Everglades City, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Everglades City
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|---|---|
| City of Everglades City | |
Everglades City City Hall
(Old Collier County Courthouse) |
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Location in Collier County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Collier |
| Settled (Everglade Settlement) |
1873-1895 |
| Incorporated (Town of Everglades) |
1923 |
| Incorporated (City of Everglades) |
1953 |
| Reincorporated (City of Everglades City) | 1965 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.20 sq mi (3.11 km2) |
| • Land | 0.92 sq mi (2.37 km2) |
| • Water | 0.28 sq mi (0.74 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 352 |
| • Density | 384.70/sq mi (148.48/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
34139
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| Area code(s) | 239 |
| FIPS code | 12-21425 |
Everglades City is a small city in Collier County, Florida, USA. It was once the main city, or "county seat," for Collier County. The Everglades National Park has a visitor center here, which is a great place to start exploring the famous Everglades wetlands. In 2020, about 352 people lived in Everglades City.
Contents
History of Everglades City
The land around Chokoloskee Bay, where Everglades City is located, was home to Native Americans for thousands of years. The Calusa people lived here before Europeans arrived. However, by 1821, when Florida became part of the United States, no one was living in this exact spot.
Early Settlers and Growth
After the American Civil War, new settlers began to arrive. The first permanent settler was William Smith Allen in 1873. He settled near a creek that was later named the Allen River.
Later, George W. Storter, Jr. became a very important landowner. He was known for growing sugar cane. In 1892, he opened a trading post, which is like a general store. In 1895, the area got its own post office, and it was called "Everglade".
Storter also started hosting tourists from the north who came to hunt and fish. His home eventually grew into the famous Rod and Gun Club. Even United States Presidents visited this club!
Schools and Churches
The first school in Everglade started in 1893. Its building was destroyed by a tornado in 1895 and another by a hurricane in 1910.
Churches also began to appear. A Methodist preacher started visiting in 1888. Later, the Episcopal Church opened a mission that eventually moved to Everglade in the 1930s.
Becoming a County Seat
In 1922, a man named Barron Collier bought a lot of land in this part of Florida. In 1923, the Florida government created Collier County from a larger county. They chose Everglade to be the county seat, which means it was the main city where the county government was located.
In 1923, the community officially became the "Town of Everglades".
Connecting to the State
The Tamiami Trail, a major road, was built about five miles north of Everglades City. Barron Collier also helped build State Road 29, connecting Everglades City to Immokalee. This was the first time the town was connected to the rest of Florida by land.
In 1928, a railroad also reached Everglades City, making it easier to transport goods and people. However, the railroad was removed in 1957.
Changes and Challenges
In 1953, the "Town of Everglades" became the "City of Everglades".
In 1960, a very strong storm called Hurricane Donna hit the area hard. Many homes were destroyed or damaged. Because of this, in 1962, Florida's government moved the county seat to East Naples, Florida.
In 1965, the city's name was changed one last time to the "City of Everglades City".
Geography and Location
Everglades City is located at the mouth of the Barron River, right on Chokoloskee Bay. This bay is about 10 miles (16 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide. It's separated from the Gulf of Mexico by the northern part of the Ten Thousand Islands.
The city covers about 1.2 square miles (3.1 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 21% is water.
Climate in Everglades City
Everglades City has a tropical climate, much like places in the Caribbean. This means it's usually warm all year round. It has a tropical savanna climate, which means it has a wet season and a dry season.
| Climate data for Everglades City 5 NE, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2007–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 92 (33) |
95 (35) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
99 (37) |
100 (38) |
99 (37) |
100 (38) |
99 (37) |
96 (36) |
94 (34) |
93 (34) |
100 (38) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 77.1 (25.1) |
80.8 (27.1) |
83.3 (28.5) |
86.7 (30.4) |
90.3 (32.4) |
90.9 (32.7) |
92.5 (33.6) |
92.6 (33.7) |
91.1 (32.8) |
87.4 (30.8) |
83.2 (28.4) |
79.7 (26.5) |
86.3 (30.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 65.1 (18.4) |
68.2 (20.1) |
70.3 (21.3) |
74.4 (23.6) |
78.2 (25.7) |
81.7 (27.6) |
83.7 (28.7) |
83.9 (28.8) |
82.8 (28.2) |
78.7 (25.9) |
72.4 (22.4) |
68.5 (20.3) |
75.7 (24.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 53.1 (11.7) |
55.7 (13.2) |
57.3 (14.1) |
62.0 (16.7) |
66.1 (18.9) |
72.4 (22.4) |
74.9 (23.8) |
75.3 (24.1) |
74.5 (23.6) |
70.0 (21.1) |
61.6 (16.4) |
57.4 (14.1) |
65.0 (18.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 28 (−2) |
29 (−2) |
35 (2) |
41 (5) |
54 (12) |
64 (18) |
70 (21) |
70 (21) |
66 (19) |
45 (7) |
40 (4) |
29 (−2) |
28 (−2) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.70 (43) |
2.11 (54) |
2.28 (58) |
2.61 (66) |
3.71 (94) |
11.70 (297) |
7.44 (189) |
7.66 (195) |
9.05 (230) |
3.76 (96) |
1.45 (37) |
1.81 (46) |
55.28 (1,404) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 5.4 | 8.9 | 16.5 | 17.1 | 17.4 | 16.6 | 10.5 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 115.3 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 172 | — | |
| 1940 | 518 | 201.2% | |
| 1950 | 625 | 20.7% | |
| 1960 | 552 | −11.7% | |
| 1970 | 462 | −16.3% | |
| 1980 | 524 | 13.4% | |
| 1990 | 321 | −38.7% | |
| 2000 | 479 | 49.2% | |
| 2010 | 400 | −16.5% | |
| 2020 | 352 | −12.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The population of Everglades City has changed over the years. In 2020, there were 352 people living there. This was a decrease from 400 people in 2010.
Most people living in Everglades City are White. There are also people who identify as Native American and a growing number of people of Hispanic or Latino background.
Historic Buildings to See
Everglades City has some interesting old buildings that are important to its history. These include:
- The Old Collier County Courthouse
- The Bank of Everglades Building
- The Everglades Laundry (which is now the Museum of the Everglades)
Schools and Libraries
The public schools in Everglades City are managed by the District School Board of Collier County.
- eCollier Virtual Academy School (for grades K-12)
- Everglades City School (for VPK-12, which means from pre-kindergarten all the way to 12th grade)
- Optima Classical Academy School (for grades K-12)
The city also has a public library branch called the Everglades City Branch Library. It is part of the Collier County Public Library system.
See also
In Spanish: Everglades (Florida) para niños
