New Port Richey

Sister cities

• Cavalaire-sur-Mer

History

By 1914 the area around Orange Lake was being called "New Port Richey" and the older part of Port Richey was called "Old Port Richey." On February 20, 1915 an application was made for a separate post office in New Port Richey. Later the same year the post office was established for the residents of the southern part of Port Richey. The post office was named New Port Richey, and the name became official. The first postmaster was Gerben DeVries. The growth of the city came about after George Sims purchased the Port Richey Land Company. He built a home in New Port Richey in 1916. The first Chasco Fiesta was held in 1922. It included a pageant where they reenacted the DeValla expedition. The fiesta was an annual event until World War II. The fiesta was revived in 1945 by the Junior Women's Club. The event was fully revived in 1947 when the Chasco Club handed the festival over to the city. On October 24, 1924, New Port Richey was incorporated. The first mayor was Dr. Elroy M. Avery, an educator, historian, and prolific author who came to New Port Richey from Cleveland after he retired in 1919. The first act of the city council was on December 2, 1924. In the act, city council accepted Enchantment Park as a gift from George Sims. The park was renamed Sims Park. In the mid-1920s the city hoped to become a winter home for Hollywood stars. In fact, Thomas Meighan, a leading actor in silent movies, built a large home on the river in 1928 and spent the winters there. He hoped to make movies in New Port Richey. Gene Sarazen, one of the top golfers in the 1920s, also built a home in New Port Richey. He invented the modern sand wedge in a garage in New Port Richey. Other Hollywood figures such as Ed Wynn visited New Port Richey. Songwriter Irving Berlin and bandleader Paul…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.53%) is water. The Pithlachascotee River flows through the downtown area on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  14,523
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,918
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,902
• White Ibis

  Eudocimus albus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,581
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  11,445
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  11,310
• Laughing Gull

  Leucophaeus atricilla (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,262
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  10,679

Largest nearby schools

• JAMES W. MITCHELL HIGH SCHOOL
  High · TRINITY · 2,155 students · 21.8:1 ratio
• STARKEY RANCH K-8
  Elementary · ODESSA · 1,928 students · 19.1:1 ratio
• RIVER RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
  High · NEW PORT RICHEY · 1,802 students · 24:1 ratio
• SEVEN SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · TRINITY · 1,628 students · 19.6:1 ratio
• FIVAY HIGH SCHOOL
  High · HUDSON · 1,610 students · 20.9:1 ratio
• GULF HIGH SCHOOL
  High · NEW PORT RICHEY · 1,465 students · 17.2:1 ratio
• HUDSON HIGH SCHOOL
  High · HUDSON · 1,387 students · 22:1 ratio
• ANCLOTE HIGH SCHOOL
  High · HOLIDAY · 1,205 students · 20.1:1 ratio