Aaron Richey arrived in the area at the mouth of the Pithlachascotee River in 1883, and purchased a piece of property from the pioneer Clark family that he named "Richey Point". He owned a schooner that he used to carry goods back and forth to Cedar Key, and referred to his home port as "Port Richey". In 1884 he established a post office at that location and named it the Port Richey Post Office. After the nearby town of New Port Richey was incorporated in 1924, Port Richey soon followed by declaring its city status in 1925.

In the years since it was founded, Port Richey has remained a small port city catering to sport and professional fisherman. Among its more famous residents were June and Johnny Cash, who owned a small bungalow along the Cotee River from 1979 until 2002. On several occasions proposals were made, and defeated, to abolish the town and merge with New Port Richey. Port Richey continues to operate its own police and fire departments.

In recent years, this sleepy little town has begun to come alive with activity and development. U.S. Highway 19, the main artery through the city, is lined with restaurants, hotels, a shopping mall, and other businesses. The Port Richey Waterfront District is undergoing a business boom with the promise of becoming a lively night entertainment area with restaurants, bars, and riverfront recreation.

Port Richey has several public parks, including Waterfront Park, Brasher Park, Oelsner Park, and Nick's Park - all of which offer free launching for kayaks and canoes. Nick's Park also includes a boat ramp for motorboats. Brasher Park is probably the best free place in the area to launch your kayak for Gulf access to the offshore stilt houses and Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park.Activities & Facilities

Hotel or B&BRestaurantPlaygroundDogs allowedShort hiking trailsLong hiking trailsPaved bike trailsSwimmingOpen gulf kayakingRiver or lake kayakingMotor boatingFishing

• Port Richey official website
• Bayou Business District
• Port Richey history