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Apollo Beach is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 14,055 at the 2010 census, up from 7,444 at the 2000 census.

Of course. From my vantage point here in the established suburbs of northwest Hillsborough County, Apollo Beach represents a completely different, yet equally compelling, facet of our region. It’s a community born from a developer’s vision, a place literally dredged from the mangrove shoreline of Tampa Bay to create a boater’s paradise. It’s a perfect case study in mid-century Florida development.

Zip Codes: 33572

Latitude, Longitude: 27°47′15″N, 82°25′42″W

From Pasture to Paradise: The Making of Apollo Beach 🏗️

Unlike communities that grew organically over a century, Apollo Beach was meticulously planned and created in the post-war era. Prior to the 1950s, this stretch of South Hillsborough County was little more than low-lying pastureland, swamp, and mangrove forests, used primarily for grazing cattle.

The transformation began in the mid-1950s when a Michigan developer named Francis J. Corr purchased the land. His company, Tampa Beach, Inc., embarked on an ambitious and massive dredging project. They dug miles of canals, using the dredged earth to build up the surrounding land, creating thousands of waterfront lots. This engineering feat is the very foundation of the community’s identity; it wasn’t a town that happened to be on the water, but a town created for the water.

The name, Apollo Beach, was pure marketing brilliance for the era. It has no historical connection to the area itself. Instead, it was chosen to evoke two powerful and alluring concepts: Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, and the idyllic lifestyle of the beach. This aspirational naming was designed to attract sun-seeking families and retirees from the North, and it worked spectacularly. The first homes were sold in the late 1950s, and the community has been growing ever since.

Life on the Water 🚤

The entire culture of Apollo Beach revolves around the water. Its defining characteristic is the vast network of residential canals, many of which offer residents private docks and direct, deep-water access to the open waters of Tampa Bay. It’s a community where owning a boat is as common as owning a second car.

Visually, the most dominant landmark isn’t a historic building but the towering smokestacks of Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station. While an industrial facility might seem out of place, TECO has turned it into one of the area’s greatest assets by creating the world-famous Manatee Viewing Center. In the cooler winter months, hundreds of manatees flock to the power station’s clean, warm-water discharge canals, creating an unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunity that draws visitors from all over the world.

In recent years, the explosive growth of the greater SouthShore area, including neighboring Riverview and Ruskin, has transformed Apollo Beach from a relatively quiet, isolated community into a key part of a bustling coastal region.

Apollo Beach by the Numbers 📊

Here are the key demographic details for this unique waterfront CDP:

• Official Designation: Census-Designated Place (CDP)
• County: Hillsborough
• Established: Development began in the mid-1950s.
• Named For: The Greek god Apollo (for the sun) and the “beach” lifestyle.
• Population: Approximately 29,000 residents.
• Area: About 22.3 square miles, with a significant portion (nearly 10%) being water.
• Median Age: Roughly 44 years old.
• Racial & Ethnic Composition:
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~65%
  • Hispanic or Latino: ~17%
  • Black or African American: ~9%
  • Asian: ~3%
• Median Household Income: Approximately $95,000, well above the county average, reflecting the value of its waterfront properties.

Local Hangouts and SouthShore Gems 🍔

The local business scene is, unsurprisingly, centered on the water and the relaxed, coastal vibe of the community.

• TECO Manatee Viewing Center: An absolute must-visit. This free attraction offers incredible, up-close views of Florida’s gentle giants from November to April, complete with educational exhibits and a nature trail.
• Circles Waterfront Restaurant: For decades, Circles has been the go-to spot in Apollo Beach for waterfront dining. It offers everything from casual tiki bar fare to upscale indoor dining with panoramic views of the bay.
• Apollo Beach Nature Preserve: A 63-acre county park that provides one of the few sandy beach areas in the community. It’s a popular spot for fishing, relaxation, and watching spectacular sunsets over Tampa Bay.
• Finn’s Dockside Bar & Grill: Located within the Lands End Marina, Finn’s perfectly captures the local lifestyle. It’s a casual, open-air restaurant and bar where you can arrive by boat, enjoy live music, and grab a fresh grouper sandwich.
• MiraBay Club: While a private amenity for the residents of the large MiraBay development, the community itself represents the newer phase of Apollo Beach’s growth, featuring resort-style living with clubhouses, pools, and extensive amenities that build on the original vision of a complete lifestyle community.