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Tampa is a city on the west coast of Florida, seat of Hillsborough County, and the central city of the state's second largest metropolitan area. Tampa is a major industrial center and seaport, and since 1980 the city and its surrounding metropolitan region have become one of Florida's most important hubs of commerce and finance.
Tampa lies at the mouth of the Hillsborough River at the head of Tampa Bay, the largest inlet of the Gulf of Mexico on the Florida Peninsula. Tampa is often associated with Saint Petersburg, which lies across the bay. However, Tampa's focus on industry and business distinguishes it from its sister city, a leading tourist destination.
Tampa's climate is humid subtropical. Its weather, moderated by the Gulf of Mexico, is characterized by generally pleasant temperatures, although winter freezes occasionally occur. Average high temperature in January is 21° C (70° F) and the average low is 10° C (50° F); the average high in July is 32° C (90° F) and the average low is 24° C (75° F). Tampa annually receives about 1120 mm (about 44 in) of precipitation; most rain falls from June thorough September in late afternoon thunderstorms. In fact, Tampa Bay experiences more days of thunderstorms each year than any other location in the United States. The frequent thunderstorms gave the city its name: Tampa is derived from a Calusa Native American word meaning "lightning."
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