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Melbourne ( ) is a city in
Brevard County, Florida Brevard County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. It is on the Atlantic coast of eastern Central Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county s ...
, United States. It is located southeast of
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
along Florida's
Space Coast The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It is one of several "themed" coasts around Florida. All orbital launches from American soil carrying NASA ast ...
, named because of the region's proximity to
Cape Canaveral Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...
and the
Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten NASA facilities#List of field c ...
. The city had a population of 84,678 at the 2020 census. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area. Downtown Melbourne and most of the city lies inland of the
Indian River Lagoon The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: the Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida; one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the Northern Hemisphere and is home to more than 4, ...
, with a small part extending over to the barrier island.


History


Early human occupation

Evidence for the presence of
Paleo-Indians Paleo-Indians were the first peoples who entered and subsequently inhabited the Americas towards the end of the Late Pleistocene period. The prefix ''paleo-'' comes from . The term ''Paleo-Indians'' applies specifically to the lithic period in ...
in the Melbourne area during the late
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
epoch was uncovered during the 1920s. C. P. Singleton, a
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...
, discovered the bones of a
mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus.'' They lived from the late Miocene epoch (from around 6.2 million years ago) into the Holocene until about 4,000 years ago, with mammoth species at various times inhabi ...
(''
Mammuthus columbi A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus.'' They lived from the late Miocene epoch (from around 6.2 million years ago) into the Holocene until about 4,000 years ago, with mammoth species at various times inhabi ...
'') on his property along Crane Creek, from Melbourne, and brought in
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
paleontologist Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...
Frederick B. Loomis to excavate the skeleton. Loomis found a second elephant, with a "large rough flint instrument" among fragments of the elephant's ribs. Loomis found in the same
stratum In geology and related fields, a stratum (: strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as ...
mammoth,
mastodon A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...
, horse,
ground sloth Ground sloths are a diverse group of extinct sloths in the mammalian superorder Xenarthra. They varied widely in size with the largest, belonging to genera '' Lestodon'', ''Eremotherium'' and ''Megatherium'', being around the size of elephants. ...
,
tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a Suidae, pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk (proboscis). Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, South and Centr ...
,
peccary Peccaries (also javelinas or skunk pigs) are pig-like ungulates of the family Tayassuidae (New World pigs). They are found throughout Central and South America, Trinidad in the Caribbean, and in the southwestern area of North America. Peccari ...
,
camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
, and saber-tooth cat bones, all extinct in Florida since the end of the Pleistocene 10,000–8,000 BCE. At a nearby site a human rib and charcoal were found in association with ''
Mylodon ''Mylodon'' is an extinct genus of ground sloth belonging to the family Mylodontidae, known from southern South America. With a total length of 3 to 4 m and a body mass of 1-2 tonnes, it is one of the largest mylodontids (though it was considerab ...
'', ''
Megalonyx ''Megalonyx'' (Greek, "great-claw") is an extinct genus of ground sloths of the family Megalonychidae, native to North America. It evolved during the Pliocene Epoch and became extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene, living from ~5 million ...
'', and '' Chlamytherium'' (ground sloth) teeth. A finely worked spear point found with these items may have been displaced from a later stratum. In 1925 attention shifted to the Melbourne golf course. A crushed human skull with finger, arm, and leg bones was found in association with a horse tooth. A piece of
ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...
that appeared to have been modified by humans was found at the bottom of the stratum containing bones. Other finds included a spear point near a mastodon bone and a turtle-back scraper and blade found with bear, camel, mastodon, horse, and tapir bones. Similar human remains, Pleistocene animals and Paleo-Indian artifacts were found in
Vero Beach Vero Beach is a city in and the county seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,354. Nicknamed "The Hibiscus City", Vero is situated about southeast of Orlando along the ...
, south of Melbourne, and similar Paleo-Indian artifacts were found at the Helen Blazes archaeological site, southwest of Melbourne.


Settlement

The first settlers arrived after 1877. They included Richard W. Goode, his father John Goode, Cornthwaite John Hector, Captain Peter Wright, Balaam Allen, Wright Brothers, and Thomas Mason. Three of these men, Wright, Allen, and Brothers were black freedmen. The city, formerly called "Crane Creek", was named Melbourne in honor of its first postmaster, Cornthwaite John Hector, an Englishman who had spent much of his life in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
,
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, Australia (which was in turn named after the British Prime Minister
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne Henry William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (15 March 177924 November 1848) was a British Whig (political faction), Whig politician who served as the Home Secretary and twice as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. His first premiership end ...
). He is buried in the Melbourne Cemetery, along with many early residents in the area. The first school in Melbourne was built in 1883 and is on permanent exhibit on the campus of
Florida Institute of Technology Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech or FIT) is a private research university in Melbourne, Florida. The university comprises four academic colleges: Engineering & Science, Aeronautics, Psychology & Liberal Arts, and Business. Approxim ...
. By 1885, the town had 70 people.Kellersberger, Julia Lake. ''Rooted in Florida Soil'', Florida Institute of Technology Press, 1971, p. 12. The Greater Allen Chapel
African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Methodist denomination based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan theology, Wesleyan–Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, connexional polity. It ...
was founded in 1885 and is still active. In the late 1890s, the Brownlie-Maxwell Funeral Home opened and it is still in business. The oldest black-owned business in the county is Tucker's Cut-Rate plumbing. It opened in 1934. In the early 1900s, houses were often built in the frame vernacular style. In 1919, a fire destroyed most of the original downtown along Front Street. At the time, it was rebuilt west of US Hwy 1. During the
Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation, " Jim Crow" being a pejorative term for an African American. The last of the ...
years, black people were required to enter movie theaters via a different entrance from whites and sit in the balcony. Gas stations had signs for rest rooms labeled "Men", "Women", and "Colored." This persisted until integration in the late 1960s. In late 1942 the
Naval Air Station Melbourne Naval Air Station (NAS) Melbourne was a United States Naval Base in Melbourne, Florida. The Navy used NAS Melbourne for gunnery training for pilots of carrier-based fighter aircraft and as a base for WAVES during World War II. While operationa ...
was established as a site to train newly commissioned
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
and Marine pilots for
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The program ran until 1946, and the land that was used for that program makes up most of what is currently the
Melbourne Orlando International Airport Melbourne Orlando International Airport is a public airport northwest of downtown Melbourne, in Brevard County, Florida, United States, and southeast of Orlando, located on central Florida's Space Coast. The airport is reached by NASA Boul ...
. In 1969, the cities of
Eau Gallie Eau Gallie () is a neighborhood in the city of Melbourne, Florida, located on the city's northern side. It was an independent city in Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County from 1860 until 1969. That year residents of Eau Gallie and Melbourne ...
and Melbourne voted to merge, forming modern-day Melbourne.


Postwar

In the 1950s, Babcock Street was extended north to intersect with US 1. The Melbourne Shopping Center was constructed on Babcock, the area's first
strip mall A strip mall, strip center, strip plaza or simply plaza is a type of shopping mall, shopping center common in North America and Australia where the stores are arranged in a row, with a footpath in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a ...
. Consumers were sufficiently attracted to this new mall, that the traditional downtown, off New Haven, suffered. Urban blight was successfully mitigated in the 1980s. A board was created by the legislature to spend a 10% tax on electric bills. This was used by the Melbourne Civic Improvement Board to build the Melbourne Auditorium, the first library and fire station, and various parks. The board was dissolved when Melbourne was merged with Eau Gallie in 1969. That merger doubled the size of Melbourne. Streetlights were gradually added until, by the early 1960s, streets east of Babcock Street had lights. Lights were added to streets west of Babcock after the early 1960s. In 1969, the city elected Julius Montgomery, its first black councilman. Montgomery was also the first African American student of Brevard Engineering College, later Florida Institute of Technology which named their Pioneer Award after him. On August 2, 1995, the city received a record of rainfall from
Hurricane Erin The name Erin has been used for six tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean: * Hurricane Erin (1989), a Category 2 Cape Verde hurricane that stayed away from land. * Hurricane Erin (1995) Hurricane Erin was the first hurricane to strike ...
. During the week of August 22, 2008, a record of rain fell caused by Tropical Storm Fay. A 2009
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
street party A block party or street party is a party in which many members of a single community congregate, either to observe an event of some importance or simply for mutual solidarity and enjoyment. The name comes from the form of the party, which ofte ...
sponsored by a downtown restaurant attracted an estimated 8,000–10,000 people. This overwhelmed the downtown area. Street parties were curtailed until public safety issues were addressed. On February 18, 2017, president Donald J. Trump held his first post-inauguration rally at the Orlando-Melbourne International Airport drawing a crowd of approximately 9,000 people according to the Melbourne police department.


Geography

Melbourne is located approximately southeast of
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
on the
Space Coast The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It is one of several "themed" coasts around Florida. All orbital launches from American soil carrying NASA ast ...
, along
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
. It is approximately midway between
Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
and
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (14.42%) is water. The east–west street named Brevard Drive was historically the "center" of town; with addresses called "north" and "south" of this street. The north–south Babcock Street provided the same centerline for "east" and "west" directions. Melbourne Beachside has a small presence on the South Beaches barrier island. It is often confused with
Melbourne Beach Melbourne Beach is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Palm Bay, Florida, Palm Bay–Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, Metrop ...
, a separate political entity.


Climate

Melbourne, Florida has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
( ''Cfa''), bordering closely to a
tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...
(''Aw''). Melbourne has a distinctly seasonal precipitation pattern, with a hot and wet season (late May through October) and a warm and dry season (November through April). The climate is strongly influenced by the nearby Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream, as well as incursions of cold fronts from the north in winter months. Melbourne averages of rainfall annually, much of it coming in convective thunderstorms in the late May to early October time period. The record rainfall occurred on August 20, 2008, when Tropical Storm Fay dropped . Melbourne can sometimes have moderate to severe drought conditions from late fall through spring, with brush fires occurring and water restrictions put in place. Melbourne averages 2 days per year with frost, although several years might pass without a frost in the city of Melbourne or at the ocean beaches. On Christmas Eve 2003, the city as others in east central coast of Florida received snow from the ocean effect, when cold air passes over the considerably hotter ocean and causes the rise of air with higher temperature to bring moisture into the higher portions of the
atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
.


Flora

Tropical flora typical of more southerly locations is grown in the Melbourne area (coconut palms, royal palms, Christmas palms, and bananas), but can be damaged or killed when subjected to infrequent light freezes or cooler temperatures, although several years might pass without a freeze in the Melbourne area. The Melbourne area has many lush gardens and public landscapes, and is noted for the botanical northern limit of cultivated
coconut palm The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
s on the Florida East Coast.


Environment

The
Florida Department of Environmental Protection The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the Florida government Government agency, agency responsible for environmental protection. History By the mid-1960s, when the Federal government of the United States, federal governm ...
has ordered the city to reduce pollution of the
Indian River Lagoon The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: the Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida; one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the Northern Hemisphere and is home to more than 4, ...
, which it borders; about 80% of the city's landmass drains in the direction of the lagoon. The city must reduce run-off by of nitrogen and of phosphorus. The city responded by banning the use of fertilizer before flood and storm warnings.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 84,678 people, 32,874 households, and 18,242 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 76,068 people, 33,377 households, and 18,394 families residing in the city.


2000 census

As of 2000, 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.82. In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. As of 2000, per capita income for the city was $19,175. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $34,571, and the median income for a family was $42,760. Males had a median income of $32,242 versus $22,419 for females. In Melbourne, about 8.6% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.


Languages

As of 2000, 90.39% of residents spoke
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
as their
first language A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period hypothesis, critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' ...
, while 4.69% spoke
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
, 0.84% spoke
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
, 0.73% spoke
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, and 0.55% spoke
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
as their
mother tongue A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongue'' refers ...
. In total, 9.60% of the total population spoke languages other than English.


Government

The Melbourne City Council consists of the mayor and six district council members. Melbourne uses a Council-Manager form of government. City officials * Paul Alfrey, Mayor – Elected November 2020, term expires November 2024 * Tim Thomas, District 1 Council Member – Elected in November 2016. Re-elected in November 2020, term expires November 2024 * Mark LaRusso, Vice Mayor & District 2 Council Member – Elected in November 2018. Re-elected in November 2022, term expires November 2026 * Yvonne Minus, District 3 Council Member – Elected in November 2016. Re-elected in November 2020, term expires November 2024 * Rachael Bassett, District 4 Council Member – Elected in November 2022, term expires November 2026 * Mimi Hanley, District 5 Council Member – Elected in November 2020, term expires November 2024 * Julie Sanders, District 6 Council Member – Elected in November 2018. Re-elected in November 2022, term expires November 2026 The following are appointed by the council: * City Attorney * City Manager Melbourne city officials created the Babcock Street Redevelopment District in 1998 to stimulate new development along Babcock Street from U.S. 1 south to U.S. 192. A 218-unit apartment complex built in 2005 is most recent step in an effort to revitalize this area. In 2010, the Eau Gallie Arts District received its designation as a Florida Main Street. Established in 1860 along the Indian River, the arts district (called EGAD!) has proven to be highly successful in its redevelopment of the community of art galleries, shops, restaurants, Melbourne's first microbrewery, and contains the city civic center and public library with a public pier, Historic Rossetter House and Gardens, Pineapple Park, a few businesses over 40 years old, and a community park and band shell, which is the center of many community activities. It is now a non-accredited main street program. A $180.8 million Operating and Capital Budget was passed for the 2014–2015 fiscal year. In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $4.96 billion. A 2011 study rated the general pension fund for city employees highly at 190%. Less favorably rated were the pension plans for fire and police employees. In 2009, the city had 870 full-time employees and 176 part-time employees.


Economy


Industry

Melbourne Orlando International Airport Melbourne Orlando International Airport is a public airport northwest of downtown Melbourne, in Brevard County, Florida, United States, and southeast of Orlando, located on central Florida's Space Coast. The airport is reached by NASA Boul ...
is located near the center of the city. Melbourne contains defense and technology companies with a high concentration of
high-tech High technology (high tech or high-tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or ...
workers. The following corporations have operations in Melbourne: *
Leonardo DRS Leonardo DRS, formerly DRS Technologies, Inc., is a US-based defense contractor. Previously traded on the NYSE, the company was purchased by the Italian firm Finmeccanica (now Leonardo) in October 2008. History Diagnostic/Retrieval Systems, Inc ...
, employed 1,300 workers in 2010. *
Alstom Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
Signaling Operations Transportation Systems *
L3Harris Technologies L3Harris Technologies, Inc. is an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology service (economics), services provider that produces products for command and control systems, wireless equipment, tactical radios, avi ...
(corporate headquarters) *
Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and Arms industry, defense company. With 97,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $40 billion, it is one of the world's largest Arms industry ...
employed 1,640 workers in 2009. *
Rockwell Collins Rockwell Collins, Inc. was a multinational corporation headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, providing avionics and information technology systems and services to government agencies and aircraft manufacturers. It was formed when the Collins Radi ...
employed 1,430 in 2009. *
Embraer Embraer S.A. () is a Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation. It develops and manufactures aircraft and aviation systems, and provides leasing, equipment, and technical support services. Embraer is the third largest producer of civil air ...
completed a hangar and administrative office at the Melbourne Airport in February 2011. *
LiveTV LiveTV was a major provider of airline in-flight entertainment systems. Originally a joint venture of Harris Corporation and BE Aerospace (BE Aerospace's interest subsequently sold to Thales Group), it was a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue ...
had its headquarters in Melbourne.Where we are
"
LiveTV LiveTV was a major provider of airline in-flight entertainment systems. Originally a joint venture of Harris Corporation and BE Aerospace (BE Aerospace's interest subsequently sold to Thales Group), it was a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue ...
. Retrieved on January 19, 2010.
LiveTV became defunct in 2014. * eviCore Healthcare has one of its main office in Melbourne. *
Avidyne Corporation Avidyne Corporation is an avionics company based in Melbourne, Florida. Avidyne is developer of Integrated Avionics Systems, multi-function displays, and traffic advisory systems for light general aviation (GA) aircraft. Headquartered in Melbou ...
an avionics company has their HQ in Melbourne and is a developer of Integrated Avionics Systems, multi-function displays, and traffic advisory systems for light
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
(GA) aircraft.


Workforce

In 2007, the average size of Melbourne's labor force was 39,391. Of that group, 37,708 were employed and 1,683 were unemployed, for an unemployment rate of 4.3%.Melbourne Community Data Sheet
Economic Development Council of Florida's Space Coast. Retrieved on July 23, 2009.


Housing

In 2008, 259 building permits were issued for 263 units. There were 209 permits issued for 320 units in 2007, which was down from 329 permits for 512 units in 2006. The median home price in 2007 was $215,000. In May 2005, the Melbourne– TitusvillePalm Bay area was among the top 20 in home price appreciation from 2003 to 2004.


Competitiveness

In 2009, ''Forbes'' ranked the area 18th out of 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas and first out of 8 metros in Florida for affordable housing, and short commute times, among others.


Retail and commerce

Melbourne has two downtown business districts, a result of the merger of Eau Gallie into Melbourne: * Eau Gallie Arts District—located along the Indian River Lagoon with two public parks, two fine art galleries, a microbrewery and several other restaurants contained within one block. Known as EGAD, it is on the Florida Humanities FLORIDA STORIES historic audio-based walking tours app (download to your phone from the app store) and contains over 30 murals and three sculptures. * Historic Downtown Melbourne – among other retail outlets, this has 26 eating and drinking establishments within a four block extent.


Healthcare

The city has three hospitals, day care for senior citizens, hospice, walk-in, and urgent care facilities. There is Holmes Medical Center, and Melbourne Regional Medical Center. Kindred Hospital is a chronic care facility for ventilated patients and does not accept emergency patients. A new Viera hospital was opened in May 2011.


Tourism

The city has two
golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
s. There were 96,477 rounds played in 2009–10. Revenues were $2,207,502. Rounds and revenue have been dropping since 2006. in 2011, the city raised rates for residents to the same as for non-residents, $27 per round or $522 annual fee. The Eau Gallie Arts District is regularly highlighted as a top destination in the national rankings that are published. Rea
more


Retail

Brevard Mall, the area's first mall, was built in 1962. It was followed by Melbourne Square in 1982.


Arts and culture


Annual cultural events

In February or March: * The Annual IndiaFest is held in February or March. In April: * The Melbourne Arts Festival, held in April in Wickham Park, draws from 50,000 to 60,000 visitors In August: * The Annual India Day is held in August. In September: * The Melbourne Area Pilots Association hosts a General Aviation Day at Melbourne International Airport in September In October: * The Melbourne
Oktoberfest Oktoberfest (; ) is the world's largest , featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival, and is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October. The annual event attracts more than seven milli ...
has been held each October since 1977; most recently, this was held at the Wickham Park Pavilion In December: * Christian churches have been producing a "Bible on Parade" since 1990, each participating church portrays a book of the Bible. A spokesperson said in 2011 that it may be the only one of its kind in America.


Museums and points of interest


Historic sites

There are four places on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
: * Florida Power and Light Company Ice Plant (1927) located at 1604 South Harbor City Boulevard * William H. Gleason House at 1736 Pineapple Avenue * James Wadsworth Rossetter House (c. 1860s) at 1320 Highland Avenue * Green Gables at Historic Riverview Village 1501 South Harbor City Blvd The following places also are historic: * Henegar Center (1919) located at 625 East New Haven Avenue * Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (1886) at 50 West Strawbridge Avenue * Melbourne Bone Bed at Crane Creek * Myles Building (1913) – 911-919 East New Haven Avenue * Nannie Lee House – Strawberry Mansion (1905) at 1218 East New Haven Avenue * Roesch House (c. 1901) at 1320 Highland Avenue * Winchester Symphony House (1890s) at 1500 Highland Avenue ;Walking historic tours Eau Gallie Arts District has an established historical walking tour that includes over 20 historical buildings or locations in the arts district available through a FLORIDA STORIES app to your phone.


Museums

* Historic Rossetter House Museum at 1320 Highland Avenue * Liberty Bell Memorial Museum at 1601 Hickory Street


Performing arts

* Melbourne Civic Theater


Groups

* Brevard Symphony Orchestra * City of Melbourne Pipes and Drums * Strawbridge Art League and Gallery


Buildings

* Henegar Center for the Arts * Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts * Melbourne Auditorium located on Hibiscus Boulevard


Sports

Melbourne was an official host city for the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay. There are co-ed adult and youth sports programs in
flag football Flag football is a variant of gridiron football (American football or Canadian football depending on location) where, instead of Tackle (football move)#Gridiron football, tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or ...
and
ultimate frisbee Ultimate frisbee (officially simply called ultimate) is a non-contact team sport played with a disc flung by hand. Ultimate was developed in 1968 by Joel Silver, Buzzy Hellring, and Jonny Hines in Maplewood, New Jersey. Although ultimate rese ...
. The city of Melbourne hosts an annual indoor
pickleball Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played i ...
tournament called the Melbourne Meltdown Pickleball Championship. The third annual tournament was played on March 4–6, 2021 at the Melbourne Auditorium.


Parks, recreation, and attractions

The city of Melbourne contains over of city park land, including 17 community parks, 13 neighborhood parks, and five smaller city parks. * Brevard Zoo * Wickham Park *
Lake Washington Lake Washington () is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the largest lake in King County, Washington, King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington (state), Was ...
One of the many forms of recreation is local fishing in places such as Lake Washington.


Public Libraries

Melbourne houses three branches of Brevard County Public Libraries including the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library, Eau Gallie Public Library, and the Melbourne Public Library. The first home of the Melbourne Public Library was established in 1924 with funds raised by the Library Association of Melbourne. The current Melbourne Public Library is a 25,000 square ft building located in Wells Park. It was first opened to the public in July 1989. The Eau Gallie Public Library was also first opened in the 1920s, starting as a library for the Eau Gallie Woman's Club. In 1939, the club officially sponsored the small library, beginning with only 22 books. The current building opened in 1962, gradually expanding over the years. In October, 1990 the Eau Gallie Public Library had a collection of 67,023 volumes and over 25,000 registered borrowers, a testament to the faith of the founders of the Eau Gallie Woman's Club. The library is located in Riverfront Park overlooking the Indian River.


Education

Of all residents 25 years or older, 88.5% are high school graduates, and 25.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher. Public schools are run by the Brevard County School Board. Prior to 1964, segregated schools were maintained for white students and black students under the doctrine of
Separate but equal Separate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States constitutional law, according to which racial segregation did not necessarily violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which nominally guaranteed "equal protectio ...
education. Black students were educated at Melbourne Vocational School from 1921 until it burned in 1953. For the next five years they met in the former hospital of the Naval Air Station, until Stone High School was opened in 1958. In 1964 the schools were integrated and Stone was repurposed as Stone Middle School.


Colleges and universities

*
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) is a private, for-profit medical school. The main campus is located on the New Mexico State University (NMSU) campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and their second campus is located on the Florida I ...
- Florida Campus at FIT *
Eastern Florida State College Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) is a public college based in Cocoa, Florida. It is a member of the Florida College System and has additional campuses in Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Florida, Palm Bay, and Titusville, Florida, Ti ...
*
Florida Institute of Technology Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech or FIT) is a private research university in Melbourne, Florida. The university comprises four academic colleges: Engineering & Science, Aeronautics, Psychology & Liberal Arts, and Business. Approxim ...
*
Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
- Satellite Campus *
Keiser University Keiser University is a private university with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and flagship residential campus in West Palm Beach, Florida. Additional campuses are located in other parts of Florida and internationally. Keiser provides ...
– Melbourne *
University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in unincorporated area, unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the State University System of Florida. ...
- Regional Campus *
Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri, United States. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The university has an alumni net ...
Patrick Space Force Base Patrick Space Force Base is a United States Space Force installation located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick, United States Army Air Corps, ...
Campus


Elementary schools

Source: * Roy Allen Elementary * Ascension Catholic School * Brevard Academy for Individual Excellence * Dr. W. J. Creel Elementary * Croton Elementary * Harbor City Elementary * Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy Lower School (Pre-K–6) * Longleaf Elementary * Meadowlane Primary * Meadowlane Intermediate * New Covenant Christian School * Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School * Quest Elementary * Sabal Elementary * Sherwood Elementary * Suntree Elementary * University Park Elementary * West Melbourne Elementary


Middle schools

* Ascension Catholic School * Brevard Academy for Individual Excellence * DeLaura Middle School * Central Middle School * Covenant Christian School * Florida Preparatory Academy * Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy Upper School * Johnson Middle School * Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School * Stone Middle School


High schools

;Public * Eau Gallie High School *
Melbourne High School Melbourne High School is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Single-sex education, single-sex Selective school, academically selective secondary school, secondary day school for boys, located in the Melbourne suburb ...
* Palm Bay High School *
West Shore Junior – Senior High School West Shore Junior – Senior High School, more often called West Shore, is a secondary school located at 250 Wildcat Alley in Melbourne, Florida. West Shore enrolls students from grades seven through twelve. It is part of the Brevard Public S ...
;Private * Brevard Academy for Individual Excellence * Brevard Christian School * Florida Preparatory Academy *
Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Melbourne, Florida, is an Episcopal coeducational college-preparatory school for grades preschool – 12th. It was founded in 1957. The school operates under the guidance of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, the ...
Upper School *
Melbourne Central Catholic High School Melbourne Central Catholic (MCC) is an American private, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic, coed college-preparatory school Secondary education in the United States, high school located in Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne, in Brevard County, Flor ...
* New Covenant Christian School


Adult education

* Palm Bay High Adult/Community Education * South Area Adult Center


Media


Print

''Brevard Business News'' is a weekly newspaper in Melbourne,
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 ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
covering business news and trends for the
Space Coast The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It is one of several "themed" coasts around Florida. All orbital launches from American soil carrying NASA ast ...
. Fred Krupski started ''Brevard Business News'' in 1981, and Adrienne B. Roth purchased it in 1986. ''
Florida Today ''Florida Today'' is the major daily newspaper serving Brevard County, Florida. Al Neuharth of the Gannett corporation started the paper in 1966, and some of the things he did with this newspaper presaged what he would later do at ''USA Toda ...
'' is the major daily newspaper serving
Brevard County, Florida Brevard County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. It is on the Atlantic coast of eastern Central Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county s ...
. The
Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. ( ) is an American mass media holding company headquartered in New York City. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. It owns the national newspaper ''USA Today'', as well as several ...
corporation started the paper in 1966. It covers the Space Coast and Central Florida. The other major paper is the ''Hometown News'' ln Melbourne.


Radio

WFIT 89.5 FM—this radio station is an NPR station based on the grounds of Florida Institute of Technology


Television

Melbourne is part of the Orlando television market. Cable is provided by
Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...
.


Infrastructure


Transportation


Major roads

The city is responsible for about of road. It would like to resurface 5% () of that each year. It was able to afford to pave half of that in 2013. Roads in the older part of the city, in what is today the southeast, are oriented toward the north–south road, Babcock Street, with compass directions measured east and west from that road. In the same area, a very minor east–west road, Brevard Drive, separates compass directions north and south. * U.S. 1 – Known officially as Harbor City Boulevard, this road runs parallel to the Indian River on the far eastern side of the city. The highway is six-lanes throughout the city. Within the city limits, this road intersects two causeways: the
Eau Gallie Eau Gallie () is a neighborhood in the city of Melbourne, Florida, located on the city's northern side. It was an independent city in Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County from 1860 until 1969. That year residents of Eau Gallie and Melbourne ...
and
Melbourne Causeway The Melbourne Causeway is located entirely within Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is composed of three bridges and connects the municipalities of Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne and Indialantic, Florida ...
s. Major intersections include University Boulevard, New Haven Avenue, U.S. 192, SR 508, CR 507, CR 5054, SR 518, CR 511, Lake Washington Road, and Post Road. * U.S. 192 – Locally named New Haven Avenue, and Strawbridge Avenue in downtown, this road passes through commercial, entertainment, and retail areas of Melbourne. It serves as a route to
Kissimmee Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a principal city of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...
and the tourist corridor of
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
to the west, and the town of
Indialantic Indialantic, officially incorporated as Indialantic-By-The-Sea, is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town's population was ...
to the east via the
Melbourne Causeway The Melbourne Causeway is located entirely within Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is composed of three bridges and connects the municipalities of Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne and Indialantic, Florida ...
. Major intersections include Evans Road/Hollywood Boulevard, Dairy Road, SR 507/CR 507, New Haven Avenue, and U.S. 1. *
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
– This highway is six-lanes throughout its run in Melbourne. There are three exits within city limits: Exit 180 (U.S. 192), Exit 182 (Ellis Road), and Exit 183 (SR 518). * SR A1A – This road runs along the barrier island portion of Melbourne and provides access to
Indian Harbour Beach Indian Harbour Beach is a coastal city in Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Palm Bay, Florida, Palm Bay–Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, ...
and
Indialantic Indialantic, officially incorporated as Indialantic-By-The-Sea, is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town's population was ...
. There is only one major intersection: SR 518. * SR 507 – The state road portion of Babcock Street, this road runs from the city limits of Palm Bay to U.S. 192, serving the
Florida Institute of Technology Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech or FIT) is a private research university in Melbourne, Florida. The university comprises four academic colleges: Engineering & Science, Aeronautics, Psychology & Liberal Arts, and Business. Approxim ...
along the way. Major intersections include Florida Avenue, University Boulevard, and U.S. 192. * CR 507 – The county road portion of Babcock Street, this road runs from U.S. 192 to U.S. 1, serving one of the main economic centers of Melbourne. Major intersections include U.S. 192, SR 508, and U.S. 1. * SR 508 – This road runs from U.S. 1 to the
Melbourne Orlando International Airport Melbourne Orlando International Airport is a public airport northwest of downtown Melbourne, in Brevard County, Florida, United States, and southeast of Orlando, located on central Florida's Space Coast. The airport is reached by NASA Boul ...
. Major intersections include Air Terminal Parkway, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, CR 507, and U.S. 1. * CR 509 – Known locally as Wickham Road, this is one of the busiest roads in Melbourne: Up to 38,680 cars use Wickham Road weekdays, and the average is 33,850. Major intersections include Ellis Road/NASA Bouelvard, SR 5054/CR 5054, SR 518, CR 511, Lake Washington Boulevard, and Post Road. * CR 511 – Known almost universally as John Rodes Boulevard while north–south and Aurora Road while east–west, this road enters from West Melbourne and ends at U.S. 1, running through some impoverished areas of the town. Major intersections include Ellis Road, SR 518, CR 509, and U.S. 1. * SR 518 – Known locally as Eau Gallie Boulevard, this road's run is entirely in Melbourne, running from Interstate 95 to SR A1A over the Eau Gallie Causeway. It runs through the Eau Gallie Arts District. Major intersections include Interstate 95, SR 5054, CR 509, U.S. 1, SR 513, and SR A1A. * SR 5054 – The state road designation being entirely unsigned, the road is mostly known as Sarno Road. It has a short run from SR 518 to CR 509, where Sarno Road continues as CR 5054. * CR 5054 – The more urban portion of Sarno Road. Major intersections include CR 509, Croton Boulevard, Apollo Boulevard, and U.S. 1.


Rail

The
Union Cypress Company Railroad The Union Cypress Company operated a three-story double-band sawmill in Melbourne, Florida, built in 1912. The small company town of Hopkins, Florida, Hopkins (now South Melbourne, Florida, South Melbourne), named after its owner George W. Hopkin ...
ran east to west through south Melbourne in the early 1900s. The
mill town A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more List of types of mill#Manufacturing facilities, mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe ...
of
Hopkins Hopkins is an English and Welsh patronymic surname derived from the personal name Hopkin and the genitive ending -''s''. Hopkin is itself a pet form of the name Hobb, a shortening of Robert (with alteration of the initial consonant). Notable peop ...
was near the present-day streets of Mill Street and Main Street. The
Florida East Coast Railway The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a p ...
(FEC) runs through Melbourne, staying west of U.S. 1 through its entire run. Into the early 1960s, passengers could take one of two
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
-bound trains (on alternating days), the ''
City of Miami Miami is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a population of 6.14 million, is the second-largest metropolitan ...
'' or the ''
South Wind The south wind is the wind that originates from the south and blows north. South Wind may also refer to: * ''South Wind'' (film), 2018 Serbian film * ''South Wind'' (TV series), 2020 Serbian TV series * , 2021 Serbian film * , 2022 Serbian TV s ...
'' (both via
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
) and the
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
-bound '' East Coast Champion,'' ''Havana Special,'' and ''Miamian'' from Melbourne's Florida East Coast station. Into the latter 1950s, passengers could take the ''
Dixie Flagler The ''Dixie Flagler'' was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) between Chicago, Illinois and Miami, Florida. It began in 1939 as the ''Henry M. Flagler'', a regional service between Miami and Jacksonville, ...
'' to Chicago via
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
from the station. The FEC operated local passenger service between
Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
and the Miami area until July 31, 1968. The
Brightline Brightline (reporting mark BLFX) is an intercity rail route in the United States that runs between Miami and Orlando, Florida. Part of the route runs on track owned and shared by the Florida East Coast Railway. Brightline is the only privat ...
passenger rail company is considering service to extend north from West Palm Beach to the Space Coast, but so far, has passed over Melbourne for
Cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...
.


Bus

*
Space Coast Area Transit Space Coast Area Transit is the public transit system serving the communities in Brevard County, Florida. In 2021, Space Coast Area Transit will undergo a rebranding effort with the name of the system changing to 321Transit as an homage to the ...
operates a public bus service in Melbourne and vicinity. The city subsidizes two routes internal to the city so Melbourne residents ride for free. *
Greyhound Bus Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as intercity buses in Mexico. B ...
has a bus station in Melbourne


Airport

Melbourne Orlando International Airport Melbourne Orlando International Airport is a public airport northwest of downtown Melbourne, in Brevard County, Florida, United States, and southeast of Orlando, located on central Florida's Space Coast. The airport is reached by NASA Boul ...
is located about northwest of the city's original business district. The airport has daily flights on six passenger airlines and a cargo one, including
Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...
,
Delta Connection Delta Connection is a brand name under which Delta Air Lines has air service agreements with domestic regional air carriers that feed traffic to their network by serving passengers primarily in small and medium-sized cities in the domestic mark ...
, American Eagle and
Elite Airways Elite Airways was an airline based in the United States that operated charter and scheduled passenger flights. The airline was headquartered in Portland, Maine. History Elite Airways LLC was founded in 2006 and received FAA Part 121 scheduled ...
.


Utilities

Power is provided by
Florida Power and Light Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), the principal subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. (formerly FPL Group, Inc.), is the largest power utility in Florida. It is a Juno Beach, Florida-based power utility company serving roughly 5 million customer ...
. Gas is provided by Florida City Gas. Cable TV service is provided by
Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...
. Traditional landline telephone service is mainly provided by
AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...
, while some cable customers use
Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...
digital telephone (VOIP) service. Internet service providers in Melbourne range from various 56 kbit/s providers, AT&T (formerly BellSouth) FastAccess DSL, and
Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...
cable internet. Fiber-optic networks are installed in the city mainly for business purposes and have not been integrated for home use. The Water Department not only provides water for the city, but for surrounding towns and cities for a premium, including Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach, Palm Shores, Melbourne Village, West Melbourne, and a portion of unincorporated Brevard County south of the Pineda Causeway. In 2020, it served about 170,000 people. Wholesale water service is provided to West Melbourne. The total distribution area is about Two water treatment plants take water from
Lake Washington Lake Washington () is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the largest lake in King County, Washington, King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington (state), Was ...
and deep wells, providing of drinking water per day. This water is treated with
chloramine Monochloramine, often called chloramine, is the chemical compound with the formula NH2Cl. Together with dichloramine (NHCl2) and nitrogen trichloride (NCl3), it is one of the three chloramines of ammonia. It is a colorless liquid at its melting ...
and
ozone Ozone () (or trioxygen) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , break ...
. Almost annually, the city is obliged to substitute the stronger free chlorine for the summer months when algae blooms are prevalent. In 2003, water rates were $2.27/ sewer $4.47/. Solid waste removal and recycling is provided by Solid Waste Management, part of the city of Melbourne's Environmental Community Outreach (ECO) Division.


Namesakes

Melbourne Square, in the city of Melbourne, located on US 192 west of downtown, is one of the largest shopping centers in Brevard County. In the 1960s, the motto of Melbourne was, "Crossroads to the Universe".


Notable people

*
Oliver Askew Oliver Clark Askew (born December 12, 1996) is an American racing driver. He is the 2019 Indy Lights champion. Racing career Early career Askew began karting at the age of 8 in Jupiter. He finished third and sixth in the Rotax Max Challenge Gra ...
, professional racing driver for
Andretti Autosport Andretti Global is an American motorsports organization with teams competing in the IndyCar Series, Indy NXT, Formula E, and joint entries in IMSA and the Australian Supercars Championship. Starting in 2026, Andretti will also operate the Cad ...
*
Thomas Barbour Thomas Barbour (August 19, 1884 – January 8, 1946) was an American herpetologist. He was the first president of the Dexter School in 1926. From 1927 until 1946, he was director of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) founded in 1 ...
, author and
naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
, lived in
Eau Gallie Eau Gallie () is a neighborhood in the city of Melbourne, Florida, located on the city's northern side. It was an independent city in Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County from 1860 until 1969. That year residents of Eau Gallie and Melbourne ...
as a boy * Peter Blount, former member of the World Cup Bobsled Team and of the US National Track and Field Team *
Bruce Bochy Bruce Douglas Bochy (; born April 16, 1955) is an American professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former catcher who is the manager of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). During his playing ...
, manager of the World Champion San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball team *
Justin Bryant Justin Bryant (born August 24, 1966, in Melbourne, Florida) is an American writer and former soccer goalkeeper (football), goalkeeper. Youth and college Bryant grew up in Florida, and attended Radford University in Radford, Virginia. While at Ra ...
, soccer player, coach, and writer * Robbie Carrico, Season 7 contestant on ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' *
Bobby Dall Robert Harry Kuykendall, also known as Bobby Dall (born November 2, 1963), is an American musician best known as the bassist for the rock band Poison. Dall had ambitions of studying law, but ultimately turned to music instead. He began playing ...
, bass player for the band
Poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...
, resides in Melbourne *
Cecil Fielder Cecil Grant Fielder (; born September 21, 1963) is an American former professional baseball designated hitter and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Fielder was a power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the Univers ...
, professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player *
Prince Fielder Prince Semien Fielder (born May 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. He was selected in ...
, professional baseball player, son of Cecil Fielder, went to Eau Gallie High School *
William Henry Gleason William Henry Gleason (June 28, 1829 – November 8, 1902) was an American politician from Florida. He was Florida's second lieutenant governor, and he was very briefly acting governor. Early life William Henry Gleason was born in 1829 in Ric ...
, founded and lived in Eau Gallie * Kristin Grubka, professional women's soccer player, FSU women's soccer national champion in 2014 *
Darrell Hammond Darrell Clayton Hammond (born October 8, 1955) is an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and announcer. He was a regular cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 2009, and has been its announcer sinc ...
, comedian and actor, born and resided in Melbourne from 1955 to 1975 * Kim Hammond, former judge and former quarterback for
Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
and
American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
, played football, basketball and baseball for
Melbourne High School Melbourne High School is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Single-sex education, single-sex Selective school, academically selective secondary school, secondary day school for boys, located in the Melbourne suburb ...
* C. J. Hobgood, 2001 ASP world champion surfer, born in Melbourne *
Damien Hobgood Damien Hobgood is a professional surfer from Satellite Beach, Florida. He is known for having once held the highest two-wave grand final score in pro surfing by scoring 19.9 out of 20 at The Quiksilver Pro Fiji in 2004 until Kelly Slater eclipse ...
, professional surfer born in Melbourne *
Devon Hughes Devon Hughes ( ; born August 1, 1972) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, under a legends contract. He is best known for performing in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1999 a ...
, professional wrestler, better known as Brother Devon from
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
*
Vicky Hurst Vicky Hurst (born June 19, 1990) is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour. She turned professional as a 17-year-old in 2008, while still in high school. Playing on the Futures Tour that year, she won five times and s ...
, professional golfer, graduated from Holy Trinity *
Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960) was an American writer, anthropologist, folklorist, and documentary filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-20th-century American South and published research on Hoodoo ...
, author, lived in
Eau Gallie Eau Gallie () is a neighborhood in the city of Melbourne, Florida, located on the city's northern side. It was an independent city in Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County from 1860 until 1969. That year residents of Eau Gallie and Melbourne ...
in the 1920s and 1950s *
Billy Lane William David Lane (born February 6, 1970, in Miami, Florida) is an American builder of custom motorcycles, owner of Choppers Inc. in Melbourne, Florida, known for his 2009 conviction and imprisonment in Florida for a drunk-driving incident in 20 ...
, owner of Choppers, Inc. and builder of custom motorcycles * Jeff Lett, bass player of
Cartel A cartel is a group of independent market participants who collaborate with each other as well as agreeing not to compete with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the market. A cartel is an organization formed by producers ...
, born in Melbourne * Jack V. Mackmull, U.S. Army lieutenant general *
Ariana Madix Ariana Madix (born June 24, 1985) is an American television personality, model, actress, dancer and bartender. She was a cast member on the Bravo reality television series '' Vanderpump Rules'' (2013–2024). She became the permanent host of '' ...
, television personality, actress, author and cast member on ''
Vanderpump Rules ''Vanderpump Rules'' is an American reality television series that has been broadcast on Bravo since January 7, 2013. Developed as the first spin-off from ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'', it has aired 11 seasons, and focuses on Lisa Vand ...
'' * Marcus Maye, professional NFL player for the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, attended Holy Trinity * Nicole Miglis, musician, lead singer for
Hundred Waters Hundred Waters is an American band formed in Gainesville, Florida in October 2011, composed of Nicole Miglis (vocals, piano, production, flute), Trayer Tryon (production, electronics, bass) and Zach Tetreault (drums, percussion, trumpet). The gr ...
*
Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...
, lead singer for
The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...
, born in Melbourne * Henry Mucci, US Army colonel who led the Great Raid in World War II to free the
Bataan Bataan (, , , ; ) , officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula ...
survivors, retired to Melbourne *
Bill Nelson Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician, attorney, and former astronaut who served from 2001 to 2019 as a United States Senate, United States senator from Florida and from 2021 to 2025 as the Administrator ...
, long-time U.S. senator from Florida, raised in Melbourne and graduated from
Melbourne High School Melbourne High School is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Single-sex education, single-sex Selective school, academically selective secondary school, secondary day school for boys, located in the Melbourne suburb ...
in 1960 * Reggie Nelson, safety for NFL's
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
*
Jamie Noble James Gibson (born December 23, 1976) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Jamie Noble. He is signed to WWE, where he works as a producer. In addition to his work with WWE, Noble is known for his tenures in ...
, professional wrestler *
Hans von Ohain Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain (14 December 191113 March 1998) was a German physicist, engineer, and the designer of the first aircraft to use a turbojet engine. Together with Frank Whittle and Anselm Franz, he has been described as the co-invent ...
, one of the first people to develop the jet engine, retired and died in Melbourne *
Stanford Parris Stanford Elmer Parris (September 9, 1929 – March 27, 2010) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. He represented Virginia's 8th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1991. He served i ...
, former U.S. congressman from
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, was a primary resident of Melbourne after leaving Congress *
Will Perdue William Edward Perdue III (born August 29, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a member of four NBA championship teams, three with the Chicago Bulls (1991–1993) and ...
,
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
forward and center (
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
), sportscaster, born in Melbourne * Toni Pressley, professional women's soccer player, graduated from West Shore High School in 2008 *
Tom Rapp Thomas Dale Rapp (March 8, 1947 – February 11, 2018) was an American singer and songwriter who led Pearls Before Swine (band), Pearls Before Swine, an influential psychedelic music, psychedelic folk rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s ...
, singer-songwriter, leader of 1960s/1970s band
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* John Ross, musician, leader of Wild Pink * Taylor Rowan, American football placekicker * Melana Scantlin, actress *
Stefanie Scott Stefanie Noelle Scott (born December 6, 1996) is an American actress and singer. Scott began acting with the comedy film ''Beethoven's Big Break'' (2008), and thereafter released her debut extended play ''New Girl in Town'' (2009). This was foll ...
, teenage actress, stars on the
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
show '' A.N.T. Farm'' *
Lee Stange Albert Lee Stange (October 27, 1936 – September 21, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and coach. During his playing career, the right-handed pitcher appeared in 359 games pitched in Major League Baseball over all or parts of te ...
, professional baseball pitcher * Jason Steele, state representative from 1980 to 1982 *
Robbin Thompson Robert Wickens "Robbin" Thompson (June 16, 1949 – October 10, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter based in Richmond, Virginia. Since 1976 he recorded several albums which included guest appearances by Melissa Manchester, Steve Cropper, Wad ...
, singer-songwriter * Amber Torrealba, professional skimboarder * George Trofimoff, former
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
colonel and convicted spy for the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, lived in Melbourne from 1994 to 2000 *
Kate Upton Katherine Elizabeth Upton (born June 10, 1992) is an American model and actress. She first appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue in 2011, and was the List of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue c ...
, model, 2012 ''Sports Illustrated'' swimsuit issue cover girl *
Tim Wakefield Timothy Stephen Wakefield (August 2, 1966 – October 1, 2023) was an American professional baseball knuckleball pitcher. Wakefield began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year ...
, baseball pitcher for the (
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
), born in Melbourne * Matt Walters, defensive end for the
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* Leonard Weaver, National Football League fullback * Larry Wolfe, Major League Baseball infielder * Mickey Zofko, National Football League
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
*
The Learning Station The Learning Station is an American educational children's musical group, comprising the husband-and-wife team of Don Monopoli and Laurie Monopoli, with Jan Hrkach. History and music career Couple Laurie and Don Monopoli founded the group in Con ...
, kids' band founded in 1987


References


Further reading

*Purdy, Barbara A. (2008). ''Florida's People During the Last Ice Age''. University Press of Florida.


External links

* * {{authority control 1867 establishments in Florida Helen Blazes Cities in Brevard County, Florida Cities in Florida Populated coastal places in Florida on the Atlantic Ocean Populated places established in 1867 Populated places on the St. Johns River