Chuluota, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chuluota, Florida
CDP
Northound Seminole CR 419 in Chuluota.
Location in Seminole County and the state of Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Seminole
Area
• Total	2.46 sq mi (6.36 km2)
• Land	2.04 sq mi (5.29 km2)
• Water	0.41 sq mi (1.08 km2)
Elevation	39 ft (12 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,524
• Density	1,236.04/sq mi (477.26/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	32766
Area code(s)	407, 689, 321
FIPS code	12-12275
GNIS feature ID	2402773
Website	Chuluota Community

Chuluota (pronounced "choo-lee-OH-tah") is a small community in Seminole County, Florida, in the United States. It's not a city, but a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it's an area identified by the government for statistics. In 2020, about 2,524 people lived there. Chuluota is part of the larger Orlando area.

Exploring Chuluota: Location and Size

Chuluota is located in Seminole County, Florida. The community covers a total area of about 2.46 square miles (6.36 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 0.41 square miles (1.0 square kilometer) is water.

Who Lives in Chuluota?

In 2020, the population of Chuluota was 2,524 people. Back in 2000, there were 1,921 people living here. The community had 701 households, with many families. About 41% of households had children under 18. The average age of people in Chuluota was 34 years old.

Learning in Chuluota: Schools

Chuluota has options for students to learn and grow.

Local Elementary Schools

• Walker Elementary School

Private School Options

• Double R Private School (This school teaches students from pre-kindergarten up to 8th grade.)

Chuluota's Past: A Look at History

The name "Chuluota" is pronounced "Choo-lee-oh-tah." It comes from a Creek Indian word. People disagree on its exact meaning. Some say it means "Isle of Pines" or "Pine Island." Others believe it means "Land of Lakes and Pines" or even "beautiful place."

Early Settlers and Growth

Chuluota was first settled shortly after the American Civil War. Some of the first white settlers came from North Carolina. They traveled by ox cart, looking for a new home. When they arrived, they likely met Seminole Indians who already lived there.

The area was full of fish, deer, and wild hogs. Settlers started growing orange groves and raising cattle. They also used the pine forests for sawmills and to make turpentine. A railroad was built, which helped people and goods travel.

Naming the Community

Robert A. Mills, an early developer, is often given credit for choosing the name Chuluota. It might have been the name of an original Seminole village. Around 1892, Henry Flagler continued using the name. He created the Chuluota Land Company to sell land. Flagler wanted Chuluota to be a major trade center, like Orlando. However, after Flagler's death, much of the land was not used until the 1950s. After World War II, many small, affordable homes were built.

The Chuluota Schoolhouse

The first Chuluota School was a wooden one-room schoolhouse built in 1898. In 1925, a more modern elementary school was built. This school closed in 1948. Later, it became a volunteer fire station. Since 1996, it has been the home of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10139. It is now seen as a community center.

Challenges and Revival

Chuluota faced several tough times. The Great Freeze of 1894-1895 badly damaged the orange groves. Then, a land boom in the 1920s ended, and Flagler died. Finally, the Great Depression in the 1930s hit the community hard. The population slowly got smaller.

However, in the 1960s, new developers started plans to bring the community back to life. Since 2003, it's estimated that about one thousand new homes have been built in the area.

See also

In Spanish: Chuluota para niños