TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa may be No. 1 in our hearts and minds, but the Florida city is not actually the only place in the United States to hold that name.
If you've never heard of those places, you're probably not alone.
Tampa exists in two other places across the country — Colorado and Kansas. However, both places are pretty tiny.
Tampa, Colo. is an unincorporated "community" in Weld County, according to Bing. Tampa was a "departure point for an old railroad spur called the Tampa Spur," Bing says. There isn't any population data that was readily found.
The other Tampa in the U.S. is located in Kansas. It was founded along the Santa Fe Trail and was incorporated in 1908, according to a 1912 cyclopedia.
According to the latest Census data estimates in 2019, the Kansas city has a population of 102.
So what about the Sunshine State's Tampa? With nearly 400,000 people living in the city, it's clear to see why Tampa, Fla. is what immediately comes to mind when you say the name.
Tampa, which is believed to mean "sticks of fire" in the Calusa language, was first settled in 1824 with the establishment of Fort Brooke, according to Britannica.
Following the Civil War, Tampa was first placed on the map in the 1880s when Henry B. Plant's South Florida Railroad pulled into the city. Plant later opened the Tampa Bay Hotel, which is now a signature part of the University of Tampa's campus.
The 1880s was also when Vincente Martinez Ybor established cigar manufacturing in Tampa. Ybor City is now a vibrant part of Tampa's cultural landscape.
The world's first scheduled passenger-airline service took off in 1914 from Tampa to St. Petersburg.
RELATED: Creating the Benoist at the St. Pete Pier: In commemoration of the world's 1st scheduled flight
Today, Tampa is home to a booming economy and two championship sports teams — reigning Super Bowl champs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the back-to-back Stanley Cup champs the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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