Punta Gorda, FL MSA
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Charlotte County is a
U.S. county In the United States, a county is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic region with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 states, wh ...
located in the U.S. state of
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 ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population was 186,847. Its
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 ...
is Punta Gorda. Charlotte County comprises the Punta Gorda, FL
Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
, which is included in the North Port- Sarasota, FL
Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
.


History

Charlotte County was established April 23, 1921. It was named for the Bay of Charlotte Harbor. "Charlotte" came from "Carlota" (Spanish). In 1565, the Spanish named "Bahia de Carlota," followed by the English in 1775 who named the area Charlotte Harbor in tribute to the Queen Charlotte Sophia, wife of King
George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
. Punta Gorda is the only incorporated city in Charlotte County. On August 13, 2004 Charlotte County was devastated when
Hurricane Charley Hurricane Charley was the first of four separate hurricanes to impact or strike Florida during 2004, along with Hurricane Frances, Frances, Hurricane Ivan, Ivan and Hurricane Jeanne, Jeanne, as well as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to ...
came ashore near Port Charlotte as a Category 4 hurricane.


Historic places

Historic places in Charlotte County include the
Old Charlotte County Courthouse The Old Charlotte County Courthouse is an historic two-story yellow brick courthouse building located at 227 Taylor Street in Punta Gorda, Florida, Florida. Designed in the Classical Revival style by architects Leitner and Henson of St. Petersbu ...
as well as those on the List of Registered Historic Places in Charlotte County.


Geography

According to the
U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (20.7%) is water.
Charlotte Harbor Estuary Charlotte Harbor Estuary, the second largest bay in Florida, is located on the Gulf of Mexico coast of west Florida with two thirds lying in Charlotte County, Florida and one in Lee County. The harbor's mouth is located behind Gasparilla Island ...
is an important natural preserve and one of the most productive in Florida.


Adjacent counties

*
Sarasota County Sarasota County is a county located in Southwest Florida. At the 2020 US census, the population was 434,006. Its county seat is Sarasota and its largest city is North Port. Sarasota County is part of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton, FL m ...
- northwest * DeSoto County - north * Highlands County - northeast * Glades County - east *
Hendry County Hendry County is a county in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,619, down from 42,022 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is LaBelle. Hendry County comprises the Clewiston, ...
- southeast * Lee County - south


National protected area

*
Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge The Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Ser ...


Demographics

As of the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 186,847 people, 79,789 households, and 51,016 families residing in the county. As of the census of 2010, there were 159,978 people, 73,370 households, and 44,130 families residing in the county. The population density was 234 people per square mile (79/km2). There were 100,632 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile (44/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.05% White, 5.68% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 5.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 92.3% spoke only English at home. 3.0% of the population spoke Spanish at home and 1.1% French. There were 73,370 households, out of which 17.66% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.56. In the county, the population was spread out, with 14.30% under the age of 18, 5.38% from 18 to 24, 6.99% from 25 to 34, 39.21% from 35 to 64, and 34.12% who were 65 years of age or older (making this the county with the highest percentage of people over 65 in America). The median age was 56.43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.58 males. The median income for a household (2007-2011) in the county was $45,112; median income for families (2007-2011) was $47,415. Males (2011) had a median income of $27,352 versus $26,861 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,875. About 5.30% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.40% of those under age 18 and 5.60% of those age 65 or over. According to an October 2001 Census Brief of the 2000 Census, Charlotte County had the highest median age of any U.S. county with a population of more than 100,000 people at 54.3. The median age in 2010 for Charlotte County was 55.9 years, second only to Sumter County in Florida.


Government and politics

The county is governed by a five-person Commission, all of them elected to represent districts within the county for a four-year term. The elections are partisan according to political party affiliation and primaries are held months earlier in the event there are numerous candidates. All registered voters in the county are allowed to vote for a candidate Commissioner in each the five districts, not just the voters living in a particular district. The five current Commissioners for Charlotte County, Florida and terms of office expirations: * Ken Doherty (R), District 1, November 3, 2020 * Christopher Constance (R), District 2, November 8, 2022 * Bill Truex (R) District 3, November 3, 2020 * Stephen R. Deutsch (R) District 4, November 8, 2022 * Joe Tiseo (R) District 5, November 3, 2020 Charlotte County, as is typical for the southwestern Florida coast, became and remained a solidly Republican county in the years following the Second World War. No Democrat has won the county since
Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
did so during his 1964 landslide, with only Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 not being outvoted by an absolute majority due to the appeal of
Ross Perot Henry Ross Perot (; June 27, 1930 – July 9, 2019) was an American business magnate, billionaire, politician and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems. He ran an inde ...
. Charlotte resisted
George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...
in the 1968 election to still return an absolute Republican majority, unlike several neighboring counties.


Voter Registration


Economy


Education

Florida SouthWestern State College maintains a campus in the county.
Southern Technical College Southern Technical College is a private for-profit technical college with multiple locations in Florida. It was founded in 2001 and provides diploma and associate degree programs. Locations Southern Technical College has campuses in the foll ...
operates a campus in the county.
Charlotte County Public Schools Charlotte County Public Schools (CCPS) operates all public K-12 schools in Charlotte County, Florida. It covers Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Englewood, Rotonda West, Babcock Ranch, and surrounding areas. It operates ten elementary schools, fo ...
administers all public schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Western Michigan University operated a regional location in the county until August 2019 when they closed the school. AeroGuard Flight Training Center opened a flight school at the airport. The Airframe and Power Plant Program offered through Charlotte Technical College will most likely be ready to open at the airport beginning January 2021.


Library

The Charlotte County Library System consists of 4 library branches. * Port Charlotte Public Library * Punta Gorda Public Library * Englewood Charlotte Public Library * Mid-County Regional Library The erection of the first library was in 1963. In 1976, Charlotte County and Glades County joined to make the Charlotte-Glades Library System. One reason the counties paired together was due to the additional $50,000 in state aid to libraries who join together to serve the public. Charlotte County was financially responsible in the relationship. In 2008 the two counties separated and reverted to providing services to residents and visitors of their own communities. The newest addition to the library system was an expansion to the Englewood Branch; the new building created is an additional 6,500 square feet. This provides more space for the youth services department, a new computer lab, and an archives run by the historical department.


Communities


City

* Punta Gorda


Census-designated places (unincorporated)

* Charlotte Harbor * Charlotte Park * Cleveland * Englewood * Grove City * Harbour Heights *
Manasota Key Manasota may refer to: Places * Manasota, Florida, a community in Sarasota County, Florida *Manasota Key, Florida, a census-designated place in Charlotte County, Florida *Manasota Scrub Preserve, an area of protected land in Sarasota County, Florid ...
* Port Charlotte * Rotonda * Solana


Other unincorporated communities

* Boca Grande *
Cape Haze Cape Haze is a peninsula located in Charlotte County, Florida that is approximately long. It has an elevation of . It includes the Wildflower Preserve, once used as a golf course, and the Cape Haze Pioneer Trail The Cape Haze Pioneer Trail i ...
* Deep Creek *
Little Gasparilla Island Little Gasparilla Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida, in Charlotte County. It is just north of Gasparilla Island, separated by Gasparilla Pass. It lies west of the town of Placida, separated by Placida Harbor. It is connected with ...
*
Murdock Murdock is a surname. A relatively modern iteration of the Irish or Scottish name Murdoch. Notable people with the surname include: * Andrew Murdock, American record producer * Andrew G. Murdock, botanist whose official abbreviation is "Murdock", ...
*
Placida ''Placida'' is a genus of very small or minute sea slugs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Limapontiidae.Babcock Ranch Babcock Ranch is a planned community located in southeastern Charlotte County and northeastern Lee County, Florida consisting of approximately . The planned community was approved as part of a public-private partnership with the State of Flor ...
, a solar-powered community currently under construction.


Transportation


Airport

* Punta Gorda Airport (Florida)


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Charlotte County, Florida __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Charlotte County, Florida. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Charlotte County, ...
* Southwest Florida


Notes


References


External links

*
Charlotte County Government / Board of County Commissioners Main Portal

Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce
{{Coord, 26.90, -81.95, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-FL_source:UScensus1990 Charter counties in Florida 1921 establishments in Florida Populated places established in 1921