Fruitville, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fruitville, Florida
Census-designated place
Location in Sarasota County and the state of Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Sarasota
Area
• Total	7.13 sq mi (18.46 km2)
• Land	6.82 sq mi (17.68 km2)
• Water	0.30 sq mi (0.78 km2)  4.21%
Elevation	30 ft (9 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	15,484
• Density	2,269.05/sq mi (876.04/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
ZIP code	34232
Area code(s)	941
FIPS code	12-25000
GNIS feature ID	0282846

Fruitville is a community in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It's called a 'census-designated place' (CDP) because the government counts its population separately. In 2020, about 15,484 people lived here. This was more than the 13,224 people counted in 2010. Fruitville is part of the larger Sarasota area, which includes nearby cities like North Port and Bradenton.

History of Fruitville

Long ago, the land where Fruitville now stands was mostly a swamp with tall sawgrass. Wild cattle lived in this marshy area. But the land was drained to make it better for farming.

Early Settlers and Naming the Town

In the late 1870s, more pioneers came to Florida because the orange industry was growing. In 1876, a man named Charles Reaves settled in what is now Fruitville. Some say he named the area "Fruitville" because there was so much fruit growing there. Reaves later became the postmaster for the 115 people living in the area.

First Church and Cemetery

The first church in Sarasota County was Friendship Baptist Church. It started in 1875 in a small log building. A new church was built in 1876 using some of the old wood. In 1887, a company from Scotland donated land for the community's first cemetery next to the church.

First School and Education

In 1887, Charles Reaves and his wife Martha turned their corncrib into Fruitville's first school. Their three children and seven neighbors attended. Miss Josie Clower was the first teacher. Later, people asked for a modern school. Funding from the Works Progress Administration helped build Fruitville Elementary in 1941. Students from nearby villages like Tatum Ridge and Old Myakka were then bused to the new school. A map from 1902 already showed Fruitville as a community.

Franklin Field: A World War I Airfield

Army "Jenny" planes and observers at Franklin Field in Sarasota.

In May 1918, during World War I, an airfield called Franklin Field opened. It was named after the mayor, George Franklin. The airfield was north of Fruitville Road and east of what is now Tuttle Road. It was a landing spot for the U.S. Army Air Service and had several "Jenny" planes. After the war ended, the airfield was used less and less. By 1920, it was probably not used anymore. In 1924, the land was used to build a new neighborhood.

Migrant Workers and Healthcare

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, there was a migrant camp in Fruitville called Sababo. Many workers from this camp helped with farming in the area, especially growing celery. In 1966, about 2,000 migrant workers lived in Sarasota County. To help them get healthcare and education, the Fruitville Area Medical and Educational (FAME) Center opened on December 5, 1966.

Modern Entertainment and Library

In November 1990, Litchfield's Cinema 10 opened in the Sarasota Commons. This was Fruitville's first modern movie theater. For its opening, tickets were only 50 cents! Some of the first movies shown were Pretty Woman and Back to the Future III.

Fruitville Library

On December 8, 2001, the Fruitville Library opened. It is part of the Sarasota County Library System. It was first called the East County Library during its planning. But a month before it opened, the Sarasota County Commission renamed it the Fruitville Library.

Geography and Location

Fruitville is located in Florida. The total area of the community is about 18.46 square kilometers (7.13 square miles). Most of this area, about 17.68 square kilometers (6.82 square miles), is land. The rest, about 0.78 square kilometers (0.30 square miles), is water. This means about 4.21% of Fruitville's area is water.

Population and People

As of the 2020 United States Census, Fruitville had 15,484 people living in 6,043 households. On average, there were about 2.32 people in each home.

Age and Diversity

• 4% of the population was under 5 years old.
• 15% was 18 years or younger.
• 45% was between 18 and 64 years old.
• 26% was 65 years or older.
• About 80.9% of the people were white (not Hispanic).
• 2.1% were black or African American.
• 2.4% were Asian.
• 12.5% were Hispanic or Latino.
• There were 1,172 veterans living in Fruitville.
• About 12.9% of the people were born outside the United States.

Homes and Income

• The average value of homes owned by people was $275,600.
• The average rent was $1,639 per month.
• The average household income was $72,512 per year.
• About 7.6% of the people lived below the poverty line.
• Most homes (92.6%) had a computer.
• Most homes (88.1%) had a fast internet connection.

Education and Health

• Of people 25 years and older, 91.0% had a high school degree or higher.
• 33.0% of that same group had a Bachelor's degree or higher.
• About 6.8% of people under 65 years old had a disability.
• About 17.2% of people under 65 years old did not have health insurance.

Education in Fruitville

Fruitville has several schools, both public and private:

• Fruitville Elementary
• Julie Rohr Academy
• Learning Academy of Sarasota
• McIntosh Middle School
• Sarasota Academy of the Arts
• Sarasota Christian School

It is also home to the Fruitville Library, which is part of the Sarasota County Library System.

See also

In Spanish: Fruitville para niños