Balm, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Balm, Florida
Census-designated place
Location of Balm in Hillsborough County, Florida.
Balm, Florida Location in Florida Show map of Florida Balm, Florida Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Hillsborough
Area
• Total	10.16 sq mi (26.31 km2)
• Land	10.05 sq mi (26.04 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.27 km2)
Elevation	131 ft (40 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,541
• Density	650.52/sq mi (251.17/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	33503
Area code(s)	813
FIPS code	12-03375
GNIS feature ID	294664

Balm is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,457 at the 2010 census.

History

A post office was established here in 1902 and called Doric: it was renamed the next month to Balm. The community was so named on account of their "balmy" air. Prior to 1902, the Seaboard Air Line Railway established Balm as a flag stop. The railroad built a one-room station and water tank. This made Balm a focal point, and a small community including a blacksmith, sawmills, a teacher and a general store sprang up by 1911. In 1937, electricity arrived, soon followed by a community telephone, setup in a barn for all to use. By 1945 the area had a population of over a thousand.

Economy

Originally a rail stop and logging town, the economy is mostly agricultural, largely citrus. The University of Florida's Tomato Breeding Program is located in Balm. In 2005, the Bradenton REC was merged with the Dover REC to become the Gulf Coast Research and Experiment Center, which was relocated to Balm. Other activities at the GCREC include hops research. Tropical fish farming has also been a significant industry in the area.

Demographics

See also

In Spanish: Balm para niños