Hendry County, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hendry County
County
Hendry County
The Hendry County Courthouse at LaBelle in 2010.
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	May 11, 1923
Named for	Francis A. Hendry
Seat	LaBelle
Largest city	Clewiston
Area
• Total	1,190 sq mi (3,100 km2)
• Land	1,153 sq mi (2,990 km2)
• Water	37 sq mi (100 km2)  3.1%%
Population
• Estimate  (2019)	42,022
• Density	34/sq mi (13/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	25th

Hendry County is a county in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,022. Its county seat is LaBelle.

Hendry County comprises the Clewiston, Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Hendry County was created in 1923. It was named for Captain Francis A. Hendry, one of the first white settlers.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,190 square miles (3,100 km²), of which 1,153 square miles (2,990 km²) is land and 37 square miles (96 km²) (3.1%) is water. The county borders Lake Okeechobee; the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail runs through Hendry County.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 36,210 people, 10,850 households, and 8,137 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 12,294 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 66.08% White, 14.75% Black or African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 14.67% from other races, and 3.22% from two or more races. 39.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000 there were 10,850 households, out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.44.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 125.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,592, and the median income for a family was $34,902. Males had a median income of $25,896 versus $20,070 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,663. About 16.9% of families and 24.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.9% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 Census

In 2010 the population of Hendry Country was 39,140. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 34.9% non-Hispanic white, 13.4% black or African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 2.7% reporting two or more races and 49.2% Hispanic or Latino.

Libraries

The Hendry County Library Cooperative has three branches:

• Clewiston
• Barron
• Harlem

Communities

Cities

• Clewiston
• LaBelle

Census-designated places

• Fort Denaud
• Harlem
• Montura
• Pioneer
• Port LaBelle

Other unincorporated communities

• Felda
• Flaghole
• Ladeca Acres

Transportation

Roads

• U.S. Route 27
• Florida State Road 29
• Florida State Road 78
• Florida State Road 80

Airports

• Airglades Airport
• LaBelle Municipal Airport

Education

The School Board of Hendry County (SBHC) oversees public primary and secondary education for students in Hendry County. The SBHC maintains six elementary schools, with three each in Clewiston and LaBelle, and two middle schools, with one in Clewiston and the other in LaBelle. The county has two high schools – Clewiston High School and LaBelle High School. Additionally, the SBHC operates the Montura Early Learning Center, a Pre-K learning institute. There is also a tribal school affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), Ahfachkee School at the Big Cypress Indian Reservation.

The Clewiston Public Library in Clewiston, the Harlem Library, also in Clewiston and the Barron Library in Labelle, all make up the Hendry County Library Cooperative. The Clewiston Public Library, now known as the Harry T. Vaughn Library, came about in 1941 when the mayor at the time, asked the Garden Club to organize a library. They enlisted the help of a librarian from the Moore Haven High School to cataloged all the books and then prepared to open the library to the public. In 1967, the library moved to its permanent location, and in 1992, it was added to through funding from state and federal grants, the City of Clewiston, Hendry County, $100,000 from U.S. Sugar, and $57,510 from private donations. The mission of the cooperative, as taken from their website, is this: "The mission of the Hendry County Library Cooperative is to provide its citizens with access to materials and information for work, school, and personal life that are both educational and entertaining".

Few post-secondary institutions exist in Hendry County. Florida SouthWestern State College has an outreach program campus in LaBelle. Neighboring Collier and Lee counties have several colleges and universities, including Ave Maria University in Ave Maria and campuses of Barry University, Florida SouthWestern State College, Keiser University, and Rasmussen University in Fort Myers. In western Palm Beach County, a campus of Palm Beach State College is located in Belle Glade.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Hendry para niños