Belleair began as a resort town with the construction of the Bellevue Hotel by businessman Henry B. Plant in 1896. The hotel increased tourist interest in the area and also created demand for a residential neighborhood. Construction of the first subdivision began in 1924 and the town incorporated in 1925, choosing to be a separate entity from the neighboring City of Clearwater. The Eagles Nest Japanese Gardens, a popular tourist attraction in the town, opened in 1938. As a result of World War 2, the gardens were closed in 1952 and turned into the Eagles Nest subdivision.
The Town of Belleair has a Council-Manager form of government. The current Town Manager is JP Murphy who was hired in May 2017. The current mayor and commissioners are:
At the 2000 census there were 4,067 people, 1,973 households, and 1,225 families in the town. The population density was 2,265.8 inhabitants per square mile. There were 2,263 housing units at an average density of 1,260.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 98.35% White, 0.15% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.53%. Of the 1,973 households 17.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couplesliving together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 34.2% of households were one person and 21.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.58. The age distribution was 16.2% under the age of 18, 2.5% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 32.6% 65 or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males. The median household income was $63,267 and the median family income was $96,400. Males had a median income of $61,548 versus $31,313 for females. The per capita income for the town was $59,164. About 1.4% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
