Charlotte County, Florida Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Charlotte County

County

The Old Charlotte County Courthouse at Punta Gorda in April 2010.

Seal

Logo

Location within the U.S. state of Florida

Florida's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Florida

Founded

April 23, 1921

Largest community

Area

• Total

858 sq mi (2,220 km²)

• Land

680 sq mi (1,800 km²)

• Water

178 sq mi (460 km²) 20.7%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

186,847

• Density

275/sq mi (106/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

17th

Charlotte County is a county in southwestern Florida. A county is like a smaller region within a state. In 2020, about 186,847 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Punta Gorda.

Charlotte County is part of a larger area called the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area is also included in the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota Combined Statistical Area.

History of Charlotte County
- Historic Places to Visit
Geography of Charlotte County
- Neighboring Counties
- Protected Natural Areas
People of Charlotte County
Economy
Education
Library System
Communities
Transportation
- Airport
- Main Highways
See also

History of Charlotte County

Charlotte County was created on April 23, 1921. It was named after Charlotte Harbor. The name "Charlotte" comes from the Spanish word "Carlota." In 1565, the Spanish called the bay "Bahia de Carlota." Later, in 1775, the English named it Charlotte Harbor to honor Queen Charlotte.

Punta Gorda is the only official city in Charlotte County.

Charlotte County has experienced strong hurricanes. In 2004, Hurricane Charley hit near Port Charlotte. In 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Punta Gorda.

Historic Places to Visit

There are several interesting historic places in Charlotte County. These include the Old Charlotte County Courthouse and the Blanchard House Museum. You can find more on the List of Registered Historic Places in Charlotte County.

Geography of Charlotte County

Charlotte County covers about 858 square miles. Most of this is land (680 square miles), and 178 square miles (about 20.7%) is water. The Charlotte Harbor Estuary is a very important natural area. An estuary is where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean. It's a great place for many plants and animals.

Neighboring Counties

Charlotte County shares borders with these counties:

Sarasota County to the northwest
DeSoto County to the north
Highlands County to the northeast
Glades County to the east
Hendry County to the southeast
Lee County to the south

Protected Natural Areas

Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge

People of Charlotte County

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1930	4,013	—
1940	3,663	−8.7%
1950	4,286	17.0%
1960	12,594	193.8%
1970	27,559	118.8%
1980	58,460	112.1%
1990	110,975	89.8%
2000	141,627	27.6%
2010	159,978	13.0%
2020	186,847	16.8%
2023 (est.)	206,134	28.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2015

In 2020, Charlotte County had 186,847 people living there. There were about 79,789 households.

The county has a higher number of older residents. In 2010, the average age was about 56 years old.

Economy

Charlotte County has been growing with new businesses and buildings. Many new projects are happening near the Punta Gorda Airport. This is because much of the land in other parts of the county is for homes.

The county is also working on a program called the "Live Local Act." This program helps create more affordable housing for people who work in the area. This is important so that people like hospital workers, teachers, and police officers can afford to live where they work.

Education

There are several places to learn in Charlotte County:

Florida SouthWestern State College has a campus here.
Southern Technical College also has a campus.
Charlotte County Public Schools manages all public schools from kindergarten to twelfth grade.

A flight school called AeroGuard Flight Training Center is located at the airport. Charlotte Technical College also offers an Airframe and Power Plant Program there.

Library System

The Charlotte County Library System has four library branches:

Port Charlotte Public Library
Punta Gorda Public Library
Englewood Charlotte Public Library
Mid-County Regional Library

The first library was built in 1963. For a while, Charlotte County and Glades County shared a library system to get more state funding. In 2008, they separated and now each county runs its own libraries. The Englewood Branch recently got a new addition, adding more space for kids' services, a computer lab, and historical archives.