Clewiston, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clewiston, Florida
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| City of Clewiston | ||
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| Motto(s):
America's Sweetest Town
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Location in Hendry County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Florida |
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| County | Hendry | |
| Settled | 1920 | |
| Incorporated | 1925 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Commission-Manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4.51 sq mi (11.68 km2) | |
| • Land | 4.50 sq mi (11.66 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) | |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,327 | |
| • Density | 1,627.86/sq mi (628.54/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code |
33440
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| Area code(s) | 863 | |
| FIPS code | 12-13000 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0280572 | |
Clewiston is a city in Hendry County, Florida, United States. It is about 80 miles (130 km) northwest of Fort Lauderdale. In 2020, about 7,327 people lived there. This makes it the main city in its local area.
Clewiston is located on the south side of Lake Okeechobee. The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) runs along the edge of the city. You can visit the Clewiston Museum and the Dixie Crystal Theatre here. The area has a long history. It was once home to members of the Seminole tribe. There were also large sugar farms. The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Indian Museum is about 32 miles (51 km) south of the city.
Contents
History of Clewiston
The land near Lake Okeechobee was once a fishing spot for the Seminole tribe. The first permanent town started in 1920. Two men, John O'Brien and Alonzo Clewis, bought a lot of land. They planned out the town and built a railway. This railway connected Clewiston to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
Clewiston became a city in 1925. It soon became famous for sport fishing, especially for largemouth bass.
Sugar and Farming in Clewiston
Big sugar farms grew around Lake Okeechobee. By the 1950s and 1960s, other types of farming became important too. These included growing citrus fruits and vegetables. Raising cattle also became a big part of the local economy.
However, the US Sugar Corporation was the biggest business in Clewiston. This is why Clewiston is known as "America's Sweetest Town." In 2008, the state of Florida planned to buy a large amount of the company's land. This land was about 187,000 acres (76,000 ha). The plan was to turn this land into reservoirs. These reservoirs would help clean water for the restoration of the Everglades ecosystem.
Geography of Clewiston
Clewiston is in the northeast part of Hendry County. It sits on the southwest shore of Lake Okeechobee. It is part of the Florida Heartland region. To the south, it is next to the area called Harlem.
Roads and Water in Clewiston
U.S. Route 27 goes through the middle of Clewiston. This road leads west to Moore Haven. It also goes southeast to South Bay. Florida State Road 80 also runs through Clewiston. It goes west to LaBelle, which is the main town of Hendry County.
Clewiston covers about 4.7 square miles (12.2 km2) of land. Only a small part, about 0.027 square miles (0.07 km2), is water.
Clewiston's Climate
Clewiston has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.
| Climate data for Clewiston, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2002–2016 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 89 (32) |
92 (33) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
99 (37) |
102 (39) |
100 (38) |
100 (38) |
99 (37) |
97 (36) |
93 (34) |
90 (32) |
102 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 73.6 (23.1) |
77.4 (25.2) |
80.2 (26.8) |
84.6 (29.2) |
88.4 (31.3) |
90.4 (32.4) |
91.8 (33.2) |
91.6 (33.1) |
90.0 (32.2) |
86.8 (30.4) |
81.4 (27.4) |
75.8 (24.3) |
84.3 (29.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 62.3 (16.8) |
65.8 (18.8) |
68.4 (20.2) |
73.2 (22.9) |
77.9 (25.5) |
81.1 (27.3) |
82.7 (28.2) |
82.8 (28.2) |
81.4 (27.4) |
77.2 (25.1) |
70.3 (21.3) |
64.7 (18.2) |
74.0 (23.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 51.0 (10.6) |
54.2 (12.3) |
56.6 (13.7) |
61.8 (16.6) |
67.4 (19.7) |
71.9 (22.2) |
73.5 (23.1) |
73.9 (23.3) |
72.9 (22.7) |
67.6 (19.8) |
59.2 (15.1) |
53.7 (12.1) |
63.6 (17.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 24 (−4) |
28 (−2) |
33 (1) |
42 (6) |
52 (11) |
64 (18) |
67 (19) |
69 (21) |
63 (17) |
42 (6) |
36 (2) |
28 (−2) |
24 (−4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.06 (52) |
1.77 (45) |
2.27 (58) |
2.38 (60) |
4.29 (109) |
7.21 (183) |
7.27 (185) |
7.88 (200) |
6.20 (157) |
2.10 (53) |
1.05 (27) |
1.74 (44) |
46.22 (1,173) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 6.5 | 12.9 | 14.0 | 15.1 | 12.7 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 91.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 | |||||||||||||
People in Clewiston
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1940 | 1,338 | — | |
| 1950 | 2,499 | 86.8% | |
| 1960 | 3,114 | 24.6% | |
| 1970 | 3,896 | 25.1% | |
| 1980 | 5,219 | 34.0% | |
| 1990 | 6,085 | 16.6% | |
| 2000 | 6,460 | 6.2% | |
| 2010 | 7,155 | 10.8% | |
| 2020 | 7,327 | 2.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, Clewiston had 7,327 people living there. There were 2,532 households and 1,921 families.
Clewiston's Population by Race
The table below shows the different groups of people living in Clewiston. This information comes from the 2010 and 2020 United States censuses.
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White (NH) | 2,517 | 2,259 | 35.18% | 30.83% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 873 | 970 | 12.20% | 13.24% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 51 | 20 | 0.71% | 0.27% |
| Asian (NH) | 160 | 210 | 2.24% | 2.87% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 2 | 1 | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| Some other race (NH) | 16 | 24 | 0.22% | 0.33% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 50 | 104 | 0.70% | 1.42% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,486 | 3,739 | 48.72% | 51.03% |
| Total | 7,155 | 7,327 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Education in Clewiston
Students in Clewiston attend public schools run by Hendry County Schools. There are also private and tribal schools.
Public Schools in Clewiston
- Eastside Elementary
- Westside Elementary
- Central Elementary
- Clewiston Middle School
- Clewiston High School
Private and Tribal Schools
- Clewiston Christian School is a private school.
- Ahfachkee School is a tribal school. It is linked to the Bureau of Indian Education. It is located on the Big Cypress Reservation, outside the city.
Libraries in Clewiston
The Hendry County Library Cooperative has three libraries. These are the Clewiston Library, Barron Library, and Harlem Library.
Each library offers books and information to people in Hendry County. They also have special collections.
- The Clewiston Library has a "Florida room." This room holds books and materials about local and state history.
- The Harlem Community Library focuses on African American history.
- The Barron Library collects materials for finding family history (genealogy).
The Clewiston Library also got a special grant. This grant helped them put their local newspaper, The Clewiston News, online. You can now read it for free in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library.
Fun Places to Visit in Clewiston
- Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Indian Museum: This museum is about 32 miles (51 km) south of Clewiston. It is on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation.
- Billie Swamp Safari
- Clewiston Inn
- Clewiston Museum
- Dixie Crystal Theatre
- Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST)
- Tony's Mound
Famous People from Clewiston
- Steffon Bradford: A professional NBA basketball player.
- Randy Dixon: A professional NFL football player.
- Eric Green: A professional NFL football player.
- Alfonso Marshall: A professional NFL football player.
- Roland Martin: A professional fisherman.
- Quorey Payne: A professional NFL football player.
See also
In Spanish: Clewiston para niños
