Pensacola, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the mainland city Pensacola. For the nearby beachside community, see Pensacola Beach, Florida. For other Pensacola-related articles, see: Pensacola (disambiguation).
| Pensacola, Florida | |||
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| Nickname: "The City of Five Flags" | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
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| State | Florida | ||
| County | Escambia | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | John Fogg | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 39.7 sq mi (102.7 km²) | ||
| - Land | 22.7 sq mi (58.8 km²) | ||
| - Water | 16.9 sq mi (43.9 km²) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - City | 54,734 | ||
| - Density | 2,478.1/sq mi (956.8/km²) | ||
| - Metro | 437,125 | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| Website: pensacolacitygov.com | |||
Pensacola is a city in Escambia County, Florida. It is the county seat of Escambia County.GR6
As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 54,055.[1] However, the Pensacola metropolitan area, comprised of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, had a population of 439,877.[2]
Pensacola is a sea port on Pensacola Bay, which connects to the Gulf of Mexico. A large United States Navy airbase, the first in the United States, is located southwest of Pensacola (near the community of Warrington) and is home to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team and the National Museum of Naval Aviation.
Pensacola is nicknamed "The City of Five Flags" due to the five flags that have flown over it during its history: the flags of Spain (Castile), France, Great Britain, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. Other nicknames include "World's Whitest Beaches" (due to the white sand prevalent along beaches in the Florida panhandle), "Cradle of Naval Aviation" (the National Museum of Naval Aviation is located at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, home of the legendary Blue Angels), "Western Gate to the Sunshine State," "America's First Settlement," "Emerald Coast," "Redneck Riviera," and "Red Snapper Capital of the World."
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[edit] History
Pensacola, Florida has had a rich and colorful history over 450 years, being the first settlement in the continental United States (1559),[3][4][5] and controlled by 5 nations. Although Pensacola is the oldest settlement, its location has caused great turmoil, with many buildings destroyed by wars, and by numerous major hurricanes. The location, south of the original British colonies, and as the dividing line between French Louisiana and Spanish Florida, along the Perdido River, has caused Pensacola to change ownership several times. Pensacola has been under the possession of the Spanish, French, British, United States, Confederate States, and has remained a part of the U.S. since the end of the American Civil War. Along with wars, numerous hurricanes have been a major factor in Pensacola history.
Early exploration of Pensacola Bay (called Polonza or Ochuse) spanned decades, with Ponce de León (1513), Pánfilo de Narváez (1528), and Hernando de Soto (1539) plus others charting the area.[5]
Due to prior exploration, the first settlement of Pensacola was large, landing on August 15, 1559,[5] and led by Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano with over 1,400 people on 11 ships from Vera Cruz, Mexico.[4] However, weeks later, the colony was decimated by a hurricane on September 19, 1559,[4][5] which killed hundreds, sank 5 ships, grounded a caravel, and ruined supplies. The 1,000 survivors divided to relocate/resupply the settlement, but due to famine and attacks, the effort was abandoned in 1561.[4] About 240 people sailed to Santa Elena (near South Carolina), but another storm hit there, so they sailed to Cuba and scattered.[4] The remaining 50 at Pensacola were taken back to Mexico, and the Viceroy's advisers concluded northwest Florida was too dangerous to settle, for 135 years.[4]
Pensacola was permanently reestablished by the Spanish in 1696 on the mainland, near Fort Barrancas (see map),[6] and became the largest city in Florida, as the capital of the British colony of West Florida in 1763. Another major hurricane devastated the settlement in 1722, causing the French occupation to evacuate, and the Spanish returned.
The Spanish built 3 presidios in Pensacola:[7]
- Presidio Santa Maria de Galve (1698-1719): the presidio included fort San Carlos de Austria (east of present Fort Barrancas) and a village with church;[7]
- Presidio Isla de Santa Rosa (1722-1752): this next presidio was on Santa Rosa Island near the site of present Fort Pickens, but hurricanes battered the island in 1741 and 1752, and the presidio was closed and moved to the mainland;[7]
- Presidio San Miguel de Panzacola (1754-1763): the final presidio was about five miles east of the first presidio, over in the present-day historic district of downtown Pensacola, named from "Panzacola" (of Spain).[7]
From 1763, the British went back to the mainland area of fort San Carlos de Barrancas, building the Royal Navy Redoubt, and Pensacola became the capital of the 14th British colony, West Florida. After Spain joined the American Revolution late, in 1779, the Spanish captured East Florida and West Florida, regaining Pensacola from (1781-1819).[3] In an 1819 Transcontinental Treaty (Adams-Onis), Spain renounced its claims to West Florida and ceded East Florida to the U.S. (US$5 million).[3] In 1821, with Andrew Jackson as provisional governor, Pensacola became part of the United States.[3]
[edit] Geography
[edit] Topography
Pensacola is located at (30.436988, -87.209277).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 102.7 km² (39.7 mi²). 58.8 km² (22.7 mi²) of it is land and 43.9 km² (17.0 mi²) of it (42.77%) is water.
[edit] Climate
The climate of Pensacola is subtropical, with mild winters and hot, humid summers. Summer temperatures are characterized by highs in the low 90s and lows in the mid 70s. The average high in July is 91 °F (32.8 °C), with 59 days per year reaching at least 90 °F (32.2 °C).[8] The average low in July is 75 °F (23.9 °C).[9] Evening thunderstorms are common during the summer months. Temperatures above 100 °F (37.7 °C) are rare, and last occurred in July 1999, when seven days over 100 °F were recorded.[10] The hottest temperature ever recorded in the city was 106 °F (41.1 °C) on July 14, 1980.[9]
Average highs in January are 61 °F (16.1 °C) and average lows are 43 °F (6.1 °C).[9] There are, on average, fifteen nights per year of below freezing temperatures.[11] Temperatures below 20 °F are rare, and last occurred in January 2003, when a low of 18 °F (-7.7 °C) was seen.[12] The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was 5 °F (-15 °C) on January 21, 1985.[9][13]
The city receives 64.28 inches (1633 mm) of precipitation per year, with a rainy season in the summer. The rainiest month is July, with 8.02 inches (204 mm), while 3.89 inches (99 mm) falls in April, the driest month.[9]
[edit] Hurricanes
Pensacola's location on the Florida Panhandle makes it vulnerable to hurricanes. Major hurricanes which have made landfall at or near Pensacola include Eloise (1975), Frederic (1979), Juan (1985), Erin (1995), Opal (1995), Ivan (2004), and Dennis (2005).
Pensacola and several surrounding areas were devastated by Hurricane Ivan. Pensacola found itself on the eastern side of the eyewall, which sent a large storm surge into Escambia Bay that eventually destroyed most of the I-10 Bay Bridge. Over six billion dollars in damage occurred in the metro area and more than 10,000 homes were destroyed, with another 27,000 heavily damaged. NASA created a comparison image to illustrate the massive damage. Hurricane Ivan drove up the cost of housing in the area, leading to a severe shortage of affordable housing. In July 2005, Hurricane Dennis made landfall just east of the city, sparing it the blow it had received from Ivan the year before. However, hurricane and near-hurricane force winds were recorded in downtown, causing moderate damage.
Although Pensacola only received a glancing blow from 2005s devastating Hurricane Katrina, light to moderate damage was reported in the area. Katrina also undermined a large percentage of Pensacola's tourist base from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 80 | 82 | 86 | 96 | 98 | 101 | 106 | 104 | 98 | 92 | 86 | 81 |
| Norm High °F | 61.2 | 64.4 | 70.2 | 76.2 | 83.4 | 89 | 90.7 | 90.1 | 87 | 79.3 | 70.3 | 63.4 |
| Norm Low °F | 42.7 | 45.4 | 51.7 | 57.6 | 65.8 | 72.1 | 74.5 | 74.2 | 70.4 | 59.6 | 51.1 | 44.7 |
| Rec Low °F | 5 | 15 | 22 | 33 | 48 | 56 | 61 | 60 | 43 | 32 | 25 | 11 |
| Precip (in) | 5.34 | 4.68 | 6.4 | 3.89 | 4.4 | 6.39 | 8.02 | 6.85 | 5.75 | 4.13 | 4.46 | 3.97 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [1] | ||||||||||||
[edit] Transportation
Pensacola is served by Interstate 10 and the Interstate 110 spur connecting I-10 with downtown Pensacola. Major air traffic in the Pensacola and greater northwest Florida area is handled by Pensacola Regional Airport. Airlines currently serving Pensacola Regional Airport are Air Tran Airways, American Airlines, Delta, Air Tran, ASA, COMAIR, US Airways, Sky West, Continental, and Continental Express. Amtrak train service [2] and Greyhound bus service [3] are also available. However, Amtrak suspended service to Pensacola (and the rest of the Gulf Coast due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The local bus service is the Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT).
[edit] Demographics
- See also: Escambia County, Florida Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 56,255 people, 24,524 households, and 14,665 families residing in the city, and 402,000 people in the Pensacola MSA. The population density was 956.8/km² (2,478.7/mi²). There were 26,995 housing units at an average density of 459.2/km² (1,189.4/mi²).
There were 24,524 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.92.
In addition to the Christian majority, Pensacola is home to a small but significant Jewish community, whose roots stretch back to the mid to late 1800s. The first Florida chapter of B'nai Brith was founded downtown in 1874, as well as the first temple, Beth-El, in 1876. Paula Ackerman, the first woman who performed rabbinical functions in the United States, was a Pensacola native and led services at Beth-El. Apart from the Reform Beth-El, Pensacola is also served by the Conservative B'nai Israel Synagogue.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,779, and the median income for a family was $42,868. Males had a median income of $32,258 versus $23,582 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,438. About 12.7% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Law and government
- See also: List of mayors of Pensacola, Florida
| Council Members | |
| District | Council Member |
|---|---|
| 1 | P.C. Wu |
| 2 | Sam Hall |
| 3 | Mike DeSorbo |
| 4 | Marty Donovan |
| 5 | John Jerralds |
| 6 | Jewel Canada-Wynn |
| 7 | Ronald Townsend |
| 8 (at large) | Jack Nobles |
| 9 (at large) | Mike Wiggins |
The City of Pensacola is governed by an elected City Council with nine seats, two of which are considered "at large." The city government also has an elected mayor; John Fogg has been the mayor since 1994.
[edit] Politics
Like other parts of the South, Pensacola was solidly Democratic for more than a century after the Civil War. Until the 1970s, most local elections were determined by the Democratic primary. However, since the 1960s, the staunchly conservative military and Bible Belt city has become dependably Republican. In August 2005, registered Republicans outnumbered Democrats for the first time in the area's history. As of August 2005, in Escambia County, 44% of the residents are registered Republicans compared to 39.91% of the population having registered as Democrats with another 13.21% having no party affiliation.[14]
In the 2004 presidential election, 65% of Escambia County residents voted for George W. Bush over John Kerry. The Pensacola area has not supported a Democrat for President since John Kennedy in 1960. In 1968, Pensacola and the rest of North Florida supported American Independent Party candidate George Wallace.
[edit] Regional Representatives
Pensacola is currently represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Jeff Miller (R) and in the U.S. Senate by Bill Nelson (D) and Mel Martinez (R), in the state senate by Charlie Clary (R) and Durell Peaden (R), and in the state house by Clay Ford (R), Dave Murzin (R), and Greg Evers (R).[15]
As of January 2007, Pensacola, and the rest of the State of Florida, are represented by Charlie Crist (R) as the new governor, replacing term-limited Governor Jeb Bush (R).
[edit] City schools and libraries
Public primary and secondary education schools in Pensacola are administered by the Escambia County School District. The University of West Florida, which resides north of the city, is the primary tertiary school in the area. UWF also has the largest library in the region, the John C. Pace Library.
[edit] Universities and colleges
[edit] High schools in the City of Pensacola
- East Hill Christian School
- Pensacola School Of Liberal Arts
- Pensacola High School
- Washington High School
- Pensacola Christian Academy
[edit] Libraries
- West Florida Regional Library System
- Pensacola Public Library — downtown Pensacola
- Lucia M. Tryon Branch Library — on the Pensacola Junior College campus
[edit] Culture
[edit] Festivals and holidays
Major holidays in Pensacola include Mardi Gras and the Fiesta of Five Flags. Celebrations of note in Pensacola are the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, the Seafood Festival, The King Mackerel and Cobia Tournament, Florida Springfest (although canceled in 2006 and 2007), Gracefest (a Christian music festival), Lobsterfest, University of West Florida Festival On The Green, the Bushwhacker Festival and the Bill Fishing Tournament.[citation needed]
[edit] City media
The largest daily newspaper in the area is the Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola is also home to WEAR-TV, the ABC affiliate for Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, and Mobile, Alabama, and WSRE-TV, the local PBS member station, which is operated by Pensacola Junior College. Pensacola Magazine, the city's monthly glossy magazine, and Northwest Florida's Business Climate, the only business magazine devoted to the region, are published locally.
[edit] Sports teams
Pensacola is home to several semiprofessional sports teams:
- The Pensacola Ice Pilots of the ECHL
- The Pensacola Pelicans of the American Association (of Independent Baseball) (AA)
- The Pensacola Aviators of the American Basketball Association current status unknown (ABA)
- The Pensacola Power of the National Women's Football Association (NWFA)
[edit] Sister cities
According to Sister City International, Pensacola has the following sister cities:[17]
Chimbote, Peru
Escazu, Costa Rica
Gorlovka, Ukraine
Gero, Japan- Miraflores, Peru
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
See also: List of sister cities in the United States
[edit] Notable Pensacolians and residents
[edit] Politics, Law and Military
[edit] Religion |
[edit] Sports
[edit] Music and Media |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Pensacola city, Florida - Population Factfinder. United States Census Bureau.
- ^ Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005. United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Jane. Santa Rosa Island - a History (Part 1). Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ a b c d e f Pinson, Steve. The Tristan de Luna Expedition. Pensacola Archeology Lab. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ a b c d "History" (Luna colony at Ochuse/Pensacola). MyFlorida.com. State of Florida, Office of Cultural & Historical Programs (2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ Floripedia: Pensacola, Florida. University of South Florida (2005). Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ a b c d Presidio Isla de Santa Rosa. University of West Florida (2003). Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ Mean Number of Days With Maximum Temperature 90 °F or Higher. National Climatic Data Center (2007-06-23). Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ a b c d e Monthly Averages for Pensacola, FL. The Weather Channel. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ History for Pensacola, Florida on Saturday, July 1, 2000. Weather Underground. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ Mean Number of Days With Minimum Temperature 32 °F or Less. National Climatic Data Center (2004-06-23). Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ History for Pensacola, Florida on Friday, January 24, 2003. Weather Underground. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ History for Pensacola, Florida on Sunday, December 26, 2004. Weather Underground. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ Stafford, David H. Voter Statistics. EscambiaVotes.com. Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
- ^ Representatives, Regular Session 2007. Florida House of Representatives. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ Berrett, Dan. "The Complete List of the 1,000 Top U.S. Schools", Newsweek. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ Online Directory: Florida, USA. Sister Cities International. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
[edit] External links
- City of Pensacola
- Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce
- City Parks
- Pensacola Florida Vacation and Relocation Guide
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles to be split | Escambia County, Florida | 1698 establishments | Cities in Florida | County seats in Florida | Pensacola, Florida | U.S. colonial and territorial capitals | Port cities in the United States | Gulf of Mexico
