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Temple Terrace, FL

A small, separately incorporated city bordering Tampa along the Hillsborough River -- one of the first planned golf-course communities in the U.S., incorporated in 1925.

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What Temple Terrace is actually like

Temple Terrace incorporated as its own city in 1925 around one of the first planned golf-course communities in the United States -- Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club, designed by Tom Bendelow, opened in 1922, and hosted the first Florida Open in 1925. The clubhouse, designed by architect M. Leo Elliott, and the course have both been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since October 30, 2012; the clubhouse today houses part of Florida College. Architect Dwight James Baum designed more than 35 homes throughout the historic district, reportedly his largest collection of work anywhere in the Southeast, alongside 15 additional houses by M. Leo Elliott.

That golf-club and college history produced a real piece of local lore: Billy Graham attended Florida Bible Institute (now Florida College) here in the late 1930s and reportedly said he received his calling to ministry on the 18th green of the golf club. Today Temple Terrace is a small city of roughly 26,690 residents with Mediterranean Revival architecture, rolling terrain, sand live oaks, and a genuine small-town, college-town feel -- and, uniquely among its Hillsborough-suburb neighbors on this guide set, it runs its own municipal water utility through the City of Temple Terrace Utilities Department, with two treatment plants, while sewer connects into the City of Tampa's regional wastewater system.

Home values in Temple Terrace

Zillow's ZHVI for Temple Terrace was $318,891 as of January 31, 2026, down 5.2% year-over-year (Zillow).

Getting around

Temple Terrace is more transit-accessible than most Hillsborough suburbs on this guide set thanks to its proximity to USF -- HART routes run the Fowler Ave and 56th St corridors -- but most day-to-day trips still run by car, and the city's own compact, historic street grid keeps a lot of that driving short.

Temple Terrace FAQ

Is it true Billy Graham got his calling here?

That's the local story -- Billy Graham attended Florida Bible Institute (now Florida College) in Temple Terrace in the late 1930s and reportedly said he received his calling to ministry on the golf club's 18th green.

Does Temple Terrace run its own water utility?

Yes -- uniquely among nearby Hillsborough communities, Temple Terrace runs its own municipal water utility with two treatment plants, though sewer connects into the City of Tampa's regional wastewater system.

What's the deal with the golf course?

Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club opened in 1922 as one of the first planned golf-course communities in the U.S., hosted the first Florida Open in 1925, and its clubhouse and course have been on the National Register of Historic Places since October 30, 2012.

Does the Hillsborough River flood here?

The city's own hazard planning names the Hillsborough River as Temple Terrace's primary flood source; the Tampa Bypass Canal and a downstream dam help mitigate it, but the city itself states there "remains a potential for a flood disaster," especially along Riverhills Drive and other riverside streets -- the largest recorded flood was in 1933.

Nearby alternatives*

Seminole Heights

Both feature historic districts along the Hillsborough River, though Temple Terrace was incorporated as its own city in 1925 versus Seminole Heights' 1911 Tampa-streetcar-suburb origins; Temple Terrace's Zillow-tracked value ($318,891) runs close to Old Seminole Heights' $375,000.

New Tampa

Also near USF, but New Tampa is a much larger, partly-annexed/partly-unincorporated master-planned district with a cited 25-40 minute commute, versus Temple Terrace's small, separately incorporated city government and its own municipal water utility.

Carrollwood

Carrollwood's Zillow-tracked value ($402,374) runs above Temple Terrace's $318,891, and it's an established unincorporated suburb governed through Hillsborough County, versus Temple Terrace's status as an incorporated small city with its own government and utility.

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Quick facts

County: Hillsborough County (separately incorporated city)
Transit: Better than average for a Hillsborough suburb given its near-USF location -- HART local routes run the Fowler Ave/56th St corridors -- though day-to-day life is still largely car-oriented.
Landmarks: Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club (course by Tom Bendelow, 1922; clubhouse by M. Leo Elliott; National Register of Historic Places since October 30, 2012; now partly Florida College); 15 houses by architect M. Leo Elliott and 35-plus homes by Dwight James Baum throughout the historic district
Home teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL), Tampa Bay Rays (MLB), Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
Commute to Downtown: No single minute figure was confirmed for this specific route; Temple Terrace is one of the closer-in places on this guide set, adjacent to Tampa near the USF/Fowler Ave corridor, generally understood to be a shorter commute than the outer Hillsborough suburbs, but treat exact minutes as unconfirmed.
Flood & storm risk: The Hillsborough River is the city's own stated primary flood source, especially along Riverhills Drive and other riverside streets.
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The city's own hazard planning names the Hillsborough River as Temple Terrace's primary flood source -- heavy rain, tropical storms, and hurricanes can raise the river enough to affect riverside streets, especially Riverhills Drive. The Tampa Bypass Canal (built in the 1960s-70s after a 1960 flood) and a downstream dam mitigate this somewhat, but the city's own materials state there "remains a potential for a flood disaster"; the largest recorded flood was in 1933 (City of Temple Terrace). Always check FEMA flood zone maps and Hillsborough County's evacuation-zone lookup tool for a specific address; risk varies by block and elevation.
Utilities: Electric is TECO (Tampa Electric Company). Uniquely among the places on this guide set, Temple Terrace runs its own municipal water utility (City of Temple Terrace Utilities Department, two water treatment plants); sewer connects into the City of Tampa's regional wastewater plant.
Nearest hospital: AdventHealth Tampa is the nearest hospital based on proximity -- this wasn't independently confirmed via a dedicated Temple Terrace source in this research pass, so treat it as a reasoned estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
Property taxes: County & state rates →
Relocating here: Employers, licensing & the metro basics →
Zoning & HOA character: Local rules & HOA character →

Schools

Zoned within Hillsborough County Public Schools, the single district serving all of Hillsborough County under Florida's county-based school district system (this covers both the City of Tampa and every unincorporated or separately-incorporated place in the county, Temple Terrace included). Specific assigned schools vary by exact address — confirm the current zoned elementary, middle, and high school via the district's official attendance-boundary locator before making an offer.