Living in Odessa, FL means lakes, acreage, and quiet roads about 25 miles from downtown Tampa. Most of the area west of Gunn Highway is protected by a community plan that allows one home per five acres, which is why you still see barns, ski lakes, and dark skies a short drive from the airport. The median sale price in ZIP 33556 was about $692,000 in mid 2026, with lakefront and acreage estates running from about $1 million to more than $3 million.
Odessa is not one place. The name covers the 33556 mailing area, which straddles Pasco and Hillsborough counties. The Hillsborough side is the rural Keystone area. The Pasco side along State Road 54 holds the newer master planned communities such as Starkey Ranch and Asturia.
We are grateful to help families choose between those two sides every year, and this guide explains the lakes, the land rules, the daily routine, the drive, and what homes cost in 2026.
Where Is Odessa and What Makes It Different?
Odessa sits northwest of Tampa where Hillsborough County meets Pasco County, with Gunn Highway as its spine and the Suncoast Parkway along its eastern edge. The community was named in the 1880s by Peter Demens, the railroad builder who also founded St. Petersburg. For most of its history it was ranch land, citrus, and horse property.
The Odessa census area in Pasco counts about 8,000 residents. Keystone, the Hillsborough side, counts about 25,000 across 39 square miles, with more than four square miles of that under water. That ratio of land to lake is the whole story. Keystone grew from citrus farming into a rural area of lake homes and ranches, and it has stayed that way on purpose.
The Keystone Community Plan
Residents wrote the Keystone Community Plan in 2001 and reaffirmed it in 2011. Its language says the community values nature above commercialism, dark star filled skies above urban lights, and the sound of crickets and frogs above traffic noise. The rural roads are to stay two lanes. Lakes, wetlands, rivers, and private wells are called paramount.
The practical rule is density. The future land use for most of the area is Agricultural Rural, one home per five acres. In March 2026 the Hillsborough County Commission rejected a request to change more than 300 acres near Odessa to four homes per acre, and residents packed the room to defend the plan. If you buy here, that plan is part of what you are buying.
What Are the Lakes Like?
Odessa has more than a dozen named lakes, most of them private access, which means the boat comes with the house. There is no public ramp on Lake Keystone or Lake Pretty. Owners launch from their own docks, and a few gated neighborhoods offer a community park and ramp for homes that are not on the water.
Lake | Size | Depth | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|---|
Lake Keystone | 434 acres | 24 feet max, 11 average | The largest, spring fed, skiing and wakeboarding, more than 200 homes, an annual holiday boat parade |
Lake Pretty | About 84 acres | Private ski lake | Part of a chain with Lake Josephine and Rock Lake; Northbridge at Lake Pretty is 32 custom homesites of 1 to 2.4 acres |
Island Ford Lake | 94 acres | 23 feet max, 10 average | Quiet, private, Brooker Creek watershed |
Lake Josephine | 48 acres, 102 with Rock Lake | 24 feet max | Tea colored, ski boats and wake surfing on weekends, kayak route to Lake Pretty |
Lake Calm | About 120 acres | Private | No gas motors, the choice for paddlers and sailors |
Lake Hiawatha | About 135 acres | Private | One of the larger lakes on the Hillsborough side |
Lake Rogers and Lake Dan | Inside county parks | Public | Kayak and canoe launches, fishing, trails |
Lakefront living here has a rhythm. Mornings are glassy and belong to paddleboards and bass boats. Saturday afternoons belong to ski boats and tubes. Evenings belong to the dock. There are no tides, no seawalls, and no drawbridges, which is a large part of why some boating families choose a lake over a canal.
What Does Acreage Living Involve?
A typical Keystone acreage home sits on one to five acres with a private well, a septic system, and room for a barn or a workshop. Horse property is common, and the area has working equestrian facilities, including Suncoast Stables and Riding Academy on Altamont Lane and Dreamstead Equestrian on Race Track Road.
What to know about wells and septic
- Septic inspection: about $200 to $600 during your inspection period. Florida does not require one at sale, but buyers and lenders usually ask for it.
- Well inspection and water test: about $250 to $550 for the inspection and $100 to $350 for a lab test. Results take 3 to 10 days.
- Combined well and septic inspection: often $400 to $650, two to three hours on site.
- Replacement costs to keep in mind: a drain field repair runs $3,000 to $20,000 and a new well $2,500 to $10,000 or more.
None of this is a reason to avoid acreage. It is a reason to schedule the inspections on day one, because a lab result that takes ten days can run into the end of a contract period.
What land costs
Five acre parcels are listing between about $1.3 million and $1.57 million in 2026. Improved homes on one to four acres run about $725,000 to $1.04 million. Custom new builds on acreage reach $2.9 million and beyond. Horse properties listed this fall ranged from a two acre home near $475,000 to a nearly five acre property at $419,000 for the land alone.
What Does a Normal Week Look Like?
Odessa's daily life happens on Gunn Highway, at the county parks, and at a handful of local spots that have been there for years.
Parks and trails
- Lake Rogers Park: 272 acres at 9010 North Mobley Road, open 7 to 6, $2 a vehicle. Hiking loops, kayaking on two lakes, fishing, and picnic shelters.
- Lake Dan Nature Preserve: 1,100 acres on Huckavalle Road, sunrise to sunset, free. A 2.5 mile lake trail, a 5.6 mile equestrian trail, a boardwalk, and a playground.
- Keystone Park and Recreation Center: 17928 Gunn Highway. Tennis, pickleball, basketball, an open field, and meeting rooms.
- Brooker Creek Preserve: about 8,700 acres just over the county line in Tarpon Springs with an education center and boardwalks.
- Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park and the Suncoast Trail: 8,300 acres and a 42 mile paved trail on the Pasco side.
Food and gathering spots
Keystone Korner on Crawley Road has served Cuban sandwiches and pizza under the oaks since 1994, open daily from 11 to 3. Keystone Farmers Market on Tarpon Springs Road sells produce, bread, and honey seven days a week. Gulf Pine Brewing on Gunn Highway opened in early 2026 as the area's own small batch taproom, with trivia nights and chili cook offs. Starkey Market at Starkey Ranch adds a coffee bar, ice cream, a beer barn, and live music on weekends.
For a wider choice, the Gunn Highway corridor near Citrus Park has G Peppers Grill, Three Brothers Pizza, E Sushi, and Glory Days, and Citrus Park Town Center is a million square foot mall with Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenney, and a cinema. The Trinity restaurants along State Road 54 are the other direction.
Golf
The Eagles Golf Club on Nine Eagles Drive in Odessa is a public 36 hole club. The Forest course, designed by Gary Koch, Ron Garl, and Rick Robbins, plays 6,604 yards with an island green on the sixth hole.
How Long Is the Drive?
Odessa is about 21 miles from Tampa International Airport, which is usually a 25 to 30 minute drive on the Veterans Expressway. Downtown Tampa takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on the hour.
Destination | Route | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
Tampa International Airport | Gunn Highway to Veterans Expressway | 25 to 30 minutes |
Downtown Tampa | Veterans Expressway to I-275 | 30 to 45 minutes |
Westchase | Gunn Highway or Race Track Road | 15 to 25 minutes |
Citrus Park Town Center | Gunn Highway | 15 to 20 minutes |
Honeymoon Island | Tarpon Springs Road west | About 40 minutes |
Gunn Highway is two lanes through Keystone and stays that way by plan. The Suncoast Parkway is the fast road north and south, and the State Road 54 corridor is six lanes across the Pasco side.
What Do Homes Cost in Odessa in 2026?
The 33556 ZIP code posted a median sale price of about $692,000 for the three months ending June 2026, up about 2 percent from a year earlier, at about $266 per square foot. Homes went pending in about 41 days, and sellers received about 98 percent of asking price. About 45 percent of listings took a price cut before selling, so pricing to the current comps matters.
The city level number is lower, near $545,000, because it leaves out the Hillsborough estates. Use the ZIP figure for the whole area and the neighborhood comps for the specific street.
Price by home type
- Starkey Ranch and Asturia resale: townhomes from about $360,000, single family homes $450,000 to $1 million, executive homes to $1.6 million.
- Esplanade at Starkey Ranch: 517 homes, mid $300,000s to low $700,000s, resort clubhouse and pool.
- Keystone acreage homes: $725,000 to $1.04 million on one to four acres; custom estates $2 million to $3 million.
- Lakefront: Lake Josephine chain homes near $1.5 million to $1.6 million and lots near $450,000; Northbridge at Lake Pretty $1.9 million to $3.65 million; Lake Keystone homes $1.35 million to $3 million.
- New construction: Soleta at Starkey Ranch from about $477,000; Victoria Lakes $1.3 million to $1.5 million; Copeland Creek near $980,000; Odessa Preserve custom lots on Gunn Highway $2.65 million to $3 million.
Buyers moving in from out of state come most often from New York, Washington, and Chicago. About three quarters of people searching Odessa homes already live in the Tampa area and are moving out from the city for space.
Which Side of Odessa Fits You?
The choice usually comes down to this:
- Choose the Pasco side, Starkey Ranch or Asturia, if you want sidewalks, a pool, trails, a Publix in walking distance, and a newer home under $800,000.
- Choose Keystone acreage if you want land, a barn or workshop, a well and septic, and neighbors you cannot see from the porch.
- Choose a lake if the boat matters more than the house. Lake Keystone and Lake Pretty for skiing, Lake Calm for paddling, and Lake Josephine for the kayak route to the chain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Odessa in Hillsborough or Pasco County?
Both. The 33556 mailing area straddles the county line. The Keystone area west of Gunn Highway is Hillsborough. Starkey Ranch, Asturia, and the State Road 54 corridor are Pasco. Your property tax rate and your permits depend on which side you buy.
What is the median home price in Odessa, FL?
About $692,000 for ZIP 33556 in mid 2026. Master planned neighborhoods on the Pasco side trade lower, near $550,000 to $700,000, and Keystone lakefront and acreage estates trade from $1 million to more than $3 million.
Can you build on one acre in Keystone?
Usually not for a new subdivision. The community plan and the Agricultural Rural land use allow one home per five acres across most of the area. Some older parcels carry earlier approvals, so check the specific lot with the county before you count on it.
Are the lakes in Odessa public?
Most are private access with no public ramp, including Lake Keystone and Lake Pretty. Lakefront owners launch from their docks. Lake Rogers Park and Lake Dan Nature Preserve offer public kayak and canoe access.
Do Odessa homes have city water?
Starkey Ranch, Asturia, and the newer neighborhoods have county water and sewer. Many acreage and lakefront homes in the Keystone area rely on private wells and septic systems, and inspecting both is a normal part of buying there.
How far is Odessa from Tampa?
About 21 miles to Tampa International Airport, or 25 to 30 minutes on the Veterans Expressway, and 30 to 45 minutes to downtown Tampa.
Is there golf in Odessa?
Yes. The Eagles Golf Club in Odessa is a public 36 hole club with two courses. Fox Hollow in Trinity is a short drive on the Pasco side.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Odessa offers two very different ways to live within a few miles of each other, and both of them keep Tampa close without feeling like Tampa. We are honored to help families weigh a lake dock against a community pool, or five acres against a five minute walk to Publix, and to line up the well, septic, and lake inspections that make an acreage purchase feel simple.
If you are thinking about buying or selling in Odessa, Keystone, Starkey Ranch, or anywhere in Tampa Bay, reach out to Rocks Realty. We are grateful for the chance to help, and we would be glad to start with a conversation.
