Port Charlotte, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Port Charlotte is a census-designated place (CDP) in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. The population was 46,451 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
Port Charlotte is located at (26.990181, -82.105831)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 61.8 km² (23.9 mi²). 57.7 km² (22.3 mi²) of it is land and 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²) of it (6.66%) is water.
[edit] History
The Port Charlotte area was largely platted and developed by the now-defunct General Development Corporation, which also developed many other subdivisions and municipalities along Florida's west coast. Port Charlotte is not a chartered municipality, but the most-populated area in Charlotte County.
Port Charlotte was hard hit by Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004. The hurricane, predicted to hit Tampa, took a last-minute hard right turn into Charlotte Harbor and caused severe damage in the city of Punta Gorda and in the Port Charlotte area. Many residents were caught by surprise because of many false alarms in recent years.
In the wake of Hurricane Charley, Port Charlotte faces the challenge of finding affordable housing for its service-industry workforce. With many homes and apartments destroyed or damaged beyond repair, many low-income residents who have lived in the area for years have been forced to seek housing elsewhere. As of 2005, property values have doubled and tripled in many areas in less than three years, especially in the wake of speculation following Hurricane Charley. However, in 2006, property values fell greatly in a statewide "market correction" now leaving Charlotte County and the Port Charlotte area one of the most affordable coastal areas in Florida.
Water wars in the area are common between municipalities and counties, all fighting for a dwindling supply from local water management districts, wellfields, and the Peace River.
Port Charlotte has experienced a tremendous boom in land values between 2003 and 2005. About 800 acres of old platted lots in a portion of central Port Charlotte have been taken by the county via eminent domain and will be developed into a big mixed-use development by Kitson and Partners, who was also awarded the contract with the State of Florida and Charlotte County to develop the Babcock Ranch Project.[citation needed]
[edit] Government
The county is governed by a 5-person county commission. They take turns rotating into the commission chair position every year. County commissioners frequently sit on other regional boards involving other municipalities and counties.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 46,451 people, 20,453 households, and 13,601 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 805.3/km² (2,085.9/mi²). There were 23,315 housing units at an average density of 404.2/km² (1,047.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.23% White, 6.53% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.16% of the population.
There were 20,453 households out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 18.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 30.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $33,193, and the median income for a family was $38,406. Males had a median income of $29,019 versus $21,892 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,563. About 7.3% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Notable Residents
Port Charlotte's most famous resident is professional wrestler Jason Sanders who was cast as the main character in the real life inspired novel Backyard Empire. The story itself also takes place in Port Charlotte. Other residents include:
- John Hall, NFL Kicker currently playing for the Washington Redskins; Attended Port Charlotte High School
- Anthony Hargrove, NFL Defensive End currently playing for the Buffalo Bills; Attended Port Charlotte High School and helped lead them to a district championship
The luxury development at Harbor Pointe also houses a number of holiday properties for various celebrities, including a series of FA Premiership football stars including Wayne Rooney and Robbie Savage[1].
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- 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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