Tampa is a city in the Hillsborough County of South Florida and also serves as the county's seat of government. A 2007 estimate of the city's population lists it as having 382,447 inhabitants making in the 54th largest city in the United States. The city is part of a metropolitan area, popularly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area. Nicknames for Tampa include Cigar City and The Big Guava. It was incorporated as a US town in January of 1849 and as a city in 1855.

In 2008, Yahoo! Real Estate named the city as one of the top 10 cleanest city in America. Forbes also gave the city the distinction of being the 5th best outdoor cities in the US and is also known as one of the more popular cities for 20-somethigs.

The city's economy revolves around retail, service, finance, real estate, and insurance. Several Fortune 1000 companies have made Tampa the site of their headquarters. Large corporations and banks also make Tampa their home. Notable companies in Tampa include WellCare Health Plans, Inc, TECO, Walter Industries, and Raymond James Financial. Educational institutions located in Tampa include the University of South Florida, the Florida Metropolitan University, and the University of Tampa.