Madeira Beach, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Madeira Beach, Florida
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| City of Madeira Beach | |
Sunset at Madeira Beach
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| Nickname(s):
Mad Beach
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| Motto(s):
"Two Miles Long and a Smile Wide"
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Location in Pinellas County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Pinellas |
| Incorporated (town) | May 5th, 1947 |
| Incorporated (city) | August 8th, 1951 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commissioner-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.19 sq mi (8.27 km2) |
| • Land | 0.98 sq mi (2.54 km2) |
| • Water | 2.21 sq mi (5.72 km2) |
| Elevation | 3 ft (1 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,895 |
| • Density | 3,966.40/sq mi (1,531.69/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
33708, 33738
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| Area code(s) | 727 |
| FIPS code | 12-42400 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0286267 |
Madeira Beach (/məˈdɛərə/ mə-DAIR-ə) is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, bordered on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the east by St. Petersburg. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,895. The entertainment district of John's Pass is located on the Intracoastal Waterway. The city is often referred to by locals as Mad Beach. It is named after the Portuguese island of Madeira.
Contents
History
Prior to European colonization, the area that makes up what is now Madeira Beach was rarely permanently inhabited. The local Tocobaga chiefdom used the land to harvest seafood, but did not live on the land.
The modern shape of Madeira Beach was formed by a hurricane, the "Gale of '48", carving out the strait now known as John's Pass. The new waterway was named after an early homesteader, John (Juan) Levique.
Several aborted attempts to settle the area occurred in the early 1900s, but it was not until 1926 that a causeway was built between the mainland and Madeira Beach, allowing for the first houses to be constructed in the area. A bridge was built crossing John's Pass a year later. Madeira Beach incorporated as a town in May 1947. The town annexed the nearby municipality of South Madeira in 1951. Significant dredging operations on the intracoastal causeway dramatically expanded the land area of Madeira Beach in the 1950s and 1960s. Additionally, the town annexed some land on mainland Pinellas in 1955 for the construction of a shopping center and a school, now Madeira Beach Fundamental School.
The town saw significant construction in the 1970s and 1980s, including the construction of many beach condos and hotels along the beach. Today, it remains a sleepy beach town, popular as a vacation destination.
Geography
The coordinates for the City of Madeira Beach is located at 27°47′45″N 82°47′26″W / 27.795853°N 82.790623°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2), of which 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) is land, and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) (68.50%) are water.
The city is located on a barrier island between the Gulf of Mexico to the southwest, and the Boca Ciega Bay to the northeast. One bridge, the Tom Stuart Causeway, connects Madeira Beach to the mainland, in the unincorporated community of Bay Pines. To the northwest of Madeira Beach is the town of Redington Beach, and to the southeast, across the inlet of John's Pass, is the city of Treasure Island.
Climate
The City of Madeira Beach is in a humid subtropical climate zone with a Köppen Climate Classification of "Cfa" (C = mild temperate, f = fully humid, and a = hot summer).
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 916 | — | |
| 1960 | 3,943 | 330.5% | |
| 1970 | 4,177 | 5.9% | |
| 1980 | 4,520 | 8.2% | |
| 1990 | 4,225 | −6.5% | |
| 2000 | 4,511 | 6.8% | |
| 2010 | 4,263 | −5.5% | |
| 2020 | 3,895 | −8.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 and 2020 census
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White (NH) | 3,924 | 3,402 | 92.05% | 87.34% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 37 | 37 | 0.87% | 0.95% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 17 | 14 | 0.40% | 0.36% |
| Asian (NH) | 44 | 52 | 1.03% | 1.34% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 1 | 1 | 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Some other race (NH) | 2 | 29 | 0.05% | 0.74% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 53 | 124 | 1.24% | 3.18% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 185 | 236 | 4.34% | 6.06% |
| Total | 4,263 | 3,895 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,895 people, 2,001 households, and 1,310 families residing in the city.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 4,263 people, 2,278 households, and 1,100 families residing in the city.
Points of interest
Chicken Church
Madeira Beach's Church By The Sea is a non-denominational church serving the gulf beaches including Madeira Beach, Treasure Island, Redington, St. Pete Beach, as well as the cities of Seminole and St. Petersburg. Consruction for the church lasted from 1944 to 1946.
The church has become a tourist attraction because its tower resembles a chicken; it is known colloquially as the "Chicken Church".
John's Pass Marina
On September 24, 1848, a strong hurricane struck the West Coast of Florida. It separated the barrier island on the coast and created a waterway known today as John's Pass. John Levique, along with Joseph Silva, was the one who discovered it and named it after himself, and it is now a federally owned canal.
In 2022, the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, included in the budget $1,500,000 to dredge John's Pass.
See also
In Spanish: Madeira Beach para niños
