At a glance
| Location | Central Wesley Chapel, Pasco County, around State Road 56 |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Porter family, on the land since 1937 |
| Size | Just over 5,000 acres today |
| Districts | Wiregrass CDD (about 1,777 acres) and Wiregrass II CDD (about 484 acres) |
| Neighborhoods | Estancia, Persimmon Park, Windermere/Windmere Estates, The Ridge, The Arbors and Esplanade (55+) |
| Landmarks | The Shops at Wiregrass, Wiregrass Ranch High School, Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus |
What Wiregrass Ranch is known for, and who owns it
Wiregrass Ranch is a family ranch turned town center. According to the ranch's own history, the Porter family came to the area in 1937, bought about 14,000 acres from the Rockefeller Land Trust in 1942, and got the name in 1950 when James Porter received a postcard addressed to "Wiregrass Porter, Gatorville, FL". The family still owns and develops the land, which is now just over 5,000 acres.
Much of what defines Wesley Chapel today was built on it: Saddlebrook in the early 1970s, Meadow Pointe in the early 1990s, then the Shops at Wiregrass, Wiregrass Ranch High School and John Long Middle School between 2006 and 2009, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (now AdventHealth) in 2012, the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus in 2013 and Wiregrass Elementary in 2016.
When did Wiregrass Ranch open?
There is no single opening date. The ranch dates to 1942, and commercial and school development began in 2006, the year Wiregrass Ranch High School opened. The Wiregrass CDD, which finances roads, ponds and landscaping for the newer neighborhoods, was established on October 22, 2009, and Wiregrass II CDD, which covers Esplanade, on January 25, 2019. Homebuilding is still going on in several neighborhoods.
Wiregrass Ranch homes and prices
Zillow does not publish a value for Wiregrass Ranch as a whole. Its typical value for Wesley Chapel was $400,424 in August 2026, down 2.8% over the year. The ranch's neighborhoods page lists these, with prices you should confirm with each builder:
Estancia at Wiregrass (Lennar)
Single-family homes, villas and townhomes of 1,620 to 5,660 square feet with 3 to 6 bedrooms, listed from the $200s for townhomes and the $300s for houses. The ranch describes a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse and a zero-entry heated pool with a slide. An Estancia CDD appears on the Pasco tax collector's list of districts it bills for, so confirm which district a home is in.
Persimmon Park (David Weekley Homes, ICI Homes)
Single-family homes of 1,400 to 2,972 square feet, listed from the low $400s, with a pool, cabana, playground and dog park. Its lots pay the Wiregrass CDD, and the newer Persimmon Place section carries additional bond debt.
Windmere Estates (M/I Homes)
Two- and three-bedroom townhomes of 1,571 to 2,153 square feet, listed from the mid $200s, with a pool and a pond with a dock. The CDD schedule counts 220 townhomes in this section.
The Ridge (GL Homes) and The Arbors (Lennar)
The Ridge is the largest block of single-family lots on the Wiregrass CDD schedule, with 564 lots from 30 to over 80 feet wide. The Arbors offers townhomes, town estates and manor homes.
Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch (Taylor Morrison, 55+)
A 55+ community of single-family homes; Taylor Morrison lists it from $425,599 and its payment calculator uses an HOA figure of $523, so ask what period and services that covers. See the Tampa-area 55+ communities guide.
Living in Wiregrass Ranch
Shopping and dining
The Shops at Wiregrass is an open-air center with retail, dining and events. The CDD's irrigation schedule also lists newer businesses such as Cooper's Hawk, Culver's and Daybreak Market, which gives a sense of how much commercial land sits inside the district.
Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus
The campus at 3021 Sports Coast Way has a 98,000-square-foot complex with a 70,000-square-foot indoor arena that fits 8 basketball or 16 volleyball courts, plus 5 outdoor tournament fields and 2 multipurpose fields. It is managed by The Sports Facilities Companies. Tournaments bring weekend traffic.
Healthcare and college
AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus are both on ranch land, a short drive from most homes.
Schools and Wiregrass Ranch High School's ranking
Wiregrass Ranch High School, at 2909 Mansfield Boulevard, opened in 2006 and had 2,218 students in 2024-25. Wikipedia, citing U.S. News, lists it 90th among Florida high schools in 2024; check the current U.S. News and Florida Department of Education data. Attendance is by address, so confirm zoning with Pasco Schools' school boundary search.
CDD, HOA and tax costs in Wiregrass Ranch
Wiregrass CDD charges for 2026/27
- Windermere townhomes: $794.56
- The Arbors townhomes: $925.06; single-family: $1,621.64
- The Ridge single-family: $1,281.20
- Persimmon Park single-family: $1,621.64
- Persimmon Place townhomes: $2,603.26; most single-family lots: $4,342.65
Each figure is operations plus bond debt, including county collection costs, before the early payment discount. The district also bills a separate irrigation assessment to some commercial users.
Wiregrass II CDD (Esplanade)
Esplanade's operations charge rose 41.98% for 2026/27, to $568.66 on a 45-foot lot and $954.31 on a 76-foot lot, and its irrigation charge runs $725.21 to $897.03 by lot size. Add the Esplanade HOA on top.
Property tax and flood
The ranch is in unincorporated Pasco's fire district, at 16.8169 mills for 2025. Our Pasco County property tax guide works through a full bill. Look up each address on FEMA's flood map, since many lots border wetlands and ponds.
Pros and cons of Wiregrass Ranch
Pros
- Shopping, a hospital, a college campus and a sports complex within the ranch.
- A choice of townhomes, single-family homes and a 55+ neighborhood.
- Public CDD budgets that show exactly what each lot pays.
Cons
- CDD charges above $4,000 a year on some newer lots.
- Event and retail traffic around State Road 56 and the sports campus.
- Builder prices on the ranch's site may be out of date; always confirm.
See the Wesley Chapel guide and new construction in Wesley Chapel.
Common questions
Who owns Wiregrass Ranch?+
The Porter family. They came to the area in 1937, bought about 14,000 acres from the Rockefeller Land Trust in 1942 and still own and develop what is now just over 5,000 acres. Individual neighborhoods are built by national builders such as Lennar, M/I Homes, David Weekley Homes, GL Homes and Taylor Morrison.
What year did Wiregrass Ranch open?+
The ranch dates from 1942. Development of the Wiregrass area began in 2006, when Wiregrass Ranch High School opened, followed by the Shops at Wiregrass and John Long Middle School by 2009, the hospital in 2012 and the college campus in 2013. The Wiregrass CDD was created in 2009.
What is Wiregrass Ranch High School's ranking in Florida?+
Wikipedia, citing U.S. News Best High Schools, lists Wiregrass Ranch High School 90th among Florida high schools in 2024. Rankings change each year, so check the current U.S. News page and the Florida Department of Education's school grades, and confirm your address is zoned for the school.
How much are CDD fees in Wiregrass Ranch?+
On the Wiregrass CDD's 2026/27 schedule, homes pay from $794.56 for Windermere townhomes to $4,342.65 for most single-family lots in Persimmon Place. The Ridge pays $1,281.20. Esplanade, in Wiregrass II CDD, pays $568.66 to $954.31 for operations plus an irrigation charge.
Is there a 55+ community in Wiregrass Ranch?+
Yes. Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch by Taylor Morrison is a 55+ community of single-family homes, listed from $425,599 when we checked. It is in the Wiregrass II CDD, whose operations charge rose about 42% for 2026/27, and it also has an HOA.
Sources
- Wiregrass Ranch: About
- Wiregrass Ranch: Neighborhoods
- Wiregrass CDD: About the CDD
- Wiregrass CDD: FY 2026-2027 assessment chart
- Wiregrass II CDD: About the CDD
- Wiregrass II CDD: FY 2026-2027 assessment chart
- Taylor Morrison: Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch
- Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus
- The Shops at Wiregrass
- Wikipedia: Wiregrass Ranch High School
- Pasco County Tax Collector: CDDs collected on the tax bill
- Pasco County Property Appraiser: 2025 millage rates by tax area
- Pasco County Schools: 2026-2027 school boundary search
- Zillow Research: Zillow Home Value Index (August 2026 data)