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Local area information

Airports
There are two major airports in the tri-country area. Tampa International Airport is located off Interstate 275 on the Tampa side of the Howard Franklin Bridge. St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is located on the Pinellas County side of Tampa Bay, off U.S. 19,15 minutes from downtown Clearwater and less than 30 minutes from downtown St. Petersburg.

Public Schools
To register for school in the Tampa Bay area, children must be 6 years old by Jan. 1 of the upcoming school year to enter the first grade. Documentation, such as a birth certificate, is required. Children must also have a health certificate completed within the last year and signed by a physician. Immunizations are required for diphtheria, measles, mumps, pertussis, polio, rubella and tetanus. 

School Liaison Officer
The MacDill community has a School Liaison Officer available to assist families of DoD employees assigned to MacDill AFB with issues or questions concerning schools in the Tampa Bay area for your school-aged children. Your School Liaison Officer is Shirley Smith, Consultant with the MacDill Airman & Family Readiness Center. The center is located at 2306 Florida Keys Ave. You can reach the MacDill School Liaison at (813) 828-0137, DSN 968-0137 or email here. Contact the school liaison if you have issues related to public, private or home school needs. Links to area schools can be found here.

Car Insurance
All vehicles must have no-fault insurance, and proof must be provided to obtain automobile tags. For more information regarding Florida's insurance laws, call 1-800-342-2762.

Commuter Information
Local and Express bus service is provided to MacDill via the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HARTline). For HARTline route and schedule information about public transportation destinations throughout Hillsborough County, call (813) 254-4278. The cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater also provide public transportation. The transit information for these areas can be obtained by calling the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) at (813) 530-9911. Commercial systems, such as Greyhound and Gray lines, also provide service for the area. Amtrak and several rail services also serve the tri-county area. Discount passenger rates are available at certain times of the year to northern destinations. Call 1-800-872-7245 for more information.

Becoming a Florida Resident
To become a resident of Florida, you must register to vote or file a Declaration of Domicile with the circuit court. Contact the clerk of the court for more information. In Hillsborough County, call (813) 223-7811, in Pasco,(813) 847-7811 or (904) 567-4545 and in Pinellas County, (813) 462-3341 

Hurricanes
Each year, an average of ten tropical storms develop over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Many of these remain over the ocean and never impact the U.S. coastline.  On average, six of these storms become hurricanes each year. In an average three-year period, roughly five hurricanes strike the US coastline, killing approximately 50 to 100 people anywhere from Texas to Maine. Of these, two are typically "major" or "intense" hurricanes (a category 3 or higher storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale).  Click here for more information.