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Charlotte County, Florida
Punta Gorda, FL, Courthouse, Charlotte County, 04-18-2010 (1)
The Old Charlotte County Courthouse at Punta Gorda in April 2010.
Seal of Charlotte County, Florida
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Charlotte County
Location in the state of Florida
Map of the U.S
Florida's location in the U.S.
Founded April 23, 1921
Named for Charlotte Harbor
Seat Punta Gorda
Largest community Port Charlotte
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

858 sq mi (2,222 km²)
680 sq mi (1,761 km²)
178 sq mi (461 km²), 20.7%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

186,847
268/sq mi (103/km²)
Congressional district 17th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.CharlotteCountyfl.gov

Charlotte County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 186,847.[1] Its county seat is Punta Gorda.[2]

Charlotte County comprises the Punta Gorda, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the North Port-Sarasota, FL Combined Statistical Area.

History[]

Charlotte County was established April 23, 1921. It was named for the Bay of Charlotte Harbor. "Charlotte" came from "Carlota" (Spanish). In 1565, the Spanish named "Bahia de Carlota," followed by the English in 1775 who named the area Charlotte Harbor in tribute to the Queen Charlotte Sophia, wife of King George III. Punta Gorda is the only incorporated city in Charlotte County.

On August 13, 2004 Charlotte County was devastated when Hurricane Charley came ashore near Port Charlotte as a Category 4 hurricane.

Historic places[]

Historic places in Charlotte County include the Old Charlotte County Courthouse as well as those on the List of Registered Historic Places in Charlotte County.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 858 square miles (2,220 km2), of which 680 square miles (1,800 km2) is land and 178 square miles (460 km2) (20.7%) is water.[3] Charlotte Harbor Estuary is an important natural preserve and one of the most productive in Florida.

Adjacent counties[]

National protected area[]

  • Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1930 4,013
1940 3,663 −8.7%
1950 4,286 17.0%
1960 12,594 193.8%
1970 27,559 118.8%
1980 58,460 112.1%
1990 110,975 89.8%
2000 141,627 27.6%
2010 159,978 13.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]
1790-1960[5] 1900-1990[6]
1990-2000[7] 2010-2020[1]

As of the census[8] of 2010, there were 159,978 people, 73,370 households, and 44,130 families residing in the county. The population density was 234 people per square mile (79/km2). There were 100,632 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile (44/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.05% White, 5.68% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 5.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 92.3% spoke only English at home. 3.0% of the population spoke Spanish at home and 1.1% French.

There were 73,370 households, out of which 17.66% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.56.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 14.30% under the age of 18, 5.38% from 18 to 24, 6.99% from 25 to 34, 39.21% from 35 to 64, and 34.12% who were 65 years of age or older (making this the county with the highest percentage of people over 65 in America). The median age was 56.43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.58 males.

The median income for a household (2007-2011) in the county was $45,112; median income for families (2007-2011) was $47,415. Males (2011) had a median income of $27,352 versus $26,861 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,875. About 5.30% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.40% of those under age 18 and 5.60% of those age 65 or over.

According to an October 2001 Census Brief of the 2000 Census, Charlotte County had the highest median age of any U.S. county with a population of more than 100,000 people at 54.3.[9] The median age in 2010 for Charlotte County was 55.9 years, second only to Sumter County in Florida.

Government and politics[]

Charlotte County Commission Deutsch

Commissioner Deutsch giving a speech during his campaign for re-election in 2018.

Charlotte County Fire & EMS at Hospital

Charlotte County Fire & EMS apparatus at Fawcett Memorial Hospital

The county is governed by a five-person Commission, all of them elected to represent districts within the county for a four-year term. The elections are partisan according to political party affiliation and primaries are held months earlier in the event there are numerous candidates. All registered voters in the county are allowed to vote for a candidate Commissioner in each the five districts, not just the voters living in a particular district.

The five current Commissioners for Charlotte County, Florida and terms of office expirations:

  • Ken Doherty (R), District 1, November 3, 2020[10]
  • Christopher Constance (R), District 2, November 8, 2022[11]
  • Bill Truex (R) District 3, November 3, 2020[10]
  • Stephen R. Deutsch (R) District 4, November 8, 2022[11]
  • Joe Tiseo (R) District 5, November 3, 2020[10]

Charlotte County, as is typical for the southwestern Florida coast, became and remained a solidly Republican county in the years following the Second World War. No Democrat has won the county since Lyndon Johnson did so during his 1964 landslide,[12] with only Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 not being outvoted by an absolute majority due to the appeal of Ross Perot. Charlotte resisted George Wallace in the 1968 election to still return an absolute Republican majority, unlike several neighboring counties.

United States presidential election results for Ross County, Ohio[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 73,243 62.84% 42,273 36.27% 1,042 0.89%
2016 60,218 61.96% 33,445 34.41% 3,524 3.63%
2012 47,996 56.52% 35,906 42.28% 1,021 1.20%
2008 45,205 52.87% 39,031 45.65% 1,263 1.48%
2004 44,428 55.68% 34,256 42.93% 1,102 1.38%
2000 35,428 52.96% 29,646 44.31% 1,826 2.73%
1996 27,847 44.18% 27,121 43.03% 8,059 12.79%
1992 24,311 39.17% 22,907 36.91% 14,846 23.92%
1988 28,893 63.98% 15,974 35.37% 292 0.65%
1984 27,486 70.85% 11,305 29.14% 2 0.01%
1980 20,486 64.62% 9,769 30.82% 1,445 4.56%
1976 12,703 54.44% 10,300 44.14% 330 1.41%
1972 12,888 76.64% 3,874 23.04% 55 0.33%
1968 6,056 50.58% 3,647 30.46% 2,270 18.96%
1964 4,163 46.29% 4,831 53.71% 0 0.00%
1960 3,026 60.92% 1,941 39.08% 0 0.00%
1956 1,589 63.11% 929 36.89% 0 0.00%
1952 1,134 58.79% 795 41.21% 0 0.00%
1948 559 44.09% 520 41.01% 189 14.91%
1944 404 33.86% 789 66.14% 0 0.00%
1940 407 30.90% 910 69.10% 0 0.00%
1936 548 41.20% 782 58.80% 0 0.00%
1932 396 29.33% 954 70.67% 0 0.00%
1928 593 55.73% 441 41.45% 30 2.82%
1924 167 31.21% 321 60.00% 47 8.79%



Voter Registration[]

Voter Registration and Party Membership as of July 10, 2018[14]
Party Number of Votes Percentage
Republican 59,317 44.83%
Democratic 36,243 27.39%
Others 36,760 27.78%
Total 132,320 100.0%

Economy[]

Top employers[]

The top private employers of Charlotte County are as follows:

  1. Publix Super Markets, Inc. (1,665)
  2. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (1,500)
  3. St Joseph Preferred Healthcare Inc (1,400)
  4. Millennium Physician Group, LLC (1,326)
  5. Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte Hma, Inc. (1,080)
  6. Fawcett Memorial Hospital (895)
  7. Palm Motor Cars Company (595)
  8. Sun Coast Media Group (493)
  9. Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. (474)
  10. Home Depot U.S.A., Inc. (450)
  11. Tidewell Hospice, Inc. (400)
  12. Seabreeze Electric, Inc. (329)
  13. Smugglers Enterprises Inc. (275)
  14. Supermedia LLC (254)
  15. Walgreen Co. (253)
  16. McDonald's (245)
  17. Punta Gorda Associates (230)
  18. Port Charlotte Rehabilitation Center (205)
  19. Douglas T Jacobson State Veterans Home (200)
  20. Sam's West, Inc. (200)

Education[]

Florida SouthWestern State College maintains a campus in the county. Southern Technical College operates a campus in the county. Charlotte County Public Schools administers all public schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Western Michigan University operated a regional location in the county until August 2019 when they closed the school. AeroGuard Flight Training Center opened a flight school at the airport. The Airframe and Power Plant Program offered through Charlotte Technical College will most likely be ready to open at the airport beginning January 2021.

Library[]

The Charlotte County Library System consists of 4 library branches.[15]

  • Port Charlotte Public Library
  • Punta Gorda Public Library
  • Englewood Charlotte Public Library
  • Mid-County Regional Library

The erection of the first library was in 1963.[16] In 1976, Charlotte County and Glades County joined to make the Charlotte-Glades Library System. One reason the counties paired together was due to the additional $50,000 in state aid to libraries who join together to serve the public. Charlotte County was financially responsible in the relationship. In 2008 the two counties separated and reverted to providing services to residents and visitors of their own communities.[17] The newest addition to the library system was an expansion to the Englewood Branch; the new building created is an additional 6,500 square feet. This provides more space for the youth services department, a new computer lab, and an archives run by the historical department.[18]

Communities[]

City[]

  • Punta Gorda

New city[]

  • Babcock Ranch, a proposed solar-powered city

Census-designated places (unincorporated)[]

  • Charlotte Harbor
  • Charlotte Park
  • Cleveland
  • Englewood
  • Grove City
  • Harbour Heights
  • Manasota Key
  • Port Charlotte
  • Rotonda
  • Solana

Other unincorporated communities[]

  • Adrian Town
  • Boca Grande
  • Cape Haze
  • Deep Creek
  • Little Gasparilla Island
  • Murdock
  • Placida
  • South Gulf Cove

Transportation[]

Airports[]

  • Punta Gorda Airport (Florida)

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Charlotte County, Florida
  • Southwest Florida

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12015.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html. 
  4. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  5. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  6. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/fl190090.txt. 
  7. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  8. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  9. ^ "Census 2000 Brief" (PDF). https://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-12.pdf. 
  10. ^ a b c "Summary Results - Election Night Reporting" (in en). https://enr.electionsfl.org/CHA/Summary/1621/. 
  11. ^ a b "Summary Results - Election Night Reporting" (in en). https://enr.electionsfl.org/CHA/Summary/1968/. 
  12. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  14. ^ "Charlotte County Supervisor of Elections > Home". https://www.charlottevotes.com/. 
  15. ^ "Charlotte County Library System: Home Page". http://www2.youseemore.com/charlottecounty/. 
  16. ^ "Charlotte County Government. Charlotte County Weekly Department Highlights". http://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/dept.admin/Documents/Highlights20131022.pdf. 
  17. ^ Charlotte County Government. Charlotte-Glades Library System Long-Range Plan of Service.
  18. ^ "Sweet Sparkman Architects. Englewood Charlotte Library.". http://www.sweetsparkman.com/projects/master-planning/. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 26°54′N 81°57′W / 26.90, -81.95


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Charlotte County, Florida. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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