Glades County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,126, making it the fourth-least populous county in Florida. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Moore Haven. Glades County is in the Clewiston micropolitan area, a Micropolitan statistical area (μSA) which also includes Hendry County. These two counties, along with the Cape Coral-Fort Myers (Lee County) MSA and the Naples-Marco Island (Collier County) MSA, constitute the Cape Coral- Fort Myers-

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

Combined Statistical Area (CSA).

Awards

* Gov.

Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. A member of the Bush family, Bush political family, he was an unsuccessful candidate for pre ...

acknowledged

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

winning the Florida's Outstanding Rural Community of the Year 2002 award after "providing a safe community shelter to be used during storms." * Senior Ranger Danny Callahan, of the Florida Forest Service presented Jimmy Cianfrani and the

Community with a "10 Year Firewise Service Award" for "its diligence and commitment to the National Firewise Communities USA program. From the smallest project of cleaning the debris off their roofs to the largest undertaking of clearing flammable vegetation 30 feet away from their houses, the Muse Community’s dedication to reducing wildfire risk is commendable."

History

Indigenous people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

lived in this area for thousands of years. Due to warfare and exposure to

infectious diseases infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

after

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an contact, native tribes became depopulated. In the eighteenth century, when the area was under Spanish rule, Native American peoples of Creek and other tribes migrated into present-day Florida from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. Africans and

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

who escaped from

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

and shipwrecks also migrated to the area, where they created

maroon Maroon ( , ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word , meaning chestnut. ''Marron'' is also one of the French translations for "brown". Terms describing interchangeable shades, with overlapping RGB ranges, inc ...

communities. Some were given freedom by the Spanish in exchange for serving with their militias. Gradually the

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

nation formed out of these multi-ethnic people. Some African-descended people set up communities near the Seminole and became known as Black Seminole. In the nineteenth century, most of the Seminole and many blacks were removed to

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

after the

Seminole Wars The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were a series of three military conflicts between the United States and the Seminoles that took place in Florida between about 1816 and 1858. The Seminoles are a Native American nation which co ...

, a result of pressure from increasing Anglo-American settlement. Glades County was created, in 1921, from Desoto County. It was named for the Florida Everglades, though most of the county is prairie and pinelands. It is one of five counties surrounding Lake Okeechobee and the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Glades County sponsors one of Florida's oldest recurring festivals. '' Chalo Nitka'' Festival is a celebration of local history and culture, similar to a county fair. The festival also draws attention to the long and friendly relationship between the local

groups and Glades County settlers. Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation is located in the county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (18.3%) is water. Fisheating Creek is a stream that flows into Lake Okeechobee in Florida. It is the only remaining free-flowing watercourse feeding into the lake and the second-largest natural source for the lake. Glades was added to the Clewiston micropolitan area ( μSA) in July 2023.

Adjacent counties

* Highlands County, Florida - north * Okeechobee County, Florida - northeast *

Martin County, Florida Martin County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state, state of Florida, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 158,431. Its county seat is Stua ...

- east * Palm Beach County, Florida - southeast * Hendry County, Florida - south *

Lee County, Florida Lee County is located in southwestern Florida, United States, on the Gulf Coast. As of the 2020 census, its population was 760,822. In 2022, the population was 822,453, making it the eighth-most populous county in the state. The county seat ...

- southwest * Charlotte County, Florida - west * DeSoto County, Florida - northwest

Climate

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,126 people, 4,859 households, and 3,247 families residing in the county. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 10,576 people, 3,852 households, and 2,765 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 5,790 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 76.99%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 10.53%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 4.93% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 5.63% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. 15.07% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. In 2005 the population was 67.0% non-Hispanic white, 17.6% Latino, 10.5% African-American and 4.9% Native American. There were 3,852 households, out of which 25.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 22.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.91. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 121.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 125.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,774, and the median income for a family was $34,223. Males had a median income of $29,196 versus $20,987 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $15,338. About 10.70% of families and 15.20% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 18.20% of those under age 18 and 11.20% of those age 65 or over.

Education

* Moore Haven Elementary School * Moore Haven Middle-High School * West Glades School,

* Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School, Brighton Seminole Reservation

Politics

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a majority of registered voters in Glades County.

Energy and environment

Florida Public Service Commission voted unanimously to deny a request by Florida Power and Light to build a huge coal-fired power plant in Glades County, that was to be located several miles to the west of Lake Okeechobee. The Glades County Commission also allowed the construction in 2007 of a landfill on the southwest shore of Lake Okeechobee.

Libraries

Glades County is part of the Heartland Library Cooperative which serves Glades County and some of the surrounding counties, including Okeechobee, Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto. Of the system's seven branches, the Moore Haven branch is the only one located in Glades County.

Communities

Indian reservation

* Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation

County Seat

* Moore Haven

Census-designated places

* Buckhead Ridge * Port LaBelle (part)

Other unincorporated communities

* Lakeport *

* Palmdale * Ortona

Memorials

* The Community Center features a veteran memorial to Jim J. Greer at the base of the flagpole. Memorial reads as follows: ''In Memory of,'' '' SMSGT Jim J. Greer,

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

RET.,'' ''Glades County Tax Collector,'' ''January 1994 to October 2000,'' ''For His Outstanding Service, To'' ''Muse and Glades County, The Muse Community Association,'' ''April 18, 2002.''

Notes

References

External links

''Glades County Democrat''
newspaper that serves Glades County, Florida available in full-text with images i
Florida Digital Newspaper Library

Government links/Constitutional offices

Glades County Supervisor of Elections info

Glades County Tax Collector info

Glades County Sheriff's Office Official Website

Special districts

Glades County School District

South Florida Water Management District

Heartland Library Cooperative

Judicial branch

Glades County Clerk of Courts

Public Defender, 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida
serving Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties
Office of the State Attorney, 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Circuit and County Court for the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida
{{authority control Florida counties 1921 establishments in Florida Populated places established in 1921