Okeechobee, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Okeechobee, Florida
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| City of Okeechobee | ||
Aerial view of the city in 2013
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Location in Okeechobee County and the state of Florida
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Florida | |
| County | Okeechobee | |
| Incorporated | June 4, 1915 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Mayor-Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4.15 sq mi (10.76 km2) | |
| • Land | 4.06 sq mi (10.50 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.10 sq mi (0.25 km2) 0.96% | |
| Elevation | 26 ft (8 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,254 | |
| • Density | 1,295.36/sq mi (500.20/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
34972-34974
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| Area code(s) | 863 | |
| FIPS code | 12-51200 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0288073 | |
| Website | http://www.cityofokeechobee.com | |
Okeechobee (pronounced OH-kee-CHOH-bee) is a city in Florida, United States. It is the main city and county seat of Okeechobee County. In 2020, about 5,254 people lived in the city.
The area near Lake Okeechobee was hit very hard by the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. This was one of the strongest and deadliest hurricanes ever to hit the United States. Okeechobee also has its own airport, called Okeechobee County Airport.
Contents
History of Okeechobee
Okeechobee is near where the Battle of Lake Okeechobee took place. This was a big battle during the Second Seminole War. It happened in the 1830s between American soldiers led by Zachary Taylor and Seminole warriors. The Seminoles were fighting against being forced to move from their homes.
From 1918 to 1929, the famous drink company Coca-Cola had a factory in Okeechobee. They bottled their drinks there. But the factory was damaged by the 1928 hurricane, so they stopped bottling in Okeechobee.
In the 1930s, Okeechobee was a busy center for trade. Farmers shipped many train cars full of winter vegetables from here. The city also had chicken farms, a plant that shipped catfish, and even a business that raised bullfrogs. People raised bullfrogs because their legs were a popular food. Farmers would attract insects for the frogs to eat by putting out rotting meat or planting flowers.
Geography and Climate
Okeechobee is located at coordinates 27°14′38″N 80°49′17″W / 27.24389°N 80.82139°W. It sits just north of the large Lake Okeechobee. A stream called Taylor Creek flows through the eastern part of the city.
Major roads like US routes 98 and 441 pass through Okeechobee. State roads 70, 700, and 15 also serve the area.
The city covers about 4.2 square miles (10.76 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Climate in Okeechobee
Okeechobee has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot and humid summers. The winters are warm and usually drier. It's almost a tropical climate!
| Climate data for Okeechobee, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1945–2011 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 87 (31) |
87 (31) |
94 (34) |
97 (36) |
100 (38) |
100 (38) |
101 (38) |
101 (38) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
91 (33) |
89 (32) |
101 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 83.0 (28.3) |
84.3 (29.1) |
87.1 (30.6) |
90.1 (32.3) |
93.6 (34.2) |
95.3 (35.2) |
96.7 (35.9) |
96.5 (35.8) |
94.7 (34.8) |
92.0 (33.3) |
87.0 (30.6) |
83.7 (28.7) |
97.8 (36.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 74.4 (23.6) |
76.9 (24.9) |
82.3 (27.9) |
84.4 (29.1) |
88.5 (31.4) |
90.3 (32.4) |
92.0 (33.3) |
91.9 (33.3) |
90.1 (32.3) |
86.2 (30.1) |
80.3 (26.8) |
75.9 (24.4) |
84.4 (29.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 63.2 (17.3) |
65.8 (18.8) |
70.5 (21.4) |
74.2 (23.4) |
78.3 (25.7) |
81.8 (27.7) |
83.3 (28.5) |
83.4 (28.6) |
81.8 (27.7) |
77.0 (25.0) |
70.2 (21.2) |
65.4 (18.6) |
74.6 (23.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 52.1 (11.2) |
54.8 (12.7) |
58.7 (14.8) |
64.0 (17.8) |
68.1 (20.1) |
73.2 (22.9) |
74.5 (23.6) |
74.8 (23.8) |
73.5 (23.1) |
67.8 (19.9) |
60.1 (15.6) |
55.0 (12.8) |
64.7 (18.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 33.8 (1.0) |
37.3 (2.9) |
41.9 (5.5) |
48.6 (9.2) |
58.6 (14.8) |
67.0 (19.4) |
69.4 (20.8) |
70.5 (21.4) |
67.6 (19.8) |
54.6 (12.6) |
45.3 (7.4) |
36.9 (2.7) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 16 (−9) |
26 (−3) |
29 (−2) |
37 (3) |
49 (9) |
54 (12) |
63 (17) |
65 (18) |
60 (16) |
41 (5) |
33 (1) |
20 (−7) |
16 (−9) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.47 (63) |
2.12 (54) |
2.96 (75) |
2.86 (73) |
4.15 (105) |
7.28 (185) |
5.90 (150) |
7.31 (186) |
7.23 (184) |
3.80 (97) |
1.89 (48) |
2.33 (59) |
50.30 (1,278) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 5.6 | 7.3 | 15.8 | 13.2 | 13.7 | 13.6 | 7.2 | 4.9 | 6.8 | 106.7 |
| Source: NOAA (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 900 | — | |
| 1930 | 1,795 | 99.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,658 | −7.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,849 | 11.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,947 | 59.4% | |
| 1970 | 3,715 | 26.1% | |
| 1980 | 4,225 | 13.7% | |
| 1990 | 4,943 | 17.0% | |
| 2000 | 5,376 | 8.8% | |
| 2010 | 5,621 | 4.6% | |
| 2020 | 5,254 | −6.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, Okeechobee had 5,254 people living in 1,814 households. About 1,316 of these were families.
- About 6.7% of the people were under 5 years old.
- About 22.5% were under 18 years old.
- About 17.0% were 65 years or older.
- Almost half of the population (47.7%) was female.
- There were 383 veterans living in the city.
- About 14% of the people were born in other countries.
In 2020, the average household income was $40,149. The average income per person was $21,449. About 21.8% of the people lived below the poverty threshold, which means they had very low incomes.
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White (NH) | 3,524 | 3,196 | 62.69% | 60.83% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 496 | 502 | 8.82% | 9.55% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 58 | 40 | 1.03% | 0.76% |
| Asian (NH) | 46 | 71 | 0.82% | 1.35% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 2 | 2 | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| Some other race (NH) | 7 | 18 | 0.12% | 0.34% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 70 | 165 | 1.25% | 3.14% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,418 | 1,260 | 25.23% | 23.98% |
| Total | 5,621 | 5,254 |
Fun Things to See and Do
On December 25, 1837, Lake Okeechobee was the location of an important battle. This was the Battle of Lake Okeechobee during the Second Seminole War. Today, the battlefield is a park that covers about 145 acres (0.59 square kilometers). Each year, people hold reenactments of the battle there.
In 2016, the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival started. This festival lasts for several days and features many different types of music. About 30,000 people came to the first festival! It has continued every year since then, and another festival is planned for 2023.
Famous People from Okeechobee
- Janet Bonnema, a civil engineer
- Kutter Crawford, a baseball player in MLB
- Evan Neal, a football player in the NFL
- Lonnie Pryor, a football player in the NFL
- Reggie Rembert, a football player in the NFL
- Thomas Rooney, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Florida's 17th congressional district
See also
In Spanish: Okeechobee para niños
