Ruskin is an unincorporated community in Hillsborough County, Florida, located on the southeastern shore of Tampa Bay between the Little Manatee River and the bay. It was founded in 1908 by George McAnelly Miller and his wife Adeline, who relocated to the area and named the community for their mentor, the English writer and social reformer John Ruskin. The Millers established homes, a sawmill, a post office, and Ruskin College, an early community institution that closed after World War I. For much of its history, Ruskin was a rural, agricultural area, known for its farms and its position on the water. Today it anchors south Hillsborough County's SouthShore region, a growing residential corridor between Tampa and the Little Manatee River. The area has no formal municipal boundaries, but roughly 25,000 people live in the broader Ruskin community, which hosts the county's SouthShore Regional Service Center, a Hillsborough Community College campus, and a National Weather Service office. Ruskin's appeal is tied closely to the water. The Little Manatee River offers kayaking and scenic paddling, while Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico provide fishing, boating, and sunset cruises. E.G. Simmons Regional Park, a Hillsborough County park on the bay, offers camping, fishing, and shoreline recreation, and the Ruskin Park and Recreation Center anchors community programs. The community is served by Hillsborough County Public Schools, and its growth has brought new residential development alongside the area's older homes, farms, and waterfront properties. Ruskin suits residents seeking a water-oriented setting within commuting distance of Tampa, as well as those drawn to the slower pace and agricultural heritage of south Hillsborough County.