HomeFloridaPlant City

Plant City, Florida

Known as the 'Winter Strawberry Capital of the World,' Plant City produces most of America's winter strawberries. Named for railroad magnate Henry B. Plant — not for agriculture — the city hosts the Florida Strawberry Festival, drawing over 500,000 visitors annually to this Hillsborough County community between Tampa and Lakeland.
Founded 1885 | Population 41,000 | Peak 41,000 (2024) | County Hillsborough County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Plant City, Florida

undefined
1885 Railroad Town: The South Florida Railroad arrived, and the town was named for Henry B. Plant, the railroad magnate who connected Florida to the rest of the nation.
undefined
1930 Strawberry Industry: Plant City became the center of Florida's winter strawberry industry, with the annual Strawberry Festival beginning.
undefined
2010 Record Cold: A devastating cold snap destroyed much of the strawberry crop, with farmers using irrigation to create protective ice on plants.
undefined
1914 Dinosaur Discovery: Fossilized dinosaur bones were discovered near Plant City, contributing to Florida's paleontological history.
🧠
How Well Do You Know Plant City?
5 questions • 2 minutes
Take the Quiz →

Latest News in Plant City

May 15, 2026
Wheel of Fortune Player Wins $75k After Solving This Tough Puzzle Super Fast
Fans of Wheel of Fortune are in for a major surprise this week as the long-running game show rolls out a high-stakes tournament fe…
May 1, 2026
‘Wheel of Fortune’ Player Loses $55,000 After Failing To Solve This Difficult Puzzle
“Wheel of Fortune” viewers are once again crying foul after a contestant came painfully close to winning big — only to lose …
Apr 30, 2026
From a Prison Cell Birth To Hollywood Royalty: She’s Now a True Screen Legend & Married To Her Co-Star
Leighton Meester may always be remembered as Blair Waldorf — the impeccably dressed, sharp-tongued queen of Manhattan’s elite …
Mar 31, 2026
Random Stabbing of Pregnant Woman in Parking Lot Underscores Persistent Risks of Everyday Urban Violence
In broad daylight on March 18, 2026, a 38-year-old pregnant woman loading her 3-year-old child into her car in the parking lot of …
Mar 7, 2026
Southwest Flight 2094 Diverted Over Bomb Threat Claim
Southwest Airlines Flight 2094, en route from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, encountered a harrowing situation late last n…
Mar 5, 2026
Oregon Democrats Block ICE Notification for Felony Convicts
Oregon Democratic senators have unanimously blocked a bill that would have mandated state authorities to notify U.S. Immigration a…

Complete Historical Timeline

1885 Transport
Railroad Town
1914 Culture
Dinosaur Discovery
1930 Business
Strawberry Industry
2010 Disaster
Record Cold

Did You Know?

1
The Florida Strawberry Festival draws over 500,000 visitors annually with top-name entertainment acts.
2
Named for railroad magnate Henry B. Plant, not for the plants that grow there.
3
Plant City produces the majority of winter strawberries consumed in the United States.
4
The historic downtown district features early 20th-century architecture from Plant City's railroad heyday.
5
Plant City sits at the crossroads of I-4 and the CSX railroad, maintaining its transportation heritage.

Famous People from Plant City, Florida

AM
Ashley Moody
Lawyer, Politician · Born Mar 28, 1975 · Age 50
PT
Pam Tillis
Singer, Singer-Songwriter · Born Jul 24, 1957 · Age 68

Other Cities in Florida

View all Florida cities →
J
Jacksonville
Pop. 949,611
M
Miami
Pop. 442,241
T
Tampa
Pop. 384,959
O
Orlando
Pop. 307,573
PS
Port St. Lucie
Pop. 284,448
SP
St. Petersburg
Pop. 271,017
See something that needs correcting?
We take accuracy seriously. Help us keep Plant City's history right.