Hernando County was established on February 27th, 1843, and named in honor of Spanish Explorer Hernando De Soto, who led an expedition through the county in 1539. On March 3, 1845 the second session of the 28th Congress of the United States, approved Florida statehood. For a brief period in its history, Hernando County was renamed Benton County, but the original name was reestablished within a few years, after the senator for whom it had been renamed, earned the disfavor of the the county residents. Before highways were a part of Hernando's landscape, the port town of Bayport was, for a brief time, the county seat. Bayport was one of the primary settlements by the early 1850's and was the main port of entry for the county. The county seat was moved to the more central location of Brooksville in 1856. Prior to the 1880's, Hernando County was much larger and included what are now Citrus, and Pasco counties. On January 2, 1887 the state legislature passed a law that subdivided the county into the three counties that exist today. Present day Hernando County covers approximately 477 sq. miles of area including the cities of Brooksville and Weeki Wachee. Unincorporated areas include Spring Hill, Ridge Manor, Ridge Manor West, Bayport, Aripeka, Lake Lindsey and Hernando Beach. The county stretches 37 miles from East to West and 18 miles from North to South. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf of Mexico and on the north by the Chassahowitzka Swamp and the Withlacoochee State Forrest. As part of the Nature Coast, vast tracts of public land have been preserved in Hernando County. These include the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, Chinsegut Hill National Wildlife Refuge, Withlacoochee State Forest, Weeki Wachee Preserve, and the PK Ranch. Recreation also abounds on the Withlacoochee and Weeki Wachee Rivers as well as at the Silver Lake Recreation Area, and the first-magnitude Weekee Wachee Springs. The latter were recently purchased by the State of Florida. With an average January temperature of 60 degrees, year-round outdoor recreation is the mantra in Hernando County. Hunting, fishing, camping, paddling, birding, and hiking are just a few of the many recreational opportunities enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Championship golf courses, paved or wilderness bicycle trails, and the Croom Motorcycle Recreation Area attract visitors from far beyond the County borders.The Census 2000 population for Hernando County was 130,802. Unincorporated Spring Hill in the southwest, is the largest Hernando County community with a population of 70,000 to 85,000 depending on where boundaries are drawn. The City of Brooksville, the county seat, population 7,279, is rich in history and traditions. The only other city within Hernando County is Weeki Wachee, population 8, which incorporated many decades ago to appear on Florida maps in promotion of the Buccaneer Bay/Weeki Wachee Resort "City of Mermaids". In 2001, the Turnpike District of the Florida Department of Transportation opened 42 miles of the Suncoast Parkway connecting northern Hernando County with the Tampa International Airport and Westshore District of Tampa. The north-south tollway translates to less than 30 minutes to Tampa for many Spring Hill residents. Hernando County is also well connected by Interstate 75 and US 301 in the east, US 41 and US 98 in the central part of the County, and US 19 in western Hernando County. Other Florida cities lying within an hour's drive of the County are Lakeland, Ocala, and Orlando. The County is served by the local Hernando County Airport and Tampa International Airport, 45 miles to the south