Zolfo Springs is a town in
Hardee County
Hardee County is a county located in the Florida Heartland, Central Florida region U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,327. Its county seat is Wauchula.
Hardee County comprises the Wauchula, FL Micropolitan St ...
,
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 ...
, United States. The population was 1,827 at the
2010 census,
up from 1,641 at the 2000 census.
History
Early prosperity in the area (known initially as simply Zolfo) was due to its location along the
Florida Cracker Trail
The Florida Florida cracker, Cracker Trail runs from just east of Bradenton, Florida, Bradenton, and ends in Fort Pierce, Florida, Fort Pierce, a total distance of approximately .
In years past, this route was used for both cattle and horses. Tod ...
, a cattle trail from
Bradenton
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries
A settlement established by Maroons or escaped sl ...
to
Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce is a city in and the county seat of St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Treasure Coast region of Atlantic Coast Florida. It is also known as the Sunrise City, sister to San Francisco, California, the Suns ...
. Cattle herded from this area and the
Florida Heartland
The Florida Heartland (also known as South Central Florida) is a region of Florida located to the north and west of Lake Okeechobee, composed of six inland, non-metropolitan counties— DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeecho ...
was run to the coasts along this route as early as 1850. The Florida Cracker Trail today includes parts of
State Road 64 and
State Road 66 through Zolfo Springs.
In 1886, transportation improved through Zolfo when the
Florida Southern Railway
The Florida Southern Railway (later known as the Florida Southern Railroad) was a railroad that operated in Florida in the late 1800s. It was one of Florida's three notable narrow gauge railway when it was built along with the South Florida Rail ...
(later the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...
) was built through the town on its way from
Bartow to
Punta Gorda.
The railroad built a depot in the town and a post office was established the same year. The railroad was removed in the early 1980s. Today
US 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Highway that spans in the southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length, with ...
runs along the former railroad right of way (with Main Street being the original alignment of US 17).
The town incorporated into the city of Zolfo Springs on September 13, 1904.
Geography
Zolfo Springs is located at the geographic center of Hardee County, at (27.496211, –81.796878).
U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Highway that spans in the southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length, with ...
runs through the center of town, leading north to
Wauchula, the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
, and south to
Arcadia
Arcadia may refer to:
Places Australia
* Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
* Arcadia, Queensland
* Arcadia, Victoria
Greece
* Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese
* Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...
.
Florida State Road 64
State Road 64 (SR 64) extends from City Road 789 (former County Road 789) near the Gulf of Mexico in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County to US 27/ US 98 in Avon Park in Highlands County. State Road 64 travels from west to east th ...
crosses the northern side of town, leading northeast to
Avon Park and west to
Bradenton
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries
A settlement established by Maroons or escaped sl ...
.
SR 66 leaves US 17 at the center of Zolfo Springs and leads east to
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I-69) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. F ...
at the south end of
Sebring.
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 ...
, Zolfo Springs has a total area of , all of it land.
The
Peace River
The Peace River (french: links=no, rivière de la Paix) is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River joins the Athabasca River in th ...
, which flows south to
Punta Gorda, forms part of the northern town boundary.
Pioneer Park Lake
Pioneer Park Lake is a lake in Zolfo Springs, Florida. It is located in Pioneer Park and goes by at least two names. It is known as either Pioneer Park Lake or Twin Lakes. Twin Lakes is an inaccurate name, as only one permanent lake exists. The ...
and Pioneer Park are also inside the town's boundaries.
Demographics
![Zolfo Springs Pioneer Park museum01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Zolfo_Springs_Pioneer_Park_museum01.jpg)
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2017, there were 1,816. In 2000 there were 1,641 people, 497 households, and 399 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,086.5 people per square mile (419.6/km
2). There were 634 housing units at an average density of 419.8 per square mile (162.1/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 65.69%
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 ...
, 3.35%
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 ...
, 0.18%
Native American, 0.12%
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 ...
, 0.12%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, 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 the original p ...
, 29.07% 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 1.46% 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 ...
of any race were 53.63% of the population.
There were 497 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.26 and the average family size was 3.55.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.3% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,972, and the median income for a family was $27,188. Males had a median income of $18,603 versus $17,292 for females. 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 town was $11,397. About 18.7% of families and 27.3% 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 33.2% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.
Media
WZZS-FM (106.9 The Bull)WZSP-FM (105.3 La Zeta)
References
External links
Town of Zolfo Springs official website
{{authority control
Towns in Hardee County, Florida
Towns in Florida