Sebastian, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sebastian, Florida
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| City of Sebastian | ||
City hall
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| Motto(s):
"Home Of Pelican Island"
"Friendly People and Six Old Grouches" |
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Location in Indian River County and the state of Florida
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 Sebastian, Florida
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Florida | |
| County | Indian River | |
| Settled | 1870s | |
| First settlers | Andrew Canova, Ed Marr, Thomas New, and David Peter Gibson | |
| Incorporated (municipality) | Dec. 6, 1924 | |
| Incorporated (city) | May 18, 1925 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Council-manager government | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 14.84 sq mi (38.44 km2) | |
| • Land | 14.00 sq mi (36.26 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.84 sq mi (2.18 km2) | |
| Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 25,054 | |
| • Density | 1,789.70/sq mi (691.02/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP Codes |
32958, 32978
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| Area code(s) | 772 | |
| FIPS code | 12-64825 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0295607 | |
| Website | City of Sebastian Florida | |
Sebastian is a city in Indian River County, Florida, United States. It is located where the St. Sebastian River meets the Indian River Lagoon. This lagoon separates Sebastian from the Atlantic Ocean.
In 2020, about 25,054 people lived in Sebastian. The city is on Florida's east coast. It is about halfway between the cities of St. Augustine and Miami.
Sebastian is famous for being very close to the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. This special place is on a barrier island to the east. President Theodore Roosevelt created Pelican Island in 1903. It was the very first national wildlife refuge in the United States!
Sebastian is just north of Vero Beach. Together, these two cities are important parts of the Metropolitan Statistical Area in northern South Florida.
Contents
History of Sebastian
In 1715, several Spanish ships were carrying valuable treasure. They ran into a big storm off the coast of what is now called the Treasure Coast. These ships were lost at sea. Experts believe that only a small part of this sunken treasure has been found so far. The treasure from the 1715 fleet is thought to be worth more than $500 million!
The area where Sebastian is now was a small fishing village as early as the 1870s. In the early 1880s, people like David Peter Gibson and Thomas New moved there. Thomas New tried to start a post office and wanted to call the town "New Haven." However, New had some problems with his job as postmaster and was replaced.
Officially, Sebastian was founded in 1882. It was named St. Sebastian, after Saint Sebastian. Later, the "St." was removed from the town's name, but it stayed in the river's name. Sebastian became an official city in 1923.
A very important event happened nearby in 1903. Pelican Island was named the first National Wildlife Refuge in the United States. This helped protect many birds and other wildlife.
Geography and Climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Sebastian covers about 13.66 square miles (35.38 square kilometers) of land.
Weather in Sebastian
| Climate data for Sebastian | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
90 (32) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
102 (39) |
97 (36) |
99 (37) |
93 (34) |
90 (32) |
90 (32) |
102 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 73 (23) |
74 (23) |
77 (25) |
80 (27) |
85 (29) |
88 (31) |
89 (32) |
89 (32) |
87 (31) |
83 (28) |
77 (25) |
73 (23) |
81 (27) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 54 (12) |
56 (13) |
59 (15) |
64 (18) |
68 (20) |
72 (22) |
74 (23) |
74 (23) |
74 (23) |
69 (21) |
62 (17) |
56 (13) |
65 (18) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 24 (−4) |
29 (−2) |
26 (−3) |
37 (3) |
46 (8) |
55 (13) |
62 (17) |
63 (17) |
61 (16) |
44 (7) |
31 (−1) |
24 (−4) |
24 (−4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.1 (53) |
2.2 (56) |
3.5 (89) |
3.5 (89) |
3.6 (91) |
5.1 (130) |
5.8 (150) |
6.0 (150) |
9.1 (230) |
7.1 (180) |
2.4 (61) |
1.6 (41) |
52 (1,320) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
Sebastian has warm weather for most of the year. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are mild and pleasant. The city gets a lot of rain, especially during the late summer and early fall months.
Population of Sebastian
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 386 | — | |
| 1940 | 425 | 10.1% | |
| 1950 | 376 | −11.5% | |
| 1960 | 698 | 85.6% | |
| 1970 | 825 | 18.2% | |
| 1980 | 2,831 | 243.2% | |
| 1990 | 10,205 | 260.5% | |
| 2000 | 16,181 | 58.6% | |
| 2010 | 21,929 | 35.5% | |
| 2020 | 25,054 | 14.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, there were 25,054 people living in Sebastian. There were 10,684 households and 6,691 families.
About 14.4% of the people in Sebastian were under 18 years old in 2020. Also, 35.5% of the population was over 65 years old. The average household had about 2.39 people. Slightly more than half of the population (51.6%) were female.
The average income for a household in Sebastian was about $54,986 in 2020. The average income per person was $32,400. About 10.6% of the people lived below the poverty line.
Education in Sebastian
The School District of Indian River County is in charge of the public schools in Sebastian.
The city has three elementary schools: Sebastian Elementary, Pelican Island Elementary, and Treasure Coast Elementary. There are also two middle schools: Sebastian River Middle School and Sebastian Charter Junior High. For high school, students attend Sebastian River High School.
The North County Public Library is located west of the city center. It is part of the Indian River County Library System.
Transportation in Sebastian
The GoLine Bus system helps people get around. Buses operate from the North County Transit Hub. This hub is located at 90th Avenue and Sebastian Boulevard. Buses go to different parts of Indian River County.
Notable People from Sebastian
- Bryan Augenstein - A baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball. He was born in Sebastian.
- Jim Gary - An American sculptor known for his unique art. He was born in Sebastian.
- Arlo Guthrie - A famous American folk singer-songwriter.
- Paul Kroegel - An American conservationist who worked to protect nature.
See also
In Spanish: Sebastián (Florida) para niños
