Florida : Safety by City
- Amelia Island
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- St. Augustine
- St. Petersburg
- Tallahassee
- Tampa
- Vero Beach
- West Palm Beach
- Winter Park
When you’ve had enough of beach crowds, full parking lots, and restaurant lines in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, you can “run for the hills” of Palm Harbor, Florida.
Rolling hills, undeveloped beaches, and a suburban lifestyle away from the hustle of the city fill Palm Harbor.
Golfers will recognize this city’s name because of the nationally-known Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club.
So many tourists stop going along the shoreline at Clearwater Beach, not realizing what lies north.
Palm Habor is 11 miles north along the coast with its vibe and atmosphere.
You’ll especially appreciate the view along the way in Dunedin (Duh-NEE-din) where the building height limits let you see the coast.
Palm Harbor is a city that will quickly feel like home, yet allow you close access to all the big attractions of the Tampa Bay area.
Lovebirds will cherish their time on Honeymoon Island and wait until you see what I’ve got in store for your anglers reading this.
Warnings & Dangers in Palm Harbor
OVERALL RISK: LOW
Palm Habor is a safe place with low risk. The city is policed by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, so getting specific crime data isn't as easy as other locations with a police department. That is because counties put out county-wide numbers while departments only focus on their cities. So we'll get the answers for you, just not using the traditional method of math. Giving you Pinellas County numbers would greatly distort the true safe nature of Palm Harbor.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
There's a low risk here. How could something called the Jolly Trolley be dangerous? But seriously, the trolley runs throughout Pinellas County for just $5 a day and you'll get to see Clearwater, Dunedin, and Tarpon Springs. Rideshares and taxis are also available, all regulated and licensed by the county.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
There's a low risk of being pickpocketed here as long as you follow basic safety steps. There aren't large tourist crowds mixed with thieves looking for a steal and this community watches out for others.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
Hurricanes can happen in any coastal town in Florida, and if you're staying west of Palm Harbor Boulevard, you are in a potential evacuation zone if a storm is approaching. There are also strong but brief summer storms that hit this area with dangerous lightning, torrential downpours, and dangerous winds. All that gives it a medium risk because there are strong weather events, but day-to-day the weather is pretty darn near perfect.
MUGGING RISK: LOW
There's a low risk, but there are no statistics to back this up. I'll be honest about that. Palm Harbor hasn't released any city-specific crime data. Even doing an extensive search for "robbery", "mugging", "shooting", and the like, in search engines doesn't bring up more than a handful of incidents over the past few years. Property crime is probably going to be a little bit higher here simply because there are a lot of homes in nice neighborhoods.
TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
Palm Harbor is still close enough to a major metro area that we'll give it a medium risk, but it's the low end of that scale. Terrorists like to target large populations and the Tampa/St. Pete area has more than three million residents.
SCAMS RISK: LOW
The scams here are mostly targeted at residents via phone or through financial fraud schemes. One woman here was accused of scamming retail giant Amazon for $168,000 after returning 42,000 packages (!!!) claiming she had paid for the shipping and getting reimbursements. Wow. Anyway, there's a low risk for tourists.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Women, you're safe here. There's a low risk here. One of my closest friends grew up in this area and even when she moved around for her career, not only did she come back to the Tampa area, she insisted on living in Palm Harbor because it's so safe, yet so close to the city.
TAP WATER RISK: LOW
The water is safe with low risk. It meets all requirements and is tested daily.
Safest Places to Visit in Palm Harbor
From Honeymoon Island to the White Chapel, love is in the air in Palm Habor.
Honeymoon Island started as a romantic place for lovebirds to say their vows on a touch of unspoiled beach with a few love shacks built.
History got in the way and, in the end, the state of Florida purchased the land but kept the hallmark name of Honeymoon Island, though you can still schedule a wedding service there.
Take a ferry ride to Caladesi Island, which was one with Honeymoon Island before the hurricane of 1921.
That’s why you’ll go through Hurricane Pass on the way to Caladesi.
The White Chapel has gone through a lot of functions since it was built in 1924, but it’s now a historical market and banquet hall, but it’s an Instagram-worthy moment.
Downtown Palm Harbor holds the historic design of its founders with modern upgrades to create a quaint shopping and dining experience.
Several festivals and art shows are held here throughout the year.
Take a break from the heat and visit the Palm Harbor Museum to get a dose of Florida history.
Best of all?
It’s free.
Wall Springs Park is a big outdoor destination here, watered by warm springs that once served as bathing houses (what we now call spas) in the early 1900s.
It was once touted as a “Fountain of Youth” to lure in tourists.
It’s now serving tourists from historical and natural angles.
There’s a boardwalk and a viewing tower where you can see clear out to the Gulf of Mexico.
There are many wildlife viewing opportunities too.
If all that isn’t enough to go ape about, how about visiting the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary?
You can see more than 100 primates being cared for at this non-profit haven.
Places to Avoid in Palm Harbor
Palm Harbor has its own “Death Valley” and it’s something every tourist needs to know.
Locals have given that nickname to the stretch of road along U.S. 19 from Curlew Road at the south end to Klosterman at the north end.
In a five-year span, nearly 2000 people were hurt in traffic accidents and 17 were killed.
This road IS a major thoroughfare for the city and it’s a busy business, shopping, and dining area, so it’s hard to avoid.
Just beware.
Other than that, there aren’t bad neighborhoods or places to avoid.
Most beaches in the area close at sunset, so you could get in trouble (or danger) walking the beach at night.
In this part of Florida, at the height of summer, sunset isn’t until after 9 pm.
Safety Tips for Traveling to Palm Harbor
- If you visit Wall Springs Park, you’ll hear about memories of people bathing in the waters that brought so many health benefits. However, you can’t swim there now. There are plenty of other activities to do here.
- There is amazing fishing here, both freshwater and saltwater, but you have to have a license from the state of Florida to do either one. They are easy to get through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
- If you are hanging around freshwater areas (ie. anything but the Gulf), assume there are alligators in that water. People who live in Florida are used to sharing the land with these scary creatures, and it can catch tourists off guard. I have a golden retriever who loves to swim and I got to the point that I wouldn’t even walk him near freshwater because his determination was too risky.
- Bug spray and sunscreen will be your best friends on a trip to Palm Harbor. Especially if you are enjoying the local parks or walking around an outdoor shopping area, bugs are a nuisance. The sun here is strong as well year-round, so always apply sunscreen as needed.
- Any resident or visitor coming to a Florida coastal area between June and November should “Know Your Zone.” This is the evacuation zone level in case a hurricane approaches. Evacuations can be mandatory or voluntary, depending on the storm. Check the Pinellas County website for a zone map and enter the address of your rental or hotel.
- If you can, avoid a hotel on U.S. 19 as mentioned above, since it’s referred to as “Death Valley”. Especially since you are in a new town and driving on strange streets, or putting your life in the hands of a taxi or rideshare driver, it just makes sense to avoid a street some locals won’t drive down.
- It’s safe to visit Palm Habor’s neighboring cities of Dunedin and Tarpon Springs. Each comes with its slice of Florida life, and the three cities are reliant on each other to keep tourism going in this slower pace of life place north of Clearwater. Anglers will love Tarpon Springs as it got its name from the fish that jumped and sprayed water constantly.
- You can take the Jolly Trolley to Clearwater beach for just $5 and avoid paying for expensive parking in Clearwater. It’s a great deal and well worth a day trip.
- Since there aren’t hard and fast crime statistics in this city, you can always see the latest crimes closer to your travel dates on the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office website. The most recent news releases are right at the top.
- The Pinellas County website has an easy-to-read map of the bike lanes on streets and bike paths in the county, including Palm Harbor. Again, we’d recommend NOT bicycling even in the bike lanes along U.S. 19, but there are plenty of other ways to pedal your way around.
So... How Safe Is Palm Harbor Really?
The crime statistics we can get from this city show an overall ranking well below the national average.
The overall crime rate is 10 crimes per 100,000 people.
You still need to use basic security measures.
Don’t carry around a large purse with a lot of stuff.
A backpack might be a better option since it’s more secure for your body.
Pay what you can in advance or through your mobile app so you don’t carry a large amount of cash around.
Bring water wherever you go because it’s very sweaty in Palm Habor, no matter how hard you try.
I remember when I first moved to Florida I asked my hairdresser “Does everyone sweat this much?
Or is it just me?
Will I ever not look like a sweaty mess in the summer?”
She laughed and said “That’s what ponytails and hats were made for.
We are all just used to it.”
How Does Palm Harbor Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Palm Harbor | 81 |
| New York City | 67 |
| Detroit | 56 |
| San Diego | 67 |
| Miami | 55 |
| Honolulu | 65 |
| Chicago | 65 |
| Cordoba (Argentina) | 61 |
| Toronto (Canada) | 81 |
| Melbourne (Australia) | 80 |
| Montreal (Canada) | 81 |
| Sydney (Australia) | 80 |
| Santiago de Chile (Chile) | 71 |
Useful Information
Visas
Visa proof gets taken care of at the airport or port of entry into the United States. No additional proof of ID is needed to get into Palm Harbor.
Currency
Across Florida and the United States, you'll use the U.S Dollar. No separate currency is needed in Palm Harbor. There are several places to exchange currency in the Tampa area where Palm Harbor is located, but a credit card should suffice for all purchases.
Weather
Palm Harbor enjoys a mild to hot climate all year long. The depths of winter are still in the upper 70s during the day and low 50s at night. There can be a cold snap in winter (which for Florida means into the low 40s), so check the long-range forecast before departing. Summers are hot and incredibly humid. Highs skyrocket to the 90s with lows in the 70s, but it's humid around the clock. Just plan for a lot of sweating, extra deodorant, bug spray, and sunscreen.
Airports
You have a couple of options in Palm Harbor. St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is about 30 minutes south. Tampa International Airport is 35 minutes southeast. If you happen to be visiting this area as part of an Orlando trip (some people come to the Tampa area for a day or two), that airport is going to be two hours east.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is a great choice due to the unpredictable weather that can happen and the hurricane tracks that can always risk shutting down air traffic in advance of an approaching storm.
Palm Harbor Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 19 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 23 | 21 |
| Low °C | 3 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 15 |
| High °F | 66 | 68 | 72 | 77 | 82 | 86 | 86 | 88 | 86 | 81 | 73 | 70 |
| Low °F | 37 | 57 | 61 | 68 | 73 | 77 | 79 | 79 | 77 | 70 | 63 | 59 |
