Clearwater, seat of Pinellas County, western Florida, on Pinellas Peninsula and Clearwater Harbor, near Saint Petersburg; incorporated as a city 1915. It is a tourist and residential center linked by a causeway to sandy beaches and a marina on Clearwater Beach, a barrier island. Manufactures include computer components, electronic equipment, and precision instruments. Clearwater Christian College is here. The community, probably named for the clear water of offshore springs, grew around Fort Harrison, a military rest and recuperation facility located here during the mid-1800s. Population 85,528 (1980); 98,784 (1990); 108,787 (2000).
