Wauchula is a city in south-central Florida in

Hardee County, Florida 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 ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 5,001, up from 4,368 at the 2000 census. It is 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 ...

of Hardee County. Wauchula has been called the "cucumber capital of the world", although citrus has become a more important agricultural crop over the past few decades. It is home to the

Downtown Wauchula Historic District ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English language, English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central ...

and

Albert Carlton Estate The Albert Carlton Estate (also known as the Carlton-Underwood Estate) is a historic site in Wauchula, Florida, located at 302 East Bay Street. On October 3, 1991, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places The National ...

Geography

Wauchula is located in north-central Hardee County.

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, wit ...

passes through the city, leading north to Bartow 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 ...

. Within the county, Zolfo Springs is to the south on US 17 and

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...

is to the north. 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 ...

, Wauchula has an area of , all land.

Hurricane Charley

Hurricane Charley hit Wauchula at on Friday, August 13, 2004, causing more than $750 million in damage. Sustained winds of , with gusts of over , were clocked in downtown Wauchula. The entire area had either no running water, or contaminated water for one week. Power was lost to many sections for nearly three weeks, with school canceled for two weeks. The area was declared a

federal disaster area A disaster area is a region or a locale that has been heavily damaged by either natural, technological or social hazards. Disaster areas affect the population living in the community by dramatic increase in expense, loss of energy, food and serv ...

after 85% of its buildings were either damaged or destroyed. There was a curfew set for the area for weeks after from 8 pm to 7 am.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and warm winters. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Wauchula has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cfa'').

Demographics

Confederate Memorial Day parade on Main Street- Wauchula, Florida (5987866462)

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 2000, there were 4,368 people, 1,431 households, and 985 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,562 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.44%

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 o ...

, 4.17%

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 ...

, 0.57% Native American, 0.30%

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 ...

, 18.84% 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 2.68% 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 ...

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 39.42% of the population. There were 1,431 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.57. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.7% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,931, and the median income for a family was $29,943. Males had a median income of $19,129 versus $15,867 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 city was $10,665. About 19.9% of families and 25.0% 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 30.0% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over. In 2010 Wauchula had a population of 5,001. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 43.6% non-Hispanic white, 5.9% black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% non-Hispanic of some other race, 2.3% from two or more races and 48.6% Hispanic or Latino. 44.7% of the population was Mexican.2010 general demographic report for Wauchula

Infrastructure

Wauchula Municipal Airport Wauchula Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located southwest of the central business district of the city of Wauchula in Hardee County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned. Facilities and aircraft Wauchula Municip ...

is a public-use airport located southwest of the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

Center for Great Apes The Center for Great Apes’ mission is to provide a permanent sanctuary for orangutans and chimpanzees who have been rescued or retired from the entertainment industry, from research, or from the exotic pet trade; to educate the public about c ...

is a permanent sanctuary for rescued orangutans and chimpanzees.

Notable people

* Doyle E. Carlton (1885–1972), 25th governor of Florida * Tom McEwen (1923–2011), sportswriter *

B. J. McLeod Darwin Benjamin Jerreld "B. J." McLeod Jr. (born November 17, 1983) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner of B. J. McLeod Motorsports and Live Fast Motorsports. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, drivi ...

(born 1983), NASCAR driver *

Zeke Mowatt Ezekiel Mowatt (born March 5, 1961) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. He played college football at Florida State University, catching a total ...

(born 1961), NFL football player and Super Bowl XXI champion

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wauchula, Florida 1902 establishments in Florida Cities in Florida Cities in Hardee County, Florida County seats in Florida Micropolitan areas of Florida Populated places established in 1902