Citrus Avenue, City of Crystal River, Citrus County, Florida, USA

Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,396 in the 2020 census. The city was incorporated in 1903 and is the self-professed "Home of the Manatee". Crystal River Preserve State Park is located nearby, and Crystal River Archaeological State Park is located in the city's northwest side.

Crystal River is at the heart of the Nature Coast of Florida. The city is situated around Kings Bay, which is spring fed, so it keeps a constant 72 °F (22 °C) temperature year-round. A cluster of 50 springs designated as a first-magnitude system feeds Kings Bay. A first-magnitude system discharges 100 cubic feet or more of water per second, which equals about 64 million gallons of water per day. Because of this discharge amount, the Crystal River Springs group is the second largest springs group in Florida, the first being Wakulla Springs in Wakulla County near Tallahassee. Kings Bay can be home to over 400 manatees during the winter when the water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico cools and is the only place in the United States where people can legally interact with them in their natural conditions without that interaction being viewed as harassment by law enforcement agencies. Tourism based on watching and swimming with manatees is the fastest growing contribution to the local economy. In 2005, there was a movement to dissolve the city which did not succeed, and the city has since grown by annexation.

Crystal River had been part of Hernando County since its inception in 1843. In 1844, the county name changed from "Hernando" to "Benton", in honor of Senator Thomas Hart Benton who had sponsored the Armed Occupation Act of 1842, which had brought settlers to the area. The county name returned to Hernando in 1850.

By the late 1800s, the area along the west side of the county was growing rapidly, and the citizens of the area began to see a need for a new county with a county seat that was easier to reach. In 1887, Hernando County was divided into three parts: Pasco County, Hernando County, and Citrus County. The town of Mannfield was named the temporary county seat for two years. Mannfield was chosen as it was in the geographic center of the new county and was more accessible to citizens. The site for the eventual county seat, Inverness, was decided by a vote in 1891.

Phosphate was discovered in 1889 in the east side of Citrus County, and the phosphate industry grew rapidly. Historians have claimed it to be "one of the richest phosphate deposits in the world." The phosphate industry would boom in Crystal River and Citrus County until 1914, when it could no longer be shipped due to World War I.

In 1888, the railroad reached Crystal River. The arrival of the railroad proved to be a boon; it provided an easier way to ship and receive goods. It was also an easier way for tourists to travel in and out of the city. Sport fishing became a draw for many wealthy northerners. In the early 1990s, Arctic Air of America Inc. moved to Crystal River.

Crystal River became a town in 1903. It was officially incorporated as a city on July 3, 1923.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_River,_Florida
www.discovercrystalriverfl.com/
www.citrusbocc.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_County,_Florida

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Taken in: United States / Florida / Crystal River (show map)

Taken on: March 19, 2024

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officially incorporated as a city on July 3

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Sets appears in: • City of Crystal River, Citrus County, Florida, USA • Urban Florida VI

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