Hawthorne, Florida Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Hawthorne, Florida
City
Mural depicting Hawthorne's history
Location in Alachua County and the state of Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Alachua
Incorporated (city)	1881
Area
• Total	7.64 sq mi (19.79 km²)
• Land	7.38 sq mi (19.11 km²)
• Water	0.26 sq mi (0.68 km²)
Elevation	148 ft (45 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	1,478
• Density	200.27/sq mi (77.33/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	32640
Area code(s)	352
FIPS code	12-29275
GNIS feature ID	0283829

Hawthorne is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States, incorporated in 1881. Indigenous peoples of the Americas had been living in the area since around 100 CE; Hawthorne grew around their trading trails. Throughout its history, Hawthorne has been known for its agriculture, railroad, and rural lifestyle. Hawthorne's population was 1,478 at the 2020 census, with an area of 7.38 sq mi (19.1 km²).

History
Geography
Demographics
Sports
Education
Infrastructure
Notable people
Images for kids
See also

History

Hawthorne was laid out in 1881 on land owned by James H. Hawthorne. A post office was established as Hawthorn in 1880, and the spelling was changed to Hawthorne in 1950.

Geography

South Bull Pond at Sunset in Hawthorne, FL

Hawthorne is located at 29°35′17″N 82°5′2″W / 29.58806°N 82.08389°W / 29.58806; -82.08389 (29.587943, -82.083859).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13.0 km²), of which 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²) is land and 0.23 square miles (0.6 km²) (4.33%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	296	—
1910	324	9.5%
1920	543	67.6%
1930	600	10.5%
1940	741	23.5%
1950	1,058	42.8%
1960	1,167	10.3%
1970	1,126	−3.5%
1980	1,303	15.7%
1990	1,305	0.2%
2000	1,415	8.4%
2010	1,417	0.1%
2020	1,478	4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Hawthorne Comparative Demographics 2013–2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
	Hawthorne	Alachua County	Florida	United States
Total population	1,862	259,865	20,278,447	321,004,407
Owner-occupied housing, median value	$127,900	$167,000	$178,700	$193,500
Median household income	$37,500	$45,478	$50,883	$57,652
Individuals below poverty level	29.0%	23.3%	15.5%	14.6%
High school degree or higher	82.0%	92.1%	87.6%	87.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.9%	41.4%	28.5%	30.9%
Foreign born	2.26%	9.97%	20.25%	13.14%
White	48.82%	69.54%	75.67%	73.01%
Black	47.69%	20.16%	16.13%	12.65%
Hispanic (any race)	2.79%	9.26%	24.73%	17.6%
Asian	0.21%	5.88%	2.68%	5.35%
Other	0.21%	0.88%	2.64%	4.71%
Two or more races	3.06%	3.16%	2.54%	3.14%
Veterans	6.39%	5.95%	7.17%	5.9%

The 2020 census listed the population of Hawthorne as 1,478. The 2010 census listed 1,417 people, 561 households, and 357 families residing in the city. Hawthorne's population density was 295.2 inhabitants per square mile (114.2/km²). There were 681 housing units, with an average density of 141.9 per square mile (54.9/km²). The city's racial makeup was 52.4 percent white, 45.3 percent black or African American, 0.1 percent native American, 0.3 percent Asian, 0.5 percent other races, and 1.5 percent two (or more) races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were two percent of the population.

Of the 561 households, 31.6 percent had children under age 18 living with them; 38.3 percent were married couples living together, 21.0 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4 percent were non-families. Individuals made up 31.4 percent of all households, 12.0 percent of whom were age 65 or older. The average household size was 2.534, and the average family size was 3.15.

By age, 23.2 percent were under age 18; 2.4 percent were 18 to 21, 52.9 percent were 21 to 62, and 20.1 percent were age 62 or older; the median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males; for every 100 females over 18, there were 86.6 males.

According to the Census Bureau, median household income in the city was $37,500 and median family income was $46,875. Hawthorne's per capita income was $14,353. About 25.5 percent of families and 29.0 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.8 percent of those under age 18 and 16.6 percent of those aged 65 or over.

Sports

The city owns and maintains Hawthorne Athletic Park, which has four dual-use baseball-softball fields, a multi-purpose field, a playground, concession stand, and picnic facility. A non-profit organization, Hawthorne Youth Sports, offers a variety of sports for children in the area: baseball, softball, t-ball, tackle football, soccer, basketball, and cheerleading. The Hawthorne Hornets football team, coached by former NFL player Cornelius Ingram, plays at the Hawthorne High School football stadium. In 2018, the city opened a wellness center adjacent to Hawthorne Athletic Park; most of the gym members are senior citizens.

Education

Hawthorne is served by the Alachua County Public Schools, which operates Shell Elementary School and Hawthorne Middle/High School. The Alachua County Library District has a branch library in the city. The elementary school was named after Chester Shell, who spearheaded a campaign to open a school for black children in Hawthorne. The school for black students opened in 1922 as Hawthorne High School. Schools at that location were known as Hawthorne High School, Shell High School, Shell Middle School, and Shell Elementary School.

Infrastructure

Transportation

CSX train in Hawthorne

Hawthorne entrance to the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail

The city sits at the intersection of US Highway 301 and Florida State Road 20. Love's Travel Stops opened a truck stop on US 301, less than a half-mile north of the intersection with Florida State Road 20, in 2016.

CSX Transportation owns the north–south rail line which runs through Hawthorne, and operates a station. The line, part of the Wildwood Subdivision, is used for freight. Its Edgar spur runs from Hawthorne to Edgar (near Interlachen), and the 1912 railroad station is used as a business.

The Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail connects Gainesville to Hawthorne with a sixteen-mile, paved trail. The trail runs through conservation areas in Alachua County that features wetlands, upland hammocks, and pine flatwoods, and can be used for walking, cycling, and (in parts) horseback riding. It was created through the Rails-to-Trails program, which converted the abandoned railroad between Hawthorne and Gainesville to a recreational trail.

Utilities

The Department of Public Works provides solid-waste pickup (including recyclable items), potable water, and a sewer system with wastewater services. Electrical power is provided by Florida Power & Light and the Clay Electric Cooperative.

Emergency services

Alachua County Fire Rescue Station 25

Law enforcement in Hawthorne is provided by the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, and emergency services are provided by Alachua County Fire Rescue. In 2015, Alachua County Fire Rescue Station 62 moved into a renovated station in Hawthorne. The station (number 25) houses a fire engine, rescue ambulance, brush truck, and tanker.