How Many Tampas Are There?

Multiple Places Named Tampa

Yes, there are at least four populated places named Tampa in the United States:

1. Tampa, Florida – Major city (pop. ~398,000; metro 3.2M). Gulf Coast, Hillsborough County. Sports, ports, tourism, universities.
2. Tampa, Kansas – Tiny city in Marion County (pop. ~105). Founded 1887; named after Tampa, FL by homesick settlers.
3. Tampa, Ohio – Unincorporated community in Hancock County. Rural, near Findlay.
4. Tampa Bay, Florida – Not a municipality but a large natural harbor and metro region (Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater MSA). Often used colloquially as a place name.

Other "Tampa" References

• USS Tampa (several US Navy/Coast Guard ships).
• Tampa, Colombia (vereda in Nariño).
• Tampa, Honduras (small town).
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lightning, Rays — sports brands.

Why the Name?

"Tampa" likely from Calusa Tanpa (village near Charlotte Harbor). Spanish maps (1575) show "Tanpa" on west coast. Florida city adopted it 1824 (Fort Brooke → Tampa). Kansas/Ohio copies followed.

So "Tampa" usually means Florida—but not always.