Plant City, Florida, United States

🇺🇸 Plant City is an incorporated city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. Despite many thinking it was named for flora grown at plant nurseries in its tropical Gulf Coast climate, it was named after prominent railroad developer Henry B. Plant. Plant City is known as the winter strawberry capital of the world and hosts the annual Florida Strawberry Festival in the late winter, which is attended by people from all over the United States as well as many people from around the world.

History Plant City's original name given during the middle 1800s was Ichepuckesassa (also known as Idasukshed) after the Indian village that once occupied the territory. Its name caused so much confusion that the city was renamed "Cork", after the postmaster's Irish hometown. It was finally given the name "Plant City" in commemoration of Henry B. Plant and his railroad, which significantly boosted the commerce in this primarily agricultural community by incorporating it with the South Florida Railroad.

Plant City was the spring training home of baseball's Cincinnati Reds, who played exhibition games at Plant City Stadium from 1988 to 1997.

Geography Plant City is located in north-eastern Hillsborough County. Interstate 4 runs through the northern part of the city, with access from Exits 17 through 25. I-4 leads east 12 miles (19 km) to Lakeland and west 23 miles (37 km) to Tampa. U.S. Route 92 is the main highway through the centre of Plant City, running generally parallel to I-4. Florida State Road 39 crosses US 92 in the centre of Plant City and leads north 15 miles (24 km) to Zephyrhills and south 6 miles (10 km) to Hopewell.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Plant City has a total area of 28.1 square miles (72.8 km²), of which 27.2 square miles (70.4 km²) are land and 0.93 square miles (2.4 km²), or 3.31%, are water.

The city and its surrounding area are in the Southern Flatwoods ecological community as defined by the US Department of Agriculture. The region as a whole is noted for its sandy, infertile, and poorly drained soils. In and around Plant City, however, high organic matter content and scattered phosphate nodules make many of the soils more fertile than typical for the flatwoods.

Economy Wish Farms, the largest strawberry producer in Florida, has a large presence in Plant City.

Bruton Memorial Library The Quintilla Geer Bruton Memorial Library is located in Plant City and was built in 1960. It is a part of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative but is under the jurisdiction of the City of Plant City. There are 44,000 members as of 2014.

Bruton Memorial Library offers programs for children, young adults, and adults. Bruton Memorial Library also offers free access to multiple databases, tutoring websites, ebooks, emagazines, and movie streaming. Computers are available for use, as are laptops that can be used only within the library. A variety of activities and services are available to a variety of patrons, from book clubs to extensive workshops regarding the beginnings and upkeep of the cultivation of homes and gardens, as well as crafts available on Mondays and hobbyists convening for fabric arts like knitting or crocheting two Fridays a month. Crafts also extend to children and teens as well.

Transport: Air Plant City Airport is a public-use airport located 2 miles (3.2 km) south-west of the central business district.

Railroad Plant City Union Depot served both the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) and Seaboard Air Line Railroad even after their merger into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad until passenger service ceased operations in 1971. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975. The east-west ACL tracks cross the north-south Seaboard tracks at a 90-degree angle at the south-east corner of the station, forming a diamond junction. Both tracks are now owned and run by Class 1 railroad CSX. Amtrak's Silver Star uses the line's west-to-eastbound ACL tracks, although it does not stop at the station.

At the station, a train observation deck is present where one can watch CSX freight trains and Amtrak's Silver Star train pass. The closest other passenger stations are Tampa or Lakeland.

Major highways • Interstate 4 • U.S. Route 92 • State Road 39 • State Road 39A • State Road 553 • State Road 566 • State Road 574.

Law enforcement The Plant City Police Department (PCPD) is the law enforcement agency for the city of Plant City. The annual budget for the police department for 2017-2018 was $10,413,994.

Historic Places There are several locations in Plant City which have been included in the National Register of Historic Places. They are: • Bing Rooming House • Downtown Plant City Commercial District • Downtown Plant City Historic Residential District • Glover School • Hillsboro State Bank Building • Historic Turkey Creek High School • North Plant City Residential District • Plant City High School • Plant City Union Depot • Standard Oil Service Station

Attractions • Dinosaur World

Parks • Alderman's Ford Regional Park • Edward Medard Park and Reservoir, a 1,284 acre preserve with 3.25 mile bridle path, fishing, and trails.

Alafia River State Park is located nearby.