Hastings, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hastings
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Potato Growers Association building in Hastings, Florida
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Location in St. Johns County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | St. Johns |
| Settled | 1890 |
| Incorporated | 1909 |
| Dissolved | March 1, 2018 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.24 sq mi (8.40 km2) |
| • Land | 3.24 sq mi (8.39 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,262 |
| • Density | 389.63/sq mi (150.41/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Zip code |
32145
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| Area code(s) | 904 |
| FIPS code | 12-29100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0307980 |
Hastings is a small farming community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. It is about 18 miles (29 km) southwest of St. Augustine. Hastings used to be an official town, but its residents voted to end that in 2018. Now, it is a census-designated place, which means it's a specific area counted by the census but not a formally governed town. In 2020, about 1,262 people lived there.
Contents
History of Hastings
Hastings was founded in 1890. A man named Henry Morrison Flagler built hotels in St. Augustine in the late 1800s. He needed fresh vegetables for his hotel guests. So, he asked his cousin, Thomas Horace Hastings, to start a farm nearby. This farm grew into a small community, which was named Hastings after its founder.
Hastings is famous as the "Potato Capital of Florida." It has about 21,000 acres (85 km²) of potato farms. Farmers there also grow other vegetables like cabbage, onions, and eggplant.
In 1910, Hastings was a busy town. It was a stop on the Florida East Coast Railway. About 1,200 people lived there. The town had stores, a bakery, drug stores, and places to buy meat. It also had an ice plant and cold storage. There were companies that made barrels and a mill to grind grain. The town even had a bank, a hotel, doctors, and a dentist. It had modern services like water, sewer, telephone, and telegraph. The local public school was good too.
Today, the old railway line is a walking and biking path called the Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail. You can find a starting point for the trail in Hastings.
On November 7, 2017, the people of Hastings voted to stop being an official town. About 82% of voters agreed. So, on March 1, 2018, St. Johns County took over managing the area.
Geography and Climate
Hastings is located at coordinates 29.7180 degrees North and -81.5081 degrees West. The area of Hastings is about 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), and it is all land.
Weather in Hastings
Hastings has a warm climate. Here is some information about the weather:
| Climate data for Hastings, Florida, 1991-2020 normals, extremes 1978–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 86 (30) |
87 (31) |
92 (33) |
93 (34) |
99 (37) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
97 (36) |
93 (34) |
90 (32) |
86 (30) |
104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 81.5 (27.5) |
82.8 (28.2) |
86.0 (30.0) |
89.0 (31.7) |
93.6 (34.2) |
96.1 (35.6) |
95.9 (35.5) |
95.4 (35.2) |
93.2 (34.0) |
89.5 (31.9) |
85.4 (29.7) |
82.0 (27.8) |
97.0 (36.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 67.8 (19.9) |
70.2 (21.2) |
74.8 (23.8) |
80.3 (26.8) |
85.6 (29.8) |
89.4 (31.9) |
91.1 (32.8) |
90.3 (32.4) |
87.3 (30.7) |
81.8 (27.7) |
74.8 (23.8) |
69.5 (20.8) |
80.2 (26.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 56.2 (13.4) |
58.8 (14.9) |
63.0 (17.2) |
68.0 (20.0) |
74.1 (23.4) |
79.4 (26.3) |
81.5 (27.5) |
81.3 (27.4) |
78.8 (26.0) |
72.2 (22.3) |
64.3 (17.9) |
58.8 (14.9) |
69.7 (20.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 44.7 (7.1) |
47.4 (8.6) |
51.1 (10.6) |
55.8 (13.2) |
62.5 (16.9) |
69.4 (20.8) |
71.9 (22.2) |
72.4 (22.4) |
70.3 (21.3) |
62.5 (16.9) |
53.9 (12.2) |
48.1 (8.9) |
59.2 (15.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 27.5 (−2.5) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
33.5 (0.8) |
41.0 (5.0) |
50.6 (10.3) |
62.4 (16.9) |
67.0 (19.4) |
67.6 (19.8) |
61.8 (16.6) |
47.3 (8.5) |
36.5 (2.5) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 12 (−11) |
21 (−6) |
25 (−4) |
33 (1) |
42 (6) |
49 (9) |
59 (15) |
60 (16) |
51 (11) |
35 (2) |
27 (−3) |
17 (−8) |
12 (−11) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.02 (77) |
2.97 (75) |
3.40 (86) |
2.82 (72) |
4.27 (108) |
7.47 (190) |
6.44 (164) |
7.44 (189) |
8.38 (213) |
4.63 (118) |
2.42 (61) |
3.01 (76) |
56.27 (1,429) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.2 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 14.7 | 14.4 | 15.6 | 13.6 | 10.0 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 120.0 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population of Hastings
The population of Hastings has changed over the years. Here's how many people lived there during different census counts:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 399 | — | |
| 1920 | 761 | 90.7% | |
| 1930 | 673 | −11.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,035 | 53.8% | |
| 1950 | 577 | −44.3% | |
| 1960 | 617 | 6.9% | |
| 1970 | 628 | 1.8% | |
| 1980 | 636 | 1.3% | |
| 1990 | 595 | −6.4% | |
| 2000 | 521 | −12.4% | |
| 2010 | 580 | 11.3% | |
| 2020 | 1,262 | 117.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 521 people living in Hastings. About 27.7% of the homes had children under 18. The average age of people in Hastings was 38 years old.
Education in Hastings
Hastings is part of the St. Johns County School District. Students in Hastings attend South Woods Elementary School, Gamble Rogers Middle School, and Pedro Menendez High School.
The original Hastings High School was built in 1924 for the children of local farmers. It closed in 1985. Now, the Hastings Branch of the St. Johns County Public Library is located in that old high school building.
After the high school closed, Hastings Elementary-Junior High School used the old high school building. In 1992, it stopped being a junior high school. The school, then called Hastings Elementary School, closed in 2005. South Woods Elementary School opened that same year and took its place.
The only public school in Hastings after 2005 was the Hastings Youth Academy, which is a special type of school called an Alternative school.
Notable People from Hastings
- Derrick Ramsey (born 1956): A former NFL football player who played for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, New England Patriots, and Detroit Lions. He also served as the Kentucky Secretary of Education and Workforce Development.
- Ron Waller: An American football player.
See also
In Spanish: Hastings (Florida) para niños
