Aripeka, Florida

Aripeka, Florida
Census-designated place (CDP) & Unincorporated Community
The historic former Aripeka Post Office on the Pasco County side of the town
Location of Aripeka in Hernando County and Pasco County, Florida.
Aripeka Show map of Florida Aripeka Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 28°25′56″N82°39′51″W / 28.43222°N 82.66417°W / 28.43222; -82.66417 Coordinates: 28°25′56″N82°39′51″W / 28.43222°N 82.66417°W / 28.43222; -82.66417
Country	United States
State	Florida
Counties	Pasco, Hernando
Area [1]
• Total	1.02 sq mi (2.64 km2)
• Land	0.82 sq mi (2.13 km2)
• Water	0.20 sq mi (0.52 km2)
Elevation	5 ft (2 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	320
• Density	389.29/sq mi (150.40/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	34679 (originally 33502)
Area code(s)	727
FIPS code	12-01875 [2]
GNIS feature ID	0293914 [3]

Aripeka is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Florida, along coast of the Gulf of Mexico at the border dividing Pasco and Hernando counties. The ZIP Code for the community is 34679, but it was originally assigned as 33502. As of the 2020 census, the population was 320.

Geography

South Hammock Creek, looking west from the bridge

Aripeka is located at 28°25′56″N82°39′51″W / 28.43222°N 82.66417°W / 28.43222; -82.66417 on both sides of Hammock Creek, a small tidal inlet to the Gulf of Mexico. Similar in geophysical structure to Hernando Beach, Bayport, and Pine Island, Florida, Aripeka is surrounded by marshland, mostly within Hernando County. The Pasco-Hernando county line is located at the South Hammock Creek Bridge.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
2020	320		—
U.S. Decennial Census [4]

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 known briefly as, "Argo". It was replaced by the Aripeka post office in 1895. Aripeka is named for an early nineteenth-century Seminole chief, who is thought to have lived nearby. The town was divided when Pasco County 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 visited Aripeka to fish. On June 3, 1993, the Pasco County Historic Preservation Committee dedicated the town a State Historic Site.

Notable residents

• James Rosenquist, an artist, maintained "a home, an office and studio space" during his later years. ^[5]

Transportation

The main road through Aripeka is County Road 595, named Aripeka Road in Pasco County and Osowaw Boulevard in Hernando County. This road was part of the original Dixie Highway and suffers frequent flooding in the heart of town due to its close proximity to the water. CR 595 leads southeast 1.8 miles (2.9 km) to U.S. Route 19 and northeast 4 miles (6 km), also to US 19.

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
2. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Aripeka CDP, Florida". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 26, 2017.^{[ dead link ]}
3. "Aripeka". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
5. Johnson, Ken (April 2, 2017). "James Rosenquist, Pop Art Pioneer, Dies at 83". New York Times. New York City. Retrieved April 2, 2017.

External links

• Pasco County Pictures of Historical Markers (Aripeka)
• Origins of Place Names (History of Pasco County)