Wesley Chapel is an unincorporated community in Pasco County about 25 miles north of downtown Tampa. It spreads along I-75, State Roads 54 and 56, and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, just north of where I-275 joins I-75. Originally called Double Branch for its twin creeks, it is now defined by large master-planned communities, The Shops at Wiregrass, and major sports venues, including a five-rink ice complex.
Living in Wesley Chapel
The Shops at Wiregrass is an open-air center anchored by Dillard's, JCPenney and Macy's. The Grove is home to KRATE, a food and retail park built from shipping containers. Tampa Premium Outlets sits just outside Wesley Chapel, across the line in Lutz at I-75 and State Road 56. AdventHealth Wesley Chapel provides hospital care in the community.
Things to do in Wesley Chapel
Epperson Lagoon, at 31885 Overpass Road, is a seven-acre swimmable lagoon. It has a sandy beach, an inflatable water slide, a floating obstacle course, bumper boats, and kayak and paddleboard rentals. It is open to the public with day passes sold online or on site, and it has its own cafe and a swim-up bar.
AdventHealth Center Ice is a 150,000-square-foot complex with five sheets of ice: an Olympic-size rink, three NHL-size rinks and a junior rink. The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County opened in 2020 on a 120-acre site. Its 98,000-square-foot indoor building holds courts for basketball and volleyball, and it has two outdoor multipurpose fields.
Saddlebrook Resort covers 480 acres and has 41 tennis courts. Golf architect Rees Jones is rebuilding its two original 18-hole Arnold Palmer layouts as three nine-hole courses that rotate into different 18-hole combinations, with phased reopenings planned through 2026.
Getting around Wesley Chapel
I-75 has three Wesley Chapel exits:
- State Road 54
- State Road 56, rebuilt as a diverging diamond interchange completed in 2022
- Overpass Road (Exit 282), which opened in January 2023
Just south, I-275 splits off toward downtown Tampa. Bruce B. Downs Boulevard runs south through New Tampa toward the University of South Florida area. State Road 56 was extended east to US 301 in Zephyrhills in July 2019. Tampa International Airport is about 30 miles away.
Homes in Wesley Chapel
Much of Wesley Chapel's housing is in master-planned communities, including Wiregrass Ranch, Meadow Pointe, Seven Oaks, Epperson and Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. Several have clubhouses, and Epperson is built around its lagoon. Many communities here, including Epperson Ranch and Wiregrass Ranch, were financed through community development districts (CDDs). The Pasco County Tax Collector collects CDD assessments on the annual property tax bill, separate from any homeowners association dues, so both belong in a home's carrying costs.
