St Petersburg Business News, a Florida Authority Network™ news website, covers business, economic development, real estate, healthcare, tourism, marine, technology, finance, and industry news in St. Petersburg and the two counties that make up its local business community: Pinellas and Pasco. The coverage area includes every city, town, and community on the Pinellas peninsula, from Tierra Verde and Gulfport in the south to Tarpon Springs in the north, and continues north into Pasco County through New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, Zephyrhills, and Dade City. These communities share a workforce, customer base, and commute patterns along Interstate 275, US 19, the Veterans Expressway, and the Suncoast Parkway, so we treat the region’s business news as one local story.
Our Coverage Area at a Glance
We report on the businesses, employers, developers, and decision-makers in these cities, towns, and communities:
St. Petersburg and South Pinellas: St. Petersburg, Downtown St. Petersburg, the Innovation District, Central Avenue, Old Northeast, Snell Isle, Shore Acres, Pasadena, Pinellas Point, Gulfport, South Pasadena, Kenneth City, Tierra Verde, and Fort De Soto
The Gulf Beaches: St. Pete Beach, Pass-a-Grille, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Redington Shores, Indian Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Sand Key, and Clearwater Beach
Mid-Pinellas: Clearwater, Largo, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Belleair, Belleair Bluffs, Lealman, Feather Sound, and Bay Pines
North Pinellas: Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Crystal Beach, Ozona, East Lake, and Innisbrook
West Pasco: New Port Richey, Port Richey, Holiday, Hudson, Bayonet Point, Elfers, Trinity, Aripeka, Shady Hills, and Jasmine Estates
Central and East Pasco: Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, Odessa, Wiregrass Ranch, Meadow Pointe, Seven Oaks, Connerton, Starkey Ranch, Zephyrhills, Dade City, San Antonio, St. Leo, Lacoochee, Trilby, and Darby
St. Petersburg and South Pinellas
St. Petersburg is the largest city on the Pinellas peninsula and one of the fastest-growing business centers on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Downtown and the Central Avenue corridor combine banks, law firms, startups, restaurants, museums, and a growing residential population, and the Innovation District brings together marine and life sciences, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The city is home to Raymond James Financial and Jabil, along with a deep base of financial services, electronics manufacturing, and professional firms, and Tropicana Field and the Port of St. Petersburg support events and cruise and cargo activity.
Gulfport and South Pasadena add an arts and small business economy, Kenneth City and Pasadena reflect neighborhood retail and services, and Tierra Verde and Fort De Soto link the south end of the county to tourism and boating.
The Gulf Beaches
The barrier islands from St. Pete Beach and Pass-a-Grille north to Clearwater Beach depend on tourism, resorts, restaurants, marinas, fishing charters, and short-term rentals. Treasure Island and Madeira Beach, home to John’s Pass Village, support hospitality and waterfront retail, while Redington Beach, Redington Shores, Indian Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, and Belleair Beach add smaller resort and residential markets. The recovery and rebuilding of the beach communities after the 2024 hurricane season remains an ongoing business story.
Clearwater, Largo, and Mid-Pinellas
Clearwater, the county seat, combines Clearwater Beach tourism, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, spring training baseball, a growing downtown and bayfront, and corporate and healthcare employment. Largo adds healthcare, retail, and light industrial business, while Pinellas Park is a center for manufacturing, aerospace, defense electronics, and distribution along US 19 and Interstate 275. Seminole, Belleair, and Belleair Bluffs add retail, professional services, and residential real estate.
North Pinellas: Palm Harbor, Dunedin, and Tarpon Springs
Palm Harbor is a large unincorporated suburban market with medical offices, professional services, and retail along US 19 and Alternate US 19. Dunedin combines a walkable downtown, craft breweries, and spring training baseball, and Tarpon Springs is known for the historic sponge docks, Greek heritage, and a waterfront tourism economy. Oldsmar adds manufacturing, technology, and distribution businesses, Safety Harbor brings a spa and downtown small business economy, and East Lake, Ozona, and Crystal Beach round out the North Pinellas market.
West Pasco
Pasco County begins just north of the Pinellas line. New Port Richey and Port Richey anchor West Pasco, with a revitalized downtown on the Pithlachascotee River, healthcare, marine businesses, and small business along US 19. Holiday, Hudson, Bayonet Point, and Elfers add medical, retail, and seafood and fishing businesses along the Gulf, while Trinity is one of the county’s fastest-growing suburban areas, with new housing, retail, and professional services along the Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54.
Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, and Central Pasco
Central Pasco is one of the fastest-growing parts of Florida. Wesley Chapel is a major center for homebuilding, retail, healthcare, and sports and entertainment development, with Tampa Premium Outlets, the Shops at Wiregrass, and large master-planned communities such as Wiregrass Ranch, Meadow Pointe, and Seven Oaks. Land O’ Lakes, Odessa, Connerton, and Starkey Ranch add residential growth, retail, and professional services along US 41 and the Suncoast Parkway.
Zephyrhills, Dade City, and East Pasco
East Pasco blends small-town business with agriculture and aviation. Zephyrhills is known for bottled spring water and skydiving and is home to a general aviation airport, while Dade City, the county seat, has a historic downtown with antique shops and restaurants and a long citrus and cattle tradition. San Antonio and St. Leo, home to Saint Leo University, Lacoochee, Trilby, and Darby reflect the rural and agricultural side of the county.
Business in Pinellas and Pasco: What We Cover
Common themes in our reporting include:
- Banking, finance, and wealth management: banks, investment firms, insurers, and family offices
- Real estate and development: commercial, industrial, mixed-use, master-planned communities, and post-hurricane rebuilding
- Healthcare and life sciences: hospital systems, physician practices, research, senior care, and medical technology
- Manufacturing, aerospace, and defense: electronics, precision manufacturing, and defense suppliers
- Technology and startups: software, marine technology, and the St. Petersburg Innovation District
- Tourism and hospitality: beaches, resorts, restaurants, baseball, attractions, and events
- Marine and boating: ports, marinas, boatbuilding, fishing, and waterfront commerce
- Construction and homebuilding: builders, contractors, suppliers, and permitting trends
- Agriculture: citrus, cattle, and the businesses behind them in East Pasco
- Legal and professional services: law firms, accountants, consultants, and insurers
- Small business and entrepreneurship: the restaurants, shops, contractors, and service providers that form the backbone of local economies
- Education and workforce: universities, colleges, and training programs that feed regional employers
About This Publication
St Petersburg Business News is part of the Florida Authority Networkâ„¢, a collection of regional, industry, and video news publications and press release services dedicated to being a trusted source of business news across Florida. If your business is based in Pinellas or Pasco County and has news to share, we welcome the opportunity to tell your story.
