Thonotosassa is an unincorporated community in northeastern Hillsborough County, about 16 miles by road from downtown Tampa via I-4, with I-75 on its western side and US 301 running through its northern half. Water and open land define it: 839-acre Lake Thonotosassa, the Hillsborough River and Hillsborough River State Park. The county's comprehensive plan treats it as one of Hillsborough's rural communities.
Living in Thonotosassa
The name comes from Seminole-Creek words describing a source of flint, which people found along the area's rivers and used for tools. The 1820s Fort King Road, a military route between Fort Brooke in Tampa and Fort King in Ocala, passed northwest of the lake, and US 301 crosses its old path in several places. In 1893, the 13-mile Tampa and Thonotosassa Railroad linked the community to Tampa. Today Main Street is home to the Thonotosassa Branch Library. Plant City is about 13 miles east, and US 301 leads about 15 miles northeast to Zephyrhills.
Hillsborough River State Park
Hillsborough River State Park, at 15402 US 301 North, is one of Florida's original state parks, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The river runs through the park over Class II rapids, which are rare in Florida, and a CCC-built suspension bridge crosses the water. Visitors can rent canoes, kayaks and bicycles, fish, camp, ride the equestrian trail, or picnic under pavilions from the 1930s. The park also holds Fort Foster State Historic Site, a replica of an 1836 Second Seminole War fort that defended the river crossing. Most amenities are open, though the park currently lists its café, several campsites and some trails as closed.
Lakes, trails and preserves around Thonotosassa
Lake Thonotosassa covers about 839 acres. No road crosses it, but four ring its shores: Fort King Highway, Thonotosassa Road, McIntosh Road and Knights-Griffin Road. Homes surround much of the lake. To the northwest, the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve protects about 16,000 acres of pine flatwoods, wetlands and riverine forest along 13 miles of the Hillsborough River, with more than 60 miles of trails. Flatwoods Conservation Park, entered from Morris Bridge Road, is known for a seven-mile paved loop, with off-road bike trails and nature trails.
Homes in Thonotosassa
Housing runs from homes on larger rural lots and acreage to lakefront properties around Lake Thonotosassa. Hillsborough County's land-use plan recognizes Thonotosassa as a rural community within its Rural Area, which is meant for agriculture, large-lot homes and natural land. Rural communities there generally allow no more than about one home per acre.
