Neighboring Cities: New Tampa | Knights/Antioch | East Hillsborough | City Of Plant City | Seffner | East Lake | City Of Temple Terrace
Thonotosassa is a small town in west central Florida (Hillsborough County) northeast of Tampa and Temple Terrace. The citizens of this community have a promising future ahead of them. With excellent schools, and a variety of job opportunities, Thonotosassa is a truly great place to live and work. You won't find a better place to call home with the warm climate, soft southern breezes, and just plain good folks. The Thonotosassa area has a long and rich history spanning Native American communities, agricultural production and rural residential development. Thonotosassa was home to Seminole Indians and a Native American village is known to have existed near the lake as late as 1843. Lake Thonotosassa, is the largest freshwater lake in Hillsborough County. Agriculture and the tradition of keeping domesticated farm animals such as horses, chickens, pigs, goats, cattle and quail is still a part of the community's landscape and economy. It's a diversified, self-supporting community with a mix of uses and housing types varying from mobile home parks to large estates. Settlers came to the area after the Second Seminole war in 1842 and began to develop the area. It was developed as an agricultural community with the citrus production being the largest industry. The population of Thonotosassa had reached 300 by 1925 and boasted of four citrus packing houses, a hotel, three general stores, three churches, and an ice manufacturer. Heny B. Plant constucted a railroad from Tampa to Thonotosassa in 1893 which transported the fruit. On weekends, Tampa residents used the railroad to come to Lake Thonotosassa for recreation.