Rotonda West is an
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to:
* Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality
* Unincorporated entity, a type of organization
* Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
,
deed-restricted community situated in
Charlotte County, Florida
Charlotte County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 186,847. Its county seat is Punta Gorda.
Charlotte County comprises the Punta Gorda, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...
, United States. The 2020 U.S. Census Bureau lists it as the Rotonda
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
, with a population of 10,114. It is part of the
Sarasota-Bradenton-Punta Gorda Combined Statistical Area. It was developed and named Rotonda West by Cavanagh Communities Corporation, which purchased the land in 1969.
That developer also bought land for a projected but never developed community named Rotonda East in southern
Martin County and northern
Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County is a county located in the southeastern part of Florida and lies directly north of Broward County and Miami-Dade County. The county had a population of 1,492,191 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous county ...
. The land selected for that development was swamp land and it was not considered wise to drain those wetlands due to changing views on the ecological value of wetlands, and the Army Corps of Engineers refused a permit, so the Rotonda East project was abandoned.
The area was part of ranch lands prior to development for housing in the 1970s. Although the community's layout mimics that of temporary
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
airfields, there was no airfield at this location prior to the construction of the development; the land was instead part of a large cattle ranch.
History
The land was first part of a large cattle ranch owned by brothers William and Alfred Vanderbilt, direct descendants of Cornelius Vanderbilt. They purchased the land in 1952 and sold a portion in 1969 that became Rotonda West.
The development of Rotonda West began in 1970. The layout of Rotonda West precisely mimics temporary
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
airfields in Florida, laid out like a wagon wheel. There are canals as well as streets in this development; the canals are generally parallel to the streets. Shallow craft can maneuver on the canals.
The choice of the airfield layout as the pattern for Rotonda West gives it a flavor of Florida history, however there was no airfield at this location prior to development.
This area was one of many in Florida hit by
Hurricane Ian
Hurricane Ian was a large and destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane that was the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. Ian caused widespread damage across western Cuba and the southeast Unit ...
in September 2022.
Geography
Rotonda West is located at .
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the Rotonda CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 7.74%, is water.
Public schools
Rotonda West falls within the
Charlotte County Public School district. Two schools are adjacent to the Rotonda West area: L.A. Ainger Middle School and Vineland Elementary School. The high school located near Rotonda West is Lemon Bay High School. Both schools have received an A from the state more than five years in a row.
Center of Rotonda
There is a large park located inside the center of Rotonda West with a playground, tennis courts, and a walking path. There is also a designated area where people can pay to park boats, trailers, and RVs. There is also a water treatment plant next to the RV & Boat Parking.
Climate
Located in southwest
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
on the
Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...
, the weather usually stays relatively mild. In the summer, it is common for temperatures to reach the low to mid-90s, however, this is tempered by sea breezes from the Gulf. At night in the summer, temperatures quickly drop to the low to mid 70s. In the winter, hard freezes are extremely rare. It is more common to have frost on the ground briefly in pre-dawn hours in the winter season, however it quickly melts shortly after sunrise. Temperatures average 50 - 70 degrees during the winter.
Summer
thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are someti ...
s are common. The dry season is in the winter.
Demographics
As of the census
of 2010, there were 8,759 people, 4,414 households, and 2,925 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 6,581 housing units at an average density of 618.5/mi
2 (238.8/km). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.3%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 1.0%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.1%
Native American, 0.7%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.3% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.50% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
people of any race made up 1.9% of the population.
There were 4,414 households, out of which 10.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 19.9% of all households had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.38.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 10.3% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 10.3% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 44.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 62.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
According to the 2017 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the CDP was $47,586, and the median income for a family was $53,680. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $28,391. About 3.1% of families and 5.5% 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 t ...
, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
In popular culture
Baseball superstar
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cali ...
, appearing at a "Superstars" television competition in Rotonda in 1977, gave a derogatory opinion of the community when he excused himself from an interview for a bathroom break: "I gotta take a Rotonda," he quipped.
References
External links
Rotonda West AssociationGolf Courses in the Rotonda West Area
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in Charlotte County, Florida
Census-designated places in Charlotte County, Florida
Census-designated places in Florida
Unincorporated communities in Florida
1970 establishments in Florida
Populated places established in 1970