Geography of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida, a city in Pinellas County on the Gulf of Mexico. It lies at the southern end of Pinellas Peninsula between Tampa and Boca Ciega bays and is connected with the city of Tampa by two bridges. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, 15 miles (24 km) long, links St. Petersburg with Bradenton to the south.
St. Petersburg, with bright, clear weather during much of the year, is primarily a residential and resort city. Its excellent climate attracts tourists and has led many retired people to make it their home. The principal industries are the production of electronic equipment and engineering research and design. St. Petersburg is served by rail, an Interstate highway, and international airports in Tampa and Clearwater.
Numerous parks, beaches, fishing piers and marinas are located along the city's more than 30 miles (48 km) of waterfront. Near Tampa Bay are the main cultural institutions—the Salvador Dali Museum, with the largest collection of the artist's work in the world, the Museum of Fine Arts, the St. Petersburg Museum of History, and the Bayfront Center. The Florida International Museum opened in 1995.
The Pier is a commercial development extending into Tampa Bay that has restaurants and shops. Florida's Sunken Gardens houses tropical plants and birds. Fort De Soto Park, on an island in the gulf, is the site of Old Fort De Soto, built to protect the entrance to Tampa Bay during the Spanish-American War. Tropicana Field is the home of baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
St. Petersburg was founded in 1888, when a railway linking Pinellas Peninsula with Florida's eastern coast was completed. The Florida land boom that followed World War I contributed greatly to the city's growth. In the 1980's and 1990's much of the old downtown was renovated.
Population: 248,232.
