as a wonderful residential community as well as an outstanding tourist destination.
