New Port Richey, Florida is an ideal senior vacation and retirement community.

New Port Richey FL History

The downtown area of New Port Richey was surveyed and platted in 1911. The Port Richey Land Company owned and developed much of the land and began marketing the town as the “ideal retirement area” in 1911. The town developed as a retirement community and a service center for outlying farmlands. The town’s development was aided by the expansion of railroad service to the area and the town’s close proximity to the Dixie Highway. The highway was the major north-south route along Florida’s west coast.

The Florida real estate boom caused tremendous growth in New Port Richey from 1911 through the 1920’s. The city incorporated in 1924. Before the 1920’s, most of the buildings built downtown were made of wood and eventually destroyed by fires. Today, a few of the original buildings remain, giving the downtown area much of its present character.

During the 1920’s, New Port Richey was a popular vacation spot for the Hollywood movie star crowd. Some of the celebrities who vacationed in the town were film stars Thomas Meighan, Gloria Swanson and Ed Wynn and author Pearl Buck. The area was so popular that representatives of Paramount Pictures came to New Port Richey to discuss the possibility of creating a motion picture studio in the town. These plans were canceled because of the Great Depression.

New Port Richey Florida – A Popular Senior Vacation Area

Today, New Port Richey Florida is a popular senior vacation area and retirement community. For your convenience, Senior Travel Genie offers resources for restaurants and much more in New Port Richey.