| Altha, Florida | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Town Hall of Altha, Florida; 2008. | |
| Location in Calhoun County and the state of Florida | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Calhoun |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.4 sq mi (3.8 km2) |
| • Land | 1.4 sq mi (3.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 203 ft (62 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 506 |
| • Density | 361.4/sq mi (133.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 32421 |
| Area code(s) | 850 |
| FIPS code | 12-01000[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0277823[2] |
Altha is a small town in Calhoun County, Florida, United States. The population was 506 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 507.[3]
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Altha is located at (30.571710, -85.127533)[4].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), of which 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (2.72%) is water.
Altha is located in the northwestern part of Florida, approximately 30 minutes from both the Georgia and Alabama state lines. Altha is in a rural county, with the primary industry being agriculture. Tomatoes, watermelons, green vegetables, cucumbers, peanuts, corn, wheat, and cotton are all major industries in this farming community. The timber industry also thrives in the area, with many farmers electing to plant pine trees.
Altha has an average high temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average low of 51 degrees Fahrenheit. Summers in this area are quite hot and humid, with afternoon showers frequently occurring during the summer months. Altha is located about 35 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, so when tropical storms or hurricanes approach the coastline, weather can become severe. In 2004, during Hurricane Ivan, dozens of homes were destroyed and 4 people were killed because of a severe tornado striking near the town.
The coldest part of the winter occurs during late January and early February. Night time temperatures can dip as low as the lower 20s, and in some isolated instances, even striking the mid teens. Days can be cool during these few weeks, with day time temperatures sometimes struggling to reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Altha is home to Altha Public School, established early after the turn of the twentieth century. The "white building" as it is referred to, is still located on the current campus and houses several classrooms. This building was completed in 1929, and has been renovated several times to retain its natural time period decor while being outfitted for the 21s Century. Unique to Altha School is the fact that it is a PreK through 12th grade school, one of the few remaining such schools in the state of Florida. In fact, less than 20 schools in Florida house students in grades PreK through 12th. The school mascot is the Wildcat, and school colors are purple and gold. Approximately 700 students attend Altha School, a number that actually surpasses the town population of 507. Ranked one of the top schools in Florida, Altha students consistently score well above state average on FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) testing. Altha School is consistently graded as an "A school each year on the Governor's A+ School Grade program. The school excels in its organizations, FCCLA, FBLA, Beta, and FFA.
During its nearly 100 years of existence, Altha Public School has graduated future doctors, lawyers, and politicians. Among the most notable alumni of Altha School is former US Representative Don Fuqua. The Fuqua Family donates a college scholarship to a graduating senior each year to Chipola College in Marianna, Florida.
Altha School has a well known sports reputation and history. It's home to boys' and girls' basketball, golf, volleyball, softball, baseball, weightlifting, The girls' volleyball team has won numerous district, region, and state semi-finals playoffs as well. The boys' and girls' weightlifting teams have won several state championships. Though not as prestigious as other sports teams at the school, the basketball teams perform very respectable each year and pack home crowds into the gymnasium. Though little known, in the 60s football was banned from the school when the head coach promised alcohol to the team if they made it to the championship. The team did outstanding so the coach kept his word, thus ending the sport in its entirety.
Though Altha is a small community there are several spots that are well known locally. The largest employer in Altha, and in fact one of the largest in Calhoun County, is Oglesby Plants International. Employing more than 100 local citizens, Oglesby provides a large economic impact for the Altha.
"The Wilcats Den" restaurant serves as Altha's most popular spot to eat for our high school seniors as well as local business owners. The Chevron, due to its central location, is the hang out for most teenagers on Friday and Saturday nights. New to the area is an ATV track located on Flatwoods Road that brings more opportunity for riding than the labrynth of backroads that have memorized every country boy and girl in the county.
Other local businesses include Superior Bank, Smith's Supermarket, which has operated by the same family for more than 25 years, and Ace Hardware, which has been operated for more than 75 years by the same prominent family, the Waldorffs.
The Chipola River, located about three miles west of Altha, presents a vast range of swimming and fishing to the area with its key boat landings of Johnny Boy, Lamb Eddy, and Look and Tremble. This part of the Chipola River has become famous for its untouched natural beauty and is very popular in the summer months by boaters as well as people who enjoy canoeing or tubing down the river on a lazy summer afternoon. This part of the river remains to be one of the most beautiful stretches of the 60-mile long Chipola River, with its crystal clear waters and lazy currents.
Altha's location also provides convenient access to Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach, with residents being able to reach either location in less than an hour's drive, even in heavy summer traffic.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 506 people, 204 households, and 128 families residing in the town. The population density was 354.8 inhabitants per square mile (136.6/km²). There were 226 housing units at an average density of 158.5 per square mile (61.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.85% White, 0.20% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 2.57% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.93% of the population.
There were 204 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $27,917, and the median income for a family was $40,156. Males had a median income of $26,389 versus $22,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,677. About 8.5% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 29.2% of those age 65 or over.
The ZIP code for Altha, Florida is 32421. The phone prefix is 762.
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