Citrus County, Florida

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Citrus County, Florida
Map
Map of Florida highlighting Citrus County
Location in the state of Florida
Map of the U.S. highlighting Florida
Florida's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded 2 June 1887
Seat Inverness
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
773 sq mi (2,002 km²)

189 sq mi (490 km²), 24.49%
Population
 - (2000)
 - Density
118,085
202/sq mi (78/km²)
Website: www.bocc.citrus.fl.us

Citrus County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 118,085. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county was 138,143 [1]. Its county seat is Inverness, Florida[1]. More than 90% of the population of Citrus County live outside the two incorporated cities of Inverness and Crystal River[citation needed].

The Homosassa Springs Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Citrus County.

Contents

[edit] History

Citrus County was first occupied about 2,500 years ago by mound-building Native Americans that built the complex that now forms the Crystal River Archeological Site. The site was occupied for about 3,000 years. Why the complex was abandonned is currently unknown. [2]

Citrus County was created in 1887. The Citrus County area was formerly part of a Hernando County. It was named for the county's citrus trees. Citrus production declined dramatically after the "Big Freeze" of 1894-1895. Today, citrus is grown on one large grove, Bellamy Grove. Additionally, some people do have trees on their personal property.

The original county seat was Mansfield, or Mannsfeld. The county seat was moved to Inverness. Currently, only a street and a pond remain of the original town.[3]

Phosphate mining also played a major part in the history of the County until the end of WWII in which phosphate mining was largely moved overseas.[citation needed] The first newspaper of Citrus County was called the Phosphate Times.[citation needed]

In the 1980s Citrus County began to develop and housing developments such as Beverly Hills started to dominate the county.[citation needed]

Citrus County is known as “The Little Giant” and this is inscribed on the official county seal. Citrus County is in the geographic center of Florida.

Citrus County has one local television station that broadcasts County Commission meetings live on the first and third Tuesday of each month. In addition, Citrus County is serviced by Bay News 9, a news outlet provided by Bright House Networks. [4]

There is one local newspaper, the Citrus County Chronicle. [5]

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 773.15 square miles (2,002 km²), of which, 584 square miles (1,512 km²) of it is land and 189 square miles (490 km²) of it (24.49%) is water.

[edit] National protected areas

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 118,085 people, 62,204 households, and 25,350 families residing in the county. The population density was 3,051.2 persons per square mile (1,177.3/km²). There were 9,359 housing units at an average density of 1,365.1 houses per square mile (526.8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.0% White, 2.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population.

There were 62,204 households out of which 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.3% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.60.

In the county the population was spread out with 17.2% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 19.1% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 32.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.6 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,508, and the median income for a family was $56,809. Males had a median income of $38,384 versus $32,107 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,515. About 5.4% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Adjacent Counties

Levy County Marion County
v • d • e
 
Gulf of Mexico North Sumter County
West   Citrus County, Florida    East
South
Hernando County

[edit] Cities and towns

[edit] Incorporated

[edit] Unincorporated

[edit] Former towns


[edit] Transportation

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Railroads

One rail line operates within the county. A freight line to the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant in northern Citrus County. Other lines that used to run through Citrus were either converted into rail trails such as the Withlacoochee State Trail or abandoned.

[edit] Major roads

See also: List of county roads in Citrus County, Florida
  • U.S. Route 19 is the main local road through western Citrus County, running south to north.
  • U.S. Route 41 is the main local road through eastern Citrus County, running south to north. North of CR 48 in Floral City, the road is also shared by the DeSoto Trail.
  • U.S. Route 98 runs northwest to southeast from Hernando County, Florida, and joins US 19 in Homosassa on its way to Perry.
  • State Road 44 runs east and west through the nothern part of the county from Crystal River into Sumter County. A county extension south of the western terminus runs into Fort Island.
  • County Road 48 runs mostly east and west through Southeastern Citrus County. It spans from US 41 Floral City winding southeast along the Withlacoochee River, which it eventaully crosses on the way to Bushnell, Center Hill, and Howey-in-the Hills in Lake County. The segment in Bushnell between I-75(Exit 314) and US 301 becomes a state road. Throughout Citrus County, County Road 48 is also shared by the DeSoto Trail.
  • County Road 480 is the southernmost county road in Citrus County. It runs east and west from Chassahowitzka, Florida with a short concurrency with US 98, then through the Withlacoochee State Forest where it evenually terminates at US 41 in Floral City, south of CR 48.
  • County Road 490:
  • County Road 491:
  • County Road 581: Runs north and south along the eastern side of the Withlacoochee State Forest from Hernando County Road 41 in Lake Lindsey, into Inverness where it joins SR 44 east towards US 41, only to branch off on its own as a dead end street on the banks of the Withlacoochee River.

[edit] Politics

Citrus County leans slightly Republican in national, state and local races, electing a mix of some local Conservative Democrats and Republicans, while generally voting Republican in presidential elections.

Presidential elections results
Year Republican Democratic Other
2004 56.9% 42.1% 1.0%
2000 52.1% 44.6% 3.3%
1996 40.6% 44.4% 15.0%
1992 36.7% 35.6% 27.9%
1988 63.0% 36.4% 0.7%

[edit] Attractions

Private Cabin On Sportsmen's Island: Citrus County, FL

Citrus County's most significant tourist draw is that it is currently the only place in the United States where one can interact and swim with the West Indian manatee without that act being viewed as harassment by Law Enforcement.[citation needed] This endangered species makes Citrus County's spring-fed rivers its wintering home. According to the US Fish & Wildlife Services' Aerial Manatee Surveys, as many as 400 of these unique creatures can be found in Citrus County at one time. This typically occurs only during the coldest months of the year.

Manatees can also be viewed in the underwater observatory at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. Most of the park's residents are injured animals undergoing rehabilition or unable to return to the wild. [7] The notable exception is Lucifer, an African hippopotamus. When a permanent home could not be found for the retired actor, then-Governor Lawton Chiles created Lucifer an honorary citizen of the state. [8]

Citrus County also has within its territorial boundaries a number of uninhabited and/or sparsely inhabited coastal islands that can be accessed via watercraft. [9] While some of the Citrus County islands are state lands thus available for public use for recreational opportunities, many other Citrus County islands are private property and are either wholly or partially owned by private parties. [10] A number of the interior islands have private vacation homes and cabins situated along the waterfront.[citation needed]

Citrus County also has one local TV Station, WYKE-LP.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ http://www.crystalriverstateparks.org/CrystalRiv3.html
  3. ^ http://www.usgennet.org/usa/fl/county/citrus/
  4. ^ www.baynews9.com
  5. ^ www.chronicleonline.com
  6. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  7. ^ http://www.floridastateparks.org/homosassasprings/default.cfm
  8. ^ http://www.floridaenvironment.com/programs/fe10101.htm
  9. ^ http://www.baynews9.com/images/hurricane/CitrusEvac.jpg
  10. ^ http://gis.pa.citrus.fl.us/website/ccpa%5Fapp/viewer.htm?Title=ArcIMS%20HTML%20Viewer

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Citrus County, Florida

[edit] Government links/Constitutional offices

[edit] Special districts

[edit] Judicial branch

[edit] Tourism links

[edit] Other

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Municipalities and communities of
Citrus County, Florida
County seat: Inverness
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Coordinates: 28°51′N 82°31′W / 28.85°N 82.52°W / 28.85; -82.52

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_County,_Florida"
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