Okeechobee County () is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the Florida Heartland region of the state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,644. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Okeechobee. Okeechobee County comprises the Okeechobee, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facer ...

Port St. Lucie Port St. Lucie is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. It is the most populous municipality in the county with a population of 204,851 at the 2020 census. It is located southeast of Orlando and north of Miami. The Port St. L ...

, FL

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...

History

Okeechobee County was incorporated in 1917. It was named for Lake Okeechobee, which was itself named for the Seminole Indian words ''okee'' (water) and ''chobee'' (big).

Historic buildings

Historic buildings in Okeechobee County include: * First United Methodist Church, 1924 * Freedman-Raulerson House, 1923 * Okeechobee County Courthouse, 1926

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (13.8%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Indian River County - northeast * Martin County - east *

St. Lucie County St. Lucie County ( es, Condado de Santa Lucía, link=) is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 329,226. The county's seat is Fort Pierce. St. Lucie County is included in the Port St. Lucie, FL Metr ...

- east * Glades County - southwest *

Hendry County Hendry County is a county in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,619, down from 42,022 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is LaBelle. Hendry County comprises the Clewisto ...

- southwest * Highlands County - west * Polk County - northwest * Osceola County - northwest

Points of interest

The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, runs along the Herbert Hoover Dike around the Lake.

Transportation

Airports

* Okeechobee County Airport

Major highways

* * * * * * *

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 39,644 people, 14,601 households, and 9,837 families residing in the county. As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 39,996 people, 13,857 households, and 9,016 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 15,504 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 8.6%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, and 1.2% from two or more races. 24.5% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. In 2005 68.5% of the county population was White non-Hispanic, 21.6% of the population was Latino, 8.0% was African-American and both Native Americans and Asians constituted 0.9% of the population. In 2000 there were 12,593 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.07. In the county in 2000 the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.20 males. In 2010 the median income for a household in the county was $36,929, and the median income for a family was $35,163. Males had a median income of $25,574 versus $20,160 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $14,553. About 11.80% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 19.90% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.

Libraries

Okeechobee County is part of the Heartland Library Cooperative which serves Okeechobee County and some of the surrounding counties, including Glades, Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto. The seven-branch library system has one branch in the city of Okeechobee.

Communities

City

* Okeechobee

Census-designated places

* Cypress Quarters * Taylor Creek

Other unincorporated communities

* Ancient Oaks * Barber Quarters * Basinger * Basswood Estates * Country Hills Estates * Deans Court * Dixie Ranch Acres * Duberry Gardens * Echo Estates * Everglades * Fort Drum * Four Seasons * Hilolo * Mildred * Oak Park * Okeechobee Little Farms * Quail Acres * Rookerville * Sherman * Taylor Creek Isle * Treasure Island * Viking Estates * Upthegrove Beach * Whispering Pines

Politics

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a majority of registered voters in Okeechobee County.

External links

Governmental

* Board of County Commissioners *
Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners
* Constitutional Officers *
Okeechobee County Clerk
*
Okeechobee County Supervisor of Elections
*
Okeechobee County Property Appraiser
*
Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office
*
Okeechobee County Tax Collector
* School district *
School Board of Okeechobee County
* Countywide District *
Okeechobee Soil and Water Conservation District
* Multi-county Districts *
Indian River Community College
*
South Florida Water Management District
*
St. Johns River Water Management District
*
Heartland Library Cooperative
**
Tampa Bay Library Consortium
* Judicial *
Okeechobee County Clerk of Courts
*
Public Defender, 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida
*
State Attorney, 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida
*
Circuit and County Courts for the 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Non-governmental

Okeechobee Official Discussion Forum

D.R. Wilson Land Company

Okeechobee County Tourist Development Council

Okeechobee County Guide

''Okeechobee News''
local newspaper for Okeechobee County, Florida fully and openly available in th
Florida Digital Newspaper Library

References

{{authority control Florida counties Florida placenames of Native American origin 1917 establishments in Florida Populated places established in 1917 Micropolitan areas of Florida