Route #95 Plant City – Ybor City – Weedon Island

Route #95 covers 78 miles round trip from Plant City to Tampa Bay and the natural preserve of Weedon Island, following much of the former railroad corridor that once linked the agricultural interior with Florida’s west coast. The journey begins in Plant City, whose origins trace back to the Native settlement of Itchepackesassa, meaning “Tobacco Fields,” and which expanded rapidly after Henry B. Plant connected it to his rail network in the late nineteenth century. Along the way, the route passes former rail stops such as Dover, Seffner, Mango, and Orient, now absorbed into the suburban landscape.

Upon entering Tampa, the route crosses historic neighborhoods and leads into Ybor City, the city’s renowned Latin district founded by Vicente Martínez Ybor in the 1880s. Italian, Spanish, and Cuban immigrants built one of the nation’s most important cigar-making centers here, leaving behind a rich architectural and cultural legacy. From Ybor City, the route continues south along the bay and crosses the long Gandy Bridge into Pinellas County.

The ride ends at Weedon Island Preserve, a site of major ecological and archaeological significance whose name identifies an ancient Native cultural tradition. The area also played a role in the early history of commercial aviation in Florida. By combining Indigenous heritage, railroad expansion, immigrant history, and coastal landscapes, this route offers a broad view of the historical evolution of the Tampa Bay region.

This route can be found in Discovering Florida – Volume 4.