Odessa is a rural-residential area northwest of Tampa that straddles the Hillsborough–Pasco county line around Lake Keystone. The Odessa mailing area (ZIP 33556) covers the Keystone community in Hillsborough County, where the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan, in effect since January 2001, keeps most lots at one home per acre or larger. Lakefront acreage and equestrian properties set the top of the market.
Odessa is a rural-residential area northwest of Tampa, Florida, straddling the Hillsborough–Pasco county line around Lake Keystone. The Odessa census-designated place is in Pasco County, but the Odessa mailing area (ZIP 33556) covers the Keystone community in Hillsborough County, where the 2020 census counted about 25,000 residents. The Keystone-Odessa Community Plan, in effect since January 2001, keeps most lots at one home per acre or larger and keeps rural roads at two lanes. Shane Vanderson works with buyers and sellers of lakefront and acreage homes in Odessa from Engel & Völkers South Tampa.
Living in Odessa
Odessa is one name for two places. The Odessa census-designated place sits in Pasco County, but the Odessa mailing address and ZIP 33556 reach south into Keystone, an unincorporated community in the northwest corner of Hillsborough County. Most of the lakefront and acreage homes buyers mean by “Odessa” are on the Hillsborough side, around Lake Keystone, Lake Taylor, and Lake Armistead. Gunn Highway, Van Dyke Road, and Lutz Lake Fern Road are the main roads, and most of them stay two lanes by design. The Keystone-Odessa Community Plan, adopted by Hillsborough County in 2000, sets out to keep the area rural: low residential density, no utility extensions into the rural service area, and new commercial directed to the corner of Gunn Highway and North Mobley Road. The Suncoast Parkway and Veterans Expressway put Tampa International Airport and Westshore within a direct drive.
The Odessa market
Homes here sit on one to five acres or more, from 1950s and 1960s lake cottages to custom estates built from the 1990s on. Lake Keystone, roughly 434 acres and the largest lake in northwest Hillsborough County, anchors the top of the range; lake frontage, acreage, and dock and seawall condition set the spread. Equestrian properties with barns and paddocks are common on the larger parcels, and gated subdivisions such as Keystone Crossings and Keystone Shores Estates offer smaller lots with deed restrictions. Because the community plan limits splits and density, many buyers reach a new home by replacing an older one on an existing lot. Check which county a parcel is in before you write an offer; it changes the property appraiser, permitting office, and tax bill. Nearby, Westchase and Cheval offer master-planned alternatives, and Lutz shares the lake-and-acreage pattern to the east.
Boundaries
The Odessa census-designated place lies in southwest Pasco County. The Odessa mailing area (ZIP 33556) extends south into the Keystone census-designated place in Hillsborough County, generally bounded by the Pinellas County line and East Lake to the west, Westchase and Citrus Park to the south, Cheval and Northdale to the east, and State Road 54 in Pasco County to the north. Gunn Highway, Van Dyke Road, and Lutz Lake Fern Road are the main routes through the community.
Homes in Odessa
Single-family homes on one- to five-acre lots, from 1950s and 1960s lake cottages to custom estates built from the 1990s on. Lake Keystone, about 434 acres and the largest lake in northwest Hillsborough County, anchors the top of the market, with additional lakefront on Lake Taylor and Lake Armistead. Equestrian properties with barns and paddocks are common on larger parcels. Gated, deed-restricted subdivisions such as Keystone Crossings and Keystone Shores Estates offer smaller lots. Within the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan area, Hillsborough County limits residential density to one home per acre in most areas and lower in some, so replacing an older home on an existing lot is a common route to new construction.
Nearby amenities
Lake Keystone; Keystone Park and Recreation Center on Van Dyke Road; the Upper Tampa Bay Trail through Brooker Creek Preserve and the Lutz Lake Fern Road trailhead, where it connects to the 54-mile Suncoast Trail; Northwest Equestrian Park on South Mobley Road; shopping and restaurants in Citrus Park and Westchase; the Suncoast Parkway and Veterans Expressway; Tampa International Airport, typically 25 to 30 minutes; Downtown Tampa, typically 30 to 40 minutes; Pinellas County beaches by way of Tarpon Springs Road and Keystone Road.
Newest listings in Odessa
Frequently asked questions
Is Odessa in Hillsborough County or Pasco County?
Both. The Odessa census-designated place is in Pasco County, but the Odessa mailing address and ZIP 33556 cover the Keystone community in Hillsborough County, where Lake Keystone and most of the acreage homes are. Confirm the county on the property appraiser record before you buy; it sets the tax bill, permitting office, and land-use rules.
What is the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan?
A Hillsborough County plan adopted in October 2000 and effective January 2001 that keeps the Keystone-Odessa area rural. It holds residential density low, keeps local roads at two lanes, limits utility extensions into the rural service area, and directs new commercial to Gunn Highway at North Mobley Road. Buyers planning to split a parcel or build should read it first.
Can you boat on Lake Keystone?
Yes. Lake Keystone covers roughly 434 acres and is used for boating, skiing, and fishing. Most access is from private lakefront lots with docks and ramps. Dock, seawall, and boat-lift work on the Hillsborough County side requires county permitting, so confirm what an existing dock is permitted for before closing.
