St. Petersburg was founded in 1875, when John C. Williams, an early pioneer snowbird from Detroit, came down and decided to buy some land to call home. Working in conjunction with exiled Russian nobleman Pietr Dementieff, who helped build a railroad into the area and named the town after his own home in Russia, the two slowly turned this peaceful coastal area into a mecca for ailing Northerners.

Today St. Petersburg is a bustling city of 266,000 with a lively feel and an up-tempo development scheme. There are two distinct parts of St. Petersburg: its downtown area with six major museums and popular sports arenas; and the beaches ringing it, including separate communities such as Treasure Island and Madeira Beach.

Residents appreciate the outdoors, and the town boasts 102 parks and 7 mi of waterfront. The 47-mi Pinellas hiking/biking trail and five public beaches provide plenty of opportunities to get outdoors.