Aripeka, Florida
Encyclopedia
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, along the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
on the border of Pasco
Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...
and Hernando
Hernando County, Florida
Hernando County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 130,802. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 165,409 . Its county seat is Brooksville, Florida. The majority of the county's population is in Spring Hill, west portion of Hernando...
counties. The ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
for this community is 34679.
Geography
Aripeka is located at 28°25′56"N 82°39′51"W.Similar in geophysical structure to Hernando Beach
Hernando Beach, Florida
Hernando Beach is a census-designated place in Hernando County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,185 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hernando Beach is located at ....
, Bayport
Bayport, Florida
Bayport is a census-designated place in Hernando County, Florida, United States. The population was 36 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bayport is located at ....
, and Pine Island, Florida
Pine Island, Florida
Pine Island is a census-designated place in Hernando County, Florida, United States. The population was 64 at the 2000 census. Pine Island Park , is a area on the Gulf of Mexico at 10800 Pine Island Drive that includes a swimming beach and swimming area, picnic tables, shelters, barbecue...
, Aripeka is surrounded by marshland, mostly within Hernando County. The Pasco-Hernando County line is located at the South Hammock Creek Bridge.
History
The community of Gulf Key was settled in this area in 1873, and a post office by that name was established in 1883. The post office was briefly known as Argo. It was replaced by the Aripeka post office in 1895. Aripeka is named for an early-19th century Seminole chief who is thought to have lived nearby. The town was divided when Pasco CountyPasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...
separated from Hernando County in 1887. The post office which was originally in Hernando County, moved across the Pasco County Line in 1921. According to the historical marker in the town, Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
visited Aripeka to fish. On June 3, 1993 the Pasco County Historic Preservation Committee dedicated the town a State Historic Site.
Transportation
The main road through Aripeka is County Road 595. Pasco County Road 595 is named Aripeka Road, while Hernando County Road 595 is named Osawaw Boulevard. This road was part of the original Dixie HighwayDixie Highway
The Dixie Highway was a United States automobile highway, first planned in 1914 to connect the US Midwest with the Southern United States. It was part of the National Auto Trail system, and grew out of an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final result is better understood as a small network of...
, and suffers frequent flooding in the heart of town due to its close proximity to the water.