Where is Gulfport Florida – Easy Directions Too!
It is easy to forget Gulfport because Tampa is 30 minutes across the bay, and Clearwater Beach is just 30 minutes north. St. Petersburg is just on the eastern border of Gulfport and St. Pete Beach is across Boca Ciega Bay, just 5 miles away.
This city of 12,000 people seems to get overlooked by the big waterfront towns around Tampa Bay. The town is a glimpse of old Florida and one of our favorite places to visit from our Clearwater Beach home.
Where is Gulfport Florida Located
The location of Gulfport is between St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach. The town sits on Boca Ciega Bay with water access to Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
The town is surrounded by famous tourist destinations. See the map of Gulfport below or check out the Directions to Gulfport Florida below.
If you look up the word eclectic, the dictionary says the meaning is “deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources”. That is a perfect way to describe the city of Gulfport.
A quick stroll down Beach Blvd. in Gulfport will affirm the town’s charm is truly a mixture of styles, ideas, and cultures all within a short 5 blocks. The homes and businesses are as diverse as its history.
The History of Gulfport Florida
The History of Gulfport dates back thousands of years and many cultures of Native Americans. Modern history started in the late 1800s. The first recorded family was named Barnett. They named the area Barnett’s Bluff in 1868.
By 1880 other homesteaders had started to move in and they changed the name to Bonifacio.
In 1890 the name changed again to Disston City after a developer by the name of Hamilton Disston. Disston was a land speculator and developer from Philadelphia who was well-known in central Florida.
In 1905 the town again changed its name to Veteran’s City. One man named John Chase had visions of the city becoming a retirement village for retired Civil War veterans. His great intentions were short-lived, but there is a Veteran’s Park in the middle of the downtown area that reflects his thoughts.
In 1910 the name was finally changed to Gulfport. The name accurately reflected the town’s reputation for being a reprise for boating and fishing. There was an electric trolley that once brought visitors from St. Petersburg to catch a ferry to islands in the Tampa Bay area.
You cannot talk about the History of Gulfport without including the history of the Gulfport Casino. Originally built on the waterfront in the center of town, the Gulfport Casino was the heart of activities for townspeople.
One thing that persists are questions about gaming at the “Casino”. There has never been any Las Vegas-style gambling here. The Latin-based term “casino” is a home of gathering.
Still today, this is a place where events, festivals, and weddings are commonplace – gatherings that bring people together were the intent of the town’s founders.
During our last visit, the Casino was a venue for the annual Floridania Fest where vendors offered thousands of items in recognition of two centuries of Florida’s memorabilia and history.
The Gulfport Casino has been rebuilt numerous times from hurricanes. The most recent was a WPA project in 1935.
Next to the Gulfport Casino is the public pier stretching 700 feet into Boca Ciega Bay. The pier was once a ferry stop where people could head over to Pass-A-Grille for the day. That was, of course, before any bridges were built.
In 2015 the Gulfport Casino was placed on the Department of Interior’s National List of Historic Places.
Directions to Gulfport Florida
Here are directions to Gulfport, Florida from all directions:
- Directions to Gulfport Florida From Tampa International Airport (assuming starting from Tampa area)**:
– Head south on I-275 S toward St. Petersburg.
– Take exit 20 for 22nd Ave S toward 5th Ave N.
– Keep left at the fork, follow signs for 22nd Ave S and merge onto 22nd Ave S.
– Continue straight to stay on 22nd Ave S.
– Turn left onto 49th St S.
– Continue straight onto 49th St S/Gulfport Blvd S.
– Gulfport is located along Gulfport Blvd S.
2. Directions to Gulfport Florida From St. Petersburg:
– Take I-275 S toward Bradenton.
– Use exit 20 for 22nd Ave S toward 5th Ave N.
– Keep left at the fork, follow signs for 22nd Ave S and merge onto 22nd Ave S.
– Continue straight to stay on 22nd Ave S.
– Turn left onto 49th St S.
– Continue straight onto 49th St S/Gulfport Blvd S.
– Gulfport is located along Gulfport Blvd S.
3. Directions to Gulport Florida From Sarasota/Bradenton area:
– Take I-275 N toward St. Petersburg.
– Use exit 16 for Pinellas Point Dr S.
– Turn right onto Pinellas Point Dr S.
– Continue onto 54th Ave S.
– Turn left onto 49th St S.
– Continue straight onto 49th St S/Gulfport Blvd S.
– Gulfport is located along Gulfport Blvd S.
Final Thoughts on Finding Gulfport
In our travels around Florida, you don’t find many of these pockets of old Florida left.
Most small towns have given way to commercial developer(s) who remove the trees, widen the streets, puts 50 units where an old cracker house stood, and the character and culture give way to fanny-pack-carrying tourists who consider this progress.
Gulfport has survived the onslaught of brick and mortar. Take a day trip in Florida to Gulfport, Florida. You will be glad you found out “Where is Gulfport Florida”!
Map of Gulfport
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