New Port Richey is a riverfront city with a lively historic downtown and a surprising brush with Hollywood glamour. Built along the winding Cotee River, it pairs small-city charm with real character.
Photo by Ryan Watern1
New Port Richey grew up along the Pithlachascotee River, known to locals simply as the "Cotee." In the 1920s, investors imagined the sunny riverfront becoming a winter playground for movie stars, and for a brief moment that dream seemed within reach.
Silent film star Thomas Meighan built a home on the river in 1928, and other famous names of the era, including entertainer Ed Wynn and songwriter Irving Berlin, visited or eyed property in the area. The city leaned into its Hollywood-on-the-Cotee identity during those boom years.
New Port Richey is a true incorporated city. It was officially incorporated on October 24, 1924, with its first mayor a retired educator and author from Cleveland.
That early civic pride still shows in the walkable, well-kept downtown, which has been carefully preserved and revitalized over the years.
The heart of the city is Sims Park, a riverfront green space with a splash pad, amphitheater, boardwalk, and frequent festivals and markets. Just steps away stands the historic Hacienda Hotel, a Spanish-style landmark from the 1920s that once hosted the city's glamorous visitors.
The restored Richey Suncoast Theatre, local restaurants, and the gentle Cotee River give downtown a warm, welcoming energy. New Port Richey blends history, arts, and riverfront beauty into a genuinely charming place to visit or call home.
The Cotee River remains the soul of the city. Residents kayak and paddleboard its calm waters, cast a line from the banks, or simply stroll the riverfront pathways that connect parks and downtown. Regular events, from art walks to holiday celebrations, keep the community close and lively throughout the year.
With its walkable core, its river, and its unlikely Hollywood history, New Port Richey has held onto a distinct personality. It is a place where the past is celebrated and everyday life still centers on the water.
New Port Richey is part of the Responders First service area. If you serve — or have served — as a police officer, deputy, firefighter, paramedic, EMT, corrections officer, or in the military, and you live or work in or around New Port Richey, you and your immediate family are eligible for our free five-day wellness program and year-round counseling. Our core therapy, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), can bring measurable results in as few as 1–5 sessions. No diagnosis, department referral, or paperwork is required, and your participation is never shared with your employer or agency.
Yes. Every service — the free five-day wellness program, year-round one-on-one counseling, and the Saturday peer-to-peer group — is 100% free and confidential for first responders, veterans, active-duty military, and their families in New Port Richey and the surrounding area. You are never billed or asked for insurance.
No. You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or any paperwork from your department to take part. If you serve or have served — or you love someone who does — you are eligible.
No. Responders First operates independently of any department, agency, or branch. Your participation — and anything discussed during the program — is never shared with your employer, chain of command, or insurer.
Every service is free and strictly confidential. No diagnosis, referral, or paperwork required — a brief phone call is all it takes to start.