Largo

Largo was officially incorporated in 1905, and in 1913 became the first town in Florida – and second in the nation – to adopt a town manager form of government. The town grew rapidly through the boom times of the 1920s, but was hit hard by a freeze in the latter part of the decade, and then by the Great Depression. Due to mounting debt, the City of Largo was contracted to its original 1905 boundaries and once again became the Town of Largo.

When World War II veterans returned home, they quickly discovered the joys of living on Florida’s Suncoast, previously only known to the local farmers and a few rich vacationers, brought to the area on the rail lines built by Henry Flagler and Henry Plant. The population boomed, growing from just 1,500 residents in 1950 to over 5300 ten years later. An unexpected freeze in 1962 dealt a serious blow to Largo’s agricultural industry, and as groves were sold off, developers were quick to move in to build homes for a growing population. By 1970, Largo’s population reached more than 22,000, and a new City of Progress was born.

Today, Largo is a community of more than 74,000 residents and continues to grow through annexation. Over the last 10 years, the City has developed such landmark projects as Largo Central Park, the Largo Cultural Center, and the new Largo Public Library. Downtown redevelopment is currently underway, as evidenced by the changes to West Bay Drive and the upcoming Clearwater-Largo Road streetscaping project. From the days of its pioneer roots to today, Largo remains your City of Progress. For more information visit largo.com.