Apollo Beach

It's said that Apollo, the Greek god of sunlight, rides his chariot of the sun across the sky each day bringing light and warmth to this Florida waterfront community of Apollo Beach.

Apollo Beach is at the heart of the SouthShore area that is enjoying a period of substantial business and residential growth. It is centrally located, extremely accessible and convenient as a base for both working anywhere in the Tampa Bay area and enjoying the vast array of recreational experiences that abound. It is close to both I-75 and I-4, 20 minutes from Tampa, 30 minutes from both Bradenton to the South and Busch Gardens to the North, 45 minutes from either Tampa International Airport or the Gulf Beaches, and only some 90 minutes from the Orlando area, Walt Disney World, and shopping attractions.

Here you will live in Florida at its unhurried best. Find yourself on a restaurant dock at sunset, or find your next home here.

In 1986, Tampa Electric built the Manatee Viewing Center, a manatee observation platform at Big Bend Power Station and officially welcomed the first manatee watchers to its warm water discharge viewing area. Since then, the Manatee Viewing Center has hosted more than one million visitors who have come to see these endangered marine mammals.

The Apollo Beach Manatee Arts Festival, now in its 14th year, has developed a great reputation among artists, art professionals, and the public.

South Shore Gallery is a Functional Art Gallery with furniture, glass art, pottery, jewelry, candles, soaps and many more home accessory and gift items. Everything is handcrafted from United States and Canadian artists. Exotic woods are used to make truly unique, high-quality furniture that will last generations. Proudly featured are the works of ChillCott Group, and Eliel and Eero Saarinen. Designs are in the spirit of the turn-of-the-century and Arts and Crafts movement, Mid Century Modern and Japanese art and architecture.

Mariner's Club Bahia Beach Resort and residential village offer a harmonious blend of Anglo-Caribbean architecture and tropical landscaping. Overlooking the beach, the Mangroves Restaurant features Caribbean cuisine. Sunsets Grille & Lounge offers light meals, televisions showing sporting events and views of Tampa Bay.

The Gamble Plantation was home to Major Robert Gamble and headquarters of an extensive sugar plantation. It is the only surviving plantation house in South Florida. It is believed that the Confederate Secretary of State, Judah P. Benjamin, took refuge here after the fall of the Confederacy until his safe passage to England could be secured. In 1925, the house and 16 acres were saved by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and donated to the state. Today, the mansion is furnished in the style of a successful mid-19th-century plantation

As of the 2000 census, the population of Apollo Beach was 7,444 and there were 3,132 households.

The climate for Apollo Beach is semi-tropical with an average winter temperature of 62.5 degrees F and average summer temperature of 81.4 degrees F.  The average rainfall is 46.7 inches per year

Public elementary/middle schools in Apollo Beach:
Apollo Beach Elementary School
Doby Elementary School
Eisenhower Middle School
East Bay High School

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Apollo Beach:
Hillsborough Community College
University of Tampa
University of South Florida
Manatee Community College 
Pasco-Hernando Community College
Travis Technical Center
Saint Leo University