Indian Harbour Beach, Florida

Indian Harbour Beach, Florida
City
City of Indian Harbour Beach
Indian Harbour Beach Skyline
Seal
Motto: "The Greatest Little City in Florida!"
Location in Brevard County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 28°9′7″N 80°35′42″W / 28.15194°N 80.59500°W / 28.15194; -80.59500Coordinates: 28°9′7″N 80°35′42″W / 28.15194°N 80.59500°W / 28.15194; -80.59500
Country	United States of America
State	Florida
County	Brevard
Area[1]
• Total	2.70 sq mi (7.00 km2)
• Land	2.11 sq mi (5.47 km2)
• Water	0.59 sq mi (1.53 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	8,225
• Estimate (2016)[2]	8,586
• Density	4,069.19/sq mi (1,570.79/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
FIPS code	12-33450[3]
GNIS feature ID	0284502[4]
Website	www.indianharbourbeach.org

Indian Harbour Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida. The population was 8,225 at the 2010 United States Census.^[5] It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the town of Indialantic and south of Satellite Beach. It is the first and only community in the United States to be a NOAA Tsunami Ready community along the nation's East Coast.^[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²). 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (18.63%) is water.

Climate

Indian Harbour Beach is located in the region where tropical and temperate climatic zones interface. Daytime temperatures average 90 °F (32 °C) in the summer months and 72 °F (22 °C) in the winter months.^[7] A study commissioned by NASA^[8] lends credence to the notion that Indian Harbour Beach is located in a portion of the North American Atlantic shoreline with a uniquely reduced incidence of catastrophic hurricanes.^[9]

Fauna

Green sea turtle

Threatened Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles nest on the city's ocean beaches at densities of approximately one nest per 10 feet (3.0 m) of shoreline per year. Endangered green sea turtles deposit an average of tens of nests along the city's ocean beach each year.

Endangered right whales calve off the city's shoreline. Endangered West Indian manatees frequent the city's canals and the Banana River. Bald eagles forage over Samsons Island.

The 12 acres (4.9 ha) of wetland created as mitigation by a local developer on Samsons Island provide nutrient-rich, sheltered aquatic habitat serving as finfish nursery and feeding ground for a diverse assemblage of birds and mammals. The city established Samsons Island Nature Park, the only gopher tortoise relocation recipient site on the barrier island. It is occupied by 42 relocated tortoises and three which had been living on the island when development began. The city has erected five osprey nesting platforms on Samsons Island Nature Park, from which young have been fledged. Efforts are now under way to create habitat for use by gopher tortoises and scrub jays. The city is working with faculty of the Florida Institute of Technology to promote graduate student research and class projects on Samsons Island Nature Park and to assist in devising and implementing maintenance programs to preserve and enhance desirable wildlife habitats.^[10]

Flora

There are plant species, both indigenous and imported.^[11] Vegetated sand dunes are found along most of the beach's length and provide the major defense against storm events in the region. Native plant species found on the dunes include sea oats, Sabal palmetto, sea grape, railroad vine, dollar weed, coral bean, Spanish bayonet, wax myrtle, yaupon holly, and several grass species. More salt-tolerant and wind-tolerant species, such as sea oats and railroad vine, are found predominantly on the ocean side of the dune, while other dune vegetation species do not generally show such zonation. These plants assist in building the dune by trapping windblown sand and in stabilizing the dune with extensive lateral root systems.

Geology

There are approximately 10 acres (4.0 ha) of coquina rock outcrops frequently exposed along the low-tide line of Indian Harbour's ocean beach. The National Marine Fisheries Service has classified the rock as an Essential Fish Habitat-Habitat Area of Particular Concern. It is important to aquatic life and found only in a few locations along the Eastern seaboard.

On the Indian Harbour's ocean beach can be found fossil Atlantic ghost crabs, the remnants of a unique set of geological circumstances which preserved these creatures when they died in their burrows perhaps about 110,000 years ago.

There are significant deposits of sand, marl, coquina and possibly phosphate within the limits of Indian Harbour Beach.

Surrounding areas

• Merritt Island; Indian River Lagoon; Banana River; Melbourne
• Atlantic Ocean
• Melbourne
• Satellite Beach

Government

In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $920.7 million.^[12]

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 8,152 people, 3,762 households, and 2,381 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,470.8/km² (3,810.1/mi²). There were 4,315 housing units at an average density of 778.5/km² (2,016.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.40% White, 0.93% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.57% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.28% of the population.

There were 3,762 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.69.

The population was distributed by age with 18.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,889, and the median income for a family was $56,803. Males had a median income of $50,045 versus $29,697 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,986. About 2.3% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

In 2010, the town had the highest percentage of people with undergraduate degrees of any municipality measured in the county, 41%, compared with an average of 26% countywide.^[14]

History

Indian Harbour Beach was founded on June 6, 1955, by W. Lansing Gleason, John H. Neafie and Louis S. Henry.

In 2013, along with Palm Beach and Sanibel, Indian Harbour Beach ranked among the top 3 places to live in Florida according to AreaVibes livability score.^[15]

Education

There is one elementary school, Ocean Breeze Elementary. In 2009, it scored 11th in the state on the FCAT test.^[16]

• Private schools:
  • Chabad Hebrew School
  • Torah Academy Preschool.^[17]

Recreation

There are parks, recreational facilities and natural landscapes.

The Indian Harbour Beach Recreation Center is located in 27 acres (11 ha) Gleason Park on the corner of South Patrick Drive and Yacht Club Boulevard. The Recreation Department offers a wide variety of classes, services and activities, ranging from those for toddlers and preschoolers, to a Senior Leisure-time Club. Also located in the park is the City’s heated competition-size swimming pool – open seven days a week year-round, shuffleboard courts, two playgrounds, a walking/exercise trail and picnic facilities.^[18]

The million-dollar Algonquin Sports Complex located off Wimico Drive is home to senior baseball, major Little League, softball and soccer fields serving multiple age groups. Other city ball fields are located next to Ocean Breeze School and serve minor Little League teams as well as T-ball participants. Some of the special activities offered through our Recreation Department include the annual Art & Crafts Show held the third Saturday in November, the annual Breakfast With The Easter Bunny, and numerous pool activities including American Red Cross instructed summer swim lessons.^[18]

There is a private tennis club^[19] and a private yacht club.

Sunrise at Indian Harbour Beach Park

Public safety

The National Weather Service has named Indian Harbour Beach the first "tsunami-ready" city in Florida.^[20]

The city has a 100% Volunteer Fire Department, consisting of 30+ members and utilizing three Class-A pumpers, including a 75 feet (23 m) ladder truck.^[21]

Infrastructure

Roads

Travelocity.com named route A1A as the "Best Driving Route" in Florida. This runs close to the ocean. A secondary major route, paralleling it, is South Patrick Drive, which is close to the Banana River.

The Florida Department of Transportation maintains A1A, 513, and 518.

See State Roads in Florida for explanation of numbering system.

• SR A1A - Miramar Avenue^[22]
• S 513 - South Patrick Drive
• S 518 - East Eau Gallie Boulevard

Notable people

• Larry Guarino, spent 8 years as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War
• Jim Rathmann, 1960 Indianapolis 500 winner
• Tim Wakefield, Major League Baseball player^[23]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indian Harbour Beach, Florida.

• Official website
• Indian Harbour Beach Volunteer Fire Department