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DHistory
History · Wildwood

Wildwood dates to 1877

More historic than 14% of U.S. towns · #294 of 638 in Florida. What drives it

Most of Wildwood was built recently: 0.1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2017. Below: maps from 1893 on and the census since 1890.

1877founded
0on the National Register
0.1%homes built before 1940
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Connor J. Williams · CC BY 3.0
Quick answers

How Wildwood began

When was Wildwood founded?

1877

Wildwood dates its founding to 1877 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 419 in 18902020 census: 15,730149 years

How historic is Wildwood?

D

More historic than 14% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1855.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Wildwood’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wildwood is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #294 of 638 in Florida. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Wildwood’s overall grade.
Founding era1877, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19400.1% of homes (±0.2) · typical FL town 0.6% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical FL town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 14%
NewerOlder
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 54%

Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Wildwood’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±0.2 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1877.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Wildwood’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Wildwood are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1890 and 1900, then grew more than tenfold.Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s Wildwood, and 6 old place names are still on the map.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Wildwood’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Wildwood’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Wildwood, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,00016,0001900192019401960198020002020419 in 1890Low: 244

Lost a third of its people between 1890 and 1900, then grew more than tenfold.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Wildwood’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Wildwood’s post office has been open since 1881. Another post office, Pine Level, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Pine Level
1855–1860
Wildwood
1881–today
18501940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
AdamsvilleMonarchParkwood Mobile Home ParkParkwood Oaks Mobile Home ParkWildwood Acres Mobile Home ParkWildwood Mobile Home Village
Gone or out of use
Oxford Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Wildwood
GreenwoodPine Level

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Wildwood came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Wildwood.

Read it all →

A post office called Wildwood has been in operation since 1881. The city was named for its remote location in the woods.

In April 2015, The Villages petitioned the city of Wildwood with plans to build 785 new homes on County Road 466A, across from Pinellas Plaza. Wildwood leaders rejected the expansion efforts, citing concerns of the city losing its identity when it was to become overwhelmed by The Villages. On April 27, 2015, The Villages formally withdrew their plans for expansion, indicating that the City of Wildwood officials made too many requests that would be a “disservice to our residents and business partners". Further plans for expansion of The Villages into the city of Wildwood are not public.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Wildwood, 1855 to 2020

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1855Post officeThe Pine Level post office opens
  3. 1860Post officeThe Pine Level post office closes
  4. 1877
    FoundingWildwood is established
  5. 1881Post officeThe Wildwood post office opens
  6. 1893On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 20th century
  8. 1968Born hereWayne Anderson is born here
  9. 1972Born hereElizabeth Cook is born here
  10. 1973Born hereEllis Johnson is born here
  11. 1976Born hereRon Dixon is born here
  12. 21st century
  13. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 15,730
By decade

Wildwood, decade by decade

Today30 recent
FL 44 CSX Wildwood Subdivision-12012FL 44 CSX Wildwood Subdivision-1Wildwood US301 north012011Wildwood US301 north01Wildwood US301 bridge south022011Wildwood US301 bridge south02Wildwood US301 bridge north042011Wildwood US301 bridge north04Wildwood, Florida Travel Centers of America2010Wildwood, Florida Travel Centers of AmericaWestbound FL 44 to North I-752010Westbound FL 44 to North I-75Westbound FL 44 @ Wildwood Pilot Travel Center2010Westbound FL 44 @ Wildwood Pilot Travel CenterGate-Steak 'n' Shake Travel Store;2010Gate-Steak 'n' Shake Travel Store;Florida 44 @ I-75 Westbound2010Florida 44 @ I-75 WestboundFlorida 44 @ I-75 Eastbound2010Florida 44 @ I-75 EastboundEastbound FL 44 @ Wildwood Burger King2010Eastbound FL 44 @ Wildwood Burger KingCitgo Truck-Auto Plaza2010Citgo Truck-Auto Plaza75 Chrome Shop;201075 Chrome Shop;Wildwood FL horse statue022009Wildwood FL horse statue02Wildwood FL horse statue012009Wildwood FL horse statue01Wildwood turnpike sign012008Wildwood turnpike sign01Wildwood gazebo012008Wildwood gazebo01Wildwood US301 main street south012008Wildwood US301 main street south01Wildwood US301 bridge south012008Wildwood US301 bridge south01Wildwood US301 bridge north032008Wildwood US301 bridge north03Wildwood US301 bridge north022008Wildwood US301 bridge north02Wildwood US301 bridge north012008Wildwood US301 bridge north01Wildwood US301 RR tracks turnpike sign012008Wildwood US301 RR tracks turnpike sign01Wildwood US301 RR tracks north022008Wildwood US301 RR tracks north02Road photo from July 20, 2003 592003Road photo from July 20, 2003 59Road photo from July 20, 2003 582003Road photo from July 20, 2003 58Road photo from June 29, 2002 802002Road photo from June 29, 2002 80Road photo from June 29, 2002 602002Road photo from June 29, 2002 60Road photo from June 29, 2002 592002Road photo from June 29, 2002 59Road photo from June 29, 2002 582002Road photo from June 29, 2002 58
On the map

Wildwood on the map, 1893 to 1967

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Wildwood. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Wildwood on the 1893 USGS mapWildwood on the 1967 USGS map1893Panasoffkee sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Wildwood.

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Wildwood

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Elizabeth CookAmerican singer · b. 1972
E
Ellis JohnsonAll-American college football player, professio… · b. 1973
R
Ron DixonAmerican football player · b. 1976
W
Wayne AndersonAmerican racecar driver · b. 1968
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

The VillagesIts storyDLeesburg1 historic placeC+ColemanIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Wildwood’s history

What year was Wildwood founded?

In 1877, according to Wikidata. Wildwood’s post office opened in 1855, and the census of 1890 counted 419 people here.

How does Wildwood rank for history?

Wildwood is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #294 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Wildwood?

0.1% of Wildwood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 2017.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (30), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.