Canal Point, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Canal Point, Florida
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| Nickname(s):
CP
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Palm Beach |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.39 sq mi (3.60 km2) |
| • Land | 1.39 sq mi (3.60 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 344 |
| • Density | 247.13/sq mi (95.42/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
33438
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| Area code(s) | 561, 728 |
| FIPS code | 12-10100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0279964 |
Canal Point is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida despite its local culture and location being way more similar to the Florida Heartland. Canal Point has a population of 344 people counted in the 2020 US census.
The land was originally inhabited by the Calusa tribe until 1650 CE. White settlers began occupying the area in 1909, establishing an agrarian community that currently still relies heavily on agriculture, especially sugar from sugarcane crops. The completion of the West Palm Beach Canal in 1917 allowed crops to be shipped by boat to West Palm Beach and then to other areas of the country, while construction of Conners Highway in 1924 resulted in crops being transported by motor vehicle. The CDP is very small with very little infrastructure.
Contents
Geography
Canal Point is located at 26°51′43″N 80°37′50″W / 26.86194°N 80.63056°W (26.862060, -80.630543).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), all land.
Canal Point is located along the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, to the northeast of Pahokee and to the northwest of Bryant.
Climate
| Climate data for Canal Point, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1953–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) |
90 (32) |
94 (34) |
97 (36) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
100 (38) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
96 (36) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 85.1 (29.5) |
85.7 (29.8) |
88.5 (31.4) |
91.5 (33.1) |
93.5 (34.2) |
94.9 (34.9) |
95.7 (35.4) |
95.6 (35.3) |
94.4 (34.7) |
91.7 (33.2) |
87.8 (31.0) |
85.9 (29.9) |
96.5 (35.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 74.2 (23.4) |
77.4 (25.2) |
80.2 (26.8) |
85.2 (29.6) |
88.7 (31.5) |
91.0 (32.8) |
92.2 (33.4) |
92.2 (33.4) |
90.5 (32.5) |
86.8 (30.4) |
80.9 (27.2) |
76.8 (24.9) |
84.7 (29.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 65.6 (18.7) |
68.3 (20.2) |
71.1 (21.7) |
75.5 (24.2) |
79.3 (26.3) |
83.0 (28.3) |
84.0 (28.9) |
84.2 (29.0) |
83.0 (28.3) |
79.3 (26.3) |
73.1 (22.8) |
68.7 (20.4) |
76.3 (24.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 57.1 (13.9) |
59.2 (15.1) |
62.0 (16.7) |
65.8 (18.8) |
69.8 (21.0) |
75.0 (23.9) |
75.7 (24.3) |
76.2 (24.6) |
75.5 (24.2) |
71.7 (22.1) |
65.3 (18.5) |
60.5 (15.8) |
67.8 (19.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 40.6 (4.8) |
43.3 (6.3) |
49.0 (9.4) |
54.1 (12.3) |
61.1 (16.2) |
68.0 (20.0) |
70.4 (21.3) |
70.7 (21.5) |
69.5 (20.8) |
61.1 (16.2) |
51.5 (10.8) |
45.5 (7.5) |
38.5 (3.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 25 (−4) |
29 (−2) |
31 (−1) |
41 (5) |
48 (9) |
53 (12) |
62 (17) |
61 (16) |
60 (16) |
42 (6) |
38 (3) |
25 (−4) |
25 (−4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.37 (60) |
1.94 (49) |
2.86 (73) |
4.25 (108) |
3.91 (99) |
8.38 (213) |
6.53 (166) |
9.19 (233) |
8.06 (205) |
3.73 (95) |
2.18 (55) |
2.06 (52) |
55.46 (1,408) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.2 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 6.9 | 13.8 | 12.9 | 14.3 | 13.4 | 8.2 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 103.3 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
History
Archaeological evidence from Big Mound City, located roughly 10 mi (16 km) of Canal Point, suggests that the Calusa tribe inhabited the area between about 500 BCE and 1650 CE. In 1909, Canal Point became the first White settlement on the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. The Southern States Land and Timber Company began planting sugarcane in the area in 1917. Around that time, the West Palm Beach Canal was completed. The canal connected Lake Okeechobee at Canal Point to West Palm Beach, allowing farms to sell crops to West Palm Beach or elsewhere in the United States via the Florida East Coast Railway. Transportation of crops by motor vehicle from the area to other destinations began in 1924 with the completion of Conners Highway, which mostly followed the path of the West Palm Beach Canal.
Unlike other communities along the southeastern and eastern shores of Lake Okeechobee, Canal Point was relatively unscathed by the 1928 hurricane. The community was likely inundated with 1.5 to 2.5 ft (0.46 to 0.76 m) of water and one death occurred. However, the local economy suffered greatly and never recovered after construction of the Herbert Hoover Dike limited boat traffic in the 1930s. Residents saved the historic Canal Point School from demolition and hoped to convert it into an agricultural museum, but the building was destroyed by a fire in 2008. About three years earlier, Hurricane Wilma wrecked several other historic buildings in the community.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 525 | — | |
| 2010 | 367 | −30.1% | |
| 2020 | 344 | −6.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 107 | 31.10% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 50 | 14.53% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Asian (NH) | 1 | 0.29% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Mixed/Multiracial (NH) | 3 | 0.87% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 183 | 53.19% |
| Total | 344 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 344 people, 107 households, and 81 families residing in the CDP.
2010 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 177 | 48.23% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 74 | 20.16% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 1 | 0.27% |
| Asian (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 6 | 1.63% |
| Mixed/Multiracial (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 109 | 29.70% |
| Total | 367 |
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 367 people, 91 households, and 35 families residing in the CDP.
Living
Almost the entirety of Canal Point's populace is involved in agriculture. Most are independent farmers or employees of one of the large local sugar co-operatives, the largest three being the US Sugar Corporation, Osceola Farms, and Fanjul Sugar. The town has an access point to the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail.
Transportation
The Palm Tran Route 47 connects Canal Point to Pahokee, Belle Glade, and South Bay, as well as to Route 40, which links Belle Glade to Wellington. State Road 15 and US routes 98 and 441 move jointly northeastward through Canal Point, generally parallel to the shore of Lake Okeechobee, with the road locally referred to as E. Main Street. The road is adjoined by the northwest-southeast moving State Road 700, locally known as W. Main Street and Conners Highway, just south of the West Palm Beach Canal. State Road 700 moves southeastward and rejoins State Road 15 and US routes 98 and 441 near Twentymile Bend.
Education
- Kathryn E. Cunningham/Canal Point Elementary School is the only school located in Canal Point. The school was named for former principal, Kathryn E. Cunningham, who retired from education after 50 years. Cunningham was instrumental in getting the school built and a supporter of children's education her entire life.
- Pahokee Middle School
- Pahokee High School
There are no colleges or universities in Canal Point. However, Palm Beach State College has campuses in Belle Glade and Loxahatchee Groves.
Notable people
- Anquan Boldin, former NFL wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions, raised in Canal Point.
- Laura Upthegrove, "Queen of the Everglades", famous bandit, owned and operated and died at a gas station in Canal Point.
Images for kids
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Original lab/office building constructed at U.S. Sugar Plant Field Station, Canal Point, Florida, August 1922.
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U.S. Sugar Plant Field Station (USDA Sugarcane Field Station), 1940, Canal Point, Florida.
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Aerial view, E, of Canal Point, Florida, from over Lake Okeechobee.
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Aerial view, ESE, of West Palm Beach Canal, Canal Point, Florida, 1940, from over Lake Okeechobee.
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Aerial view, W, of the USDA Sugarcane Experiment Station, Canal Point, Florida, October 6, 1947, flooded after 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane.
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Water standing approximately three feet deep in fields of U.S. Sugar prepared for Fall cane planting, east of Canal Point - Port Myacca Highway and south of the USDA's Sugarcane Experiment Station. Note flooded mature sugarcane field in the background. Photograph taken October 6, 1947, from Canal Point Townsite.
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A sandbag and muck dike hold flood water back from the townsite of Canal Point, Florida, during October and November, 1947. The trees in the background are along the border of the USDA sugarcane experiment field.
See also
In Spanish: Canal Point para niños
