Lake Magdalene

History

As a rural community northwest of Tampa, this area of Hillsborough County had welcomed enough residents to receive its first post office in 1888, followed by a scattering of schools and churches—most notably the United Brethren Church (now Lake Magdalene United Methodist), started in 1895 by Reverend Isaac W. Bearss, whose family line still maintains several acres of citrus groves in the region, butted up against the busy east-west, North Tampa corridor that bears the family name. The rustic qualities of Lake Magdalene remained until the 1990s when residential construction in Tampa pushed northward. By 1990 almost 16,000 people lived in Lake Magdalene, The lake's name may come from the moniker of a Native American woman, Magdalena, who interpreted the language for a Spanish expedition into Florida in 1549, or the name may have resulted from the 1882 marriage in the community of John Parrish and Mary Magdalene Yates, daughter of Jonah Yates, first mayor of Plant City.

Geography

Lake Magdalene is located in northwestern Hillsborough County. It is bordered to the north by Lutz, to the east by the University neighborhood, to the south by the city of Tampa, to the southwest by Carrollwood, and to the west by Northdale. Interstate 275 forms the eastern edge of the CDP, and the Dale Mabry Highway (Florida State Road 597) forms the western edge. According to the United States Census Bureau, the community has a total area of , of which are land and , or 12.11%, are water. There are at least 11 named lakes in the CDP, the largest of which is Lake Magdalene near the center of the community.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  23,859
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,939
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,467
• White Ibis

  Eudocimus albus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,096
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  18,052
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,044
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  16,416
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  14,943

Largest nearby schools

• FLORIDA CONNECTIONS ACADEMY
  Other · TAMPA · 5,126 students · 36.1:1 ratio
• ALONSO HIGH SCHOOL
  High · TAMPA · 2,795 students · 23.9:1 ratio
• STEINBRENNER HIGH SCHOOL
  High · LUTZ · 2,475 students · 23.8:1 ratio
• SICKLES HIGH SCHOOL
  High · TAMPA · 2,368 students · 23.2:1 ratio
• WHARTON HIGH SCHOOL
  High · TAMPA · 2,289 students · 23.6:1 ratio
• GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL
  High · TAMPA · 2,123 students · 22.3:1 ratio
• LETO HIGH SCHOOL
  High · TAMPA · 2,062 students · 22.9:1 ratio
• TAMPA BAY TECH HIGH SCHOOL
  High · TAMPA · 2,015 students · 21.4:1 ratio