Brevard County, Florida
Encyclopedia : B : BR : BRE : Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 476,230 (local 2005 estimate is 510,000). The official county seat is Titusville, Florida, however nearly all county administration is performed from Viera, Florida6. There has been no official change to the county seat since 1894.
History
Ponce De Leon is said to have arrived in Florida at the shores of the future county in 1513. "Mosquito County" was formed while the state was still a territory, and on some maps is absorbed into an unofficial "Leigh Read" county between 1839 and 1845. "Saint Lucia County" was created in 1844: it was renamed Brevard County in 1855 after George Washington Brevard: who served as Florida State Controller from 1854 to 1860. Between 1907 & 1910, St. Lucie County was created from the southern third of the county. There was a drive in the mid-1990s of creating a county out of the northern-third of the current borders, but it did not pass.In the 1800s the Hernandez-Capron Trail passed through the county.
Starting in the early 1990s, there was a lot of discussion in the county, especially in the southern and central part of the county, to officially move the county seat from Titusville to what was at that time uninhabited cow pasture land, now called Viera. This move was very controversial. While Viera would have provided a location for administration of the county nearer to the county's major population center (Melbourne and Palm Bay, the two largest cities in Brevard County are 50 miles from Titusville), many suspected that the real reasons the center of government was moved was to enrich the owners of the once valueless land. An amendment was put onto the ballot to default on the bonds which the county had issued to pay for the massive building project, but it failed.
There has also been a movement in Northern Brevard County to break away from the rest of the county and become a new county with the proposed name Playalinda County.
Features
- The Space Coast, as Brevard County is known, is the home of the Kennedy Space Center, as well as the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. the Canaveral National Seashore, the St. John's National Wildlife Refuge, and the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.
- The area code for the entire county was made "321" in 1999: as in the "3...2...1... Blast Off!" countdown sequence.
- It is possible to observe a Cape Canaveral rocket launch or NASA Space Shuttle launch, from anywhere in the county, as well as experience related structural shuddering throughout most of the county.
- In 1989, county administration was moved to a government complex at Viera, as part of a mid-county development project that included a Baseball Spring Training complex at Space Coast Stadium, and a master-planned community, known as Viera.
- In the early 1900's the Union Cypress Railroad was built from present day Lipscomb Rd and University Blvd west to Deer Park, FL.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,032 km² (1,557 mi²). 2,637 km² (1,018 mi²) of it is land and 1,395 km² (539 mi²) of it (34.60%) is water. primarily the Atlantic Ocean, the St. Johns River and the Indian River Lagoon.Adjacent Counties
- Volusia County, Florida - north
- Indian River County, Florida - south
- Osceola County, Florida - southwest
- Orange County, Florida - west
Bridges
Seven bridges cross the Indian River Lagoon providing clearances for boat traffic using the Intracoastal Waterway, and five bridges provide access to the Banana River Lagoon.
Five bridges connect the mainland to Merritt Island, Florida.
- A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway (CR 402)
- NASA Causeway (West) (SR 405)
- Emory L. Bennett Causeway (SR 528/SR A1A)
- Hubert H. Humphrey Bridge (Merritt Island Causeway)) (SR 520)
- Pineda Bridge (Pineda Causeway) (SR 404)
- Dr. W. J. Creel Bridge (Eau Gallie Causeway) (SR 518)
- Ernest Kouwen-Hoven Bridge (Melbourne Causeway) (US 192)/(SR 500)
- NASA Parkway (East) (SR 405)
- Banana River Bridge (Emory L. Bennett Causeway) (SR 528/SR A1A)
- Willard Peebles Bridge (Merritt Island Causeway) (SR 520)
- Banana River Bridge (Pineda Causeway) (SR 404)
- Mathers Bridge
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 476,230 people, 198,195 households, and 132,394 families residing in the county. The population density was 181/km² (468/mi²). There were 222,072 housing units at an average density of 84/km² (218/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.81% White, 8.40% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races, and 1.77% from two or more races. 4.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 198,195 households out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.00% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 19.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,099, and the median income for a family was $47,571. Males had a median income of $36,542 versus $24,632 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,484. About 6.80% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.00% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.
Sports teams
Minor League Baseball
Brevard County is the home of the Brevard County Manatees.Major League Baseball
The Washington Nationals hold their Spring training at Space Coast Stadium in Viera.Cities and towns
Incorporated
- City of Cape Canaveral
- City of Cocoa
- City of Cocoa Beach
- Town of Indialantic
- City of Indian Harbour Beach
- Town of Malabar
- City of Melbourne
- Town of Melbourne Beach
- Town of Melbourne Village
- City of Palm Bay (formerly Tillman)
- Town of Palm Shores
- City of Rockledge
- City of Satellite Beach
- City of Titusville
- City of West Melbourne
Unincorporated
- Barefoot Bay
- Cocoa West
- Grant
- June Park
- Kennedy Space Center
- Merritt Island (formerly Merritt's Island)
- Micco
- Mims
- Port St. John
- Sharpes
- South Patrick Shores
- Suntree
- Valkaria
- Viera
Former Place Names
These are place names currently used, or used at one time by the USGS. Some are early developments, others are former stations along the main line of the Florida East Coast Railway
- Allenhurst - Kennedy Space Center
- Angel City
- Artesia
- Atlantic
- Audubon
- Aurantia
- Aurora - Turtlemound Rd and Aurora Rd (County)
- Averill
- Bahia
- Ballard Pines
- Bellwood
- Brantley
- Bonaventure
- Bovine - Post Road and Turtlemound Rd. (County)
- Bonaventure - south of Rockledge on U.S. 1
- Bugsbee - north of Suntree Blvd and U.S. 1, south of Bonaventure
- Canova Beach - Eau Gallie Blvd at SR A1A (Indian Harbour Beach)
- City Point
- Clifton
- Coquina
- Courtenay - Merritt Island
- Delespine
- Dummitt Grove (formerly Dummitt's Grove) - Kennedy Space Center
- Eau Gallie
- Evans Pines
- Faustina
- Frontenac
- Georgiana - Merritt Island - South Tropical Trail (CR 3)
- Goshen - Melbourne - North of Lake Washington Rd and Pineapple Rd
- Hardeeville
- Hartland
- Heath
- Hopkins - East end of Union Cypress Railroad
- Horti
- Indiaola - Merritt Island - northern end of North Tropical Trail
- Indian River City - Titusville
- Jay Jay
- La Grange
- Lotus - Merritt Island - South Tropical Trail (CR 3)
- Melbourne Shores
- Merritt
- Mintons Corner - West Melbourne - US 192 and Wickham Rd/Minton Rd
- Nathans - Kennedy Space Center
- Oceanus
- Orsino - Kennedy Space Center
- Pineda - U.S 1 at Suntree Blvd (County)
- Pritchards
- Rockwell - Merritt Island - South Tropical Trail (CR 3)
- Sarno
- Sharpes - County Jail located here
- Sherman Park - South of Palm Shores, Florida on U.S. 1
- Shiloh - Kennedy Space Center
- Suntree - Wickham Rd at Suntree Blvd (County)
- Tropic
- Turnbull
- Turtle Mound - Northern end of Turtle Mound Rd
- Wiley
- Williams Point
- Wilson - Kennedy Space Center
External links
Government links/Constitutional offices
- [Brevard County Government / Board of County Commissioners]
- [Brevard County Supervisor of Elections]
- [Brevard County Property Appraiser]
- [Brevard County Sheriff's Office]
Special Districts
Judicial branch
- [Brevard County Clerk of Courts]
- [Brevard County Public Defender]
- [Office of the State Attorney, 18th Judicial Circuit] serving Brevard and Seminole Counties
- [Circuit and County Court for the 18th Judicial Circuit of Florida]
Local References
- [Florida Today "Fact Book" on Brevard County]
- [USF Maps of Historical Brevard County]
- [Explanation of "Leigh Read" county]
- [Directory of all Businesses and Government agencies]
- [Brevard County Fact Sheet - Brevard Clerk of Courts]
- [Old Florida Map Collection]
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